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The Kapiti Coast District is a local government district of the
Wellington Region Greater Wellington, also known as the Wellington Region (Māori: ''Te Upoko o te Ika''), is a non-unitary region of New Zealand that occupies the southernmost part of the North Island. The region covers an area of , and has a population of T ...
in the lower
North Island The North Island, also officially named Te Ika-a-Māui, is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the larger but much less populous South Island by the Cook Strait. The island's area is , making it the world's 14th-larges ...
of New Zealand, 50 km north of
Wellington City Wellington City Council is a territorial authority in New Zealand, governing the country's capital city Wellington, and ''de facto'' second-largest city (if the commonly considered parts of Wellington, the Upper Hutt, Porirua, Lower Hutt and ...
. The district is named after
Kapiti Island Kapiti Island () is an island about off the west coast of the lower North Island of New Zealand. It is long, running southwest/northeast, and roughly wide, being more or less rectangular in shape, and has an area of . Its name has been used s ...
, a prominent island offshore. The population of the district is concentrated in the chain of coastal settlements along State Highway One: Ōtaki, Te Horo,
Waikanae Waikanae (, ) is a town on the Kapiti Coast, 60 kilometres north of the Wellington CBD. The name is a Māori word meaning "waters" (''wai'') "of the grey mullet". The town lies between Paraparaumu, eight kilometres to the southwest, and Ōt ...
, Paraparaumu, Raumati Beach, Raumati South, and
Paekākāriki Paekākāriki () is a town in the Kapiti Coast District in the south-western North Island, New Zealand, and one of the northernmost suburbs of Wellington. It lies north of Porirua and northeast of the Wellington CBD. The town's name comes fro ...
. Paraparaumu is the most populous of these towns and the commercial and administrative centre. Much of the rural land is given over to horticulture; market gardens are common along the highway between the settlements. The area available for agriculture and settlement is narrow and coastal. Much of the eastern part of the district is within the Tararua Forest Park, which covers the rugged Tararua Range, with peaks rising to over 1500 m.


Geography

The Kapiti Coast District stretches from Ōtaki in the north to
Paekākāriki Paekākāriki () is a town in the Kapiti Coast District in the south-western North Island, New Zealand, and one of the northernmost suburbs of Wellington. It lies north of Porirua and northeast of the Wellington CBD. The town's name comes fro ...
in the south. It includes the towns of Te Horo,
Waikanae Waikanae (, ) is a town on the Kapiti Coast, 60 kilometres north of the Wellington CBD. The name is a Māori word meaning "waters" (''wai'') "of the grey mullet". The town lies between Paraparaumu, eight kilometres to the southwest, and Ōt ...
, Paraparaumu, Raumati Beach, Raumati South, and smaller localities such as Maungakōtukutuku, Otaihanga, and
Peka Peka Peka Peka, sometimes spelled Pekapeka, is a seaside locality on the Kapiti Coast of New Zealand's North Island. It is located just off State Highway 1 and the North Island Main Trunk railway between Waikanae and Te Horo. Peka Peka was briefl ...
. It extends from the
Tasman Sea The Tasman Sea (Māori: ''Te Tai-o-Rēhua'', ) is a marginal sea of the South Pacific Ocean, situated between Australia and New Zealand. It measures about across and about from north to south. The sea was named after the Dutch explorer ...
coast to the top of the Tararua Range.
Kapiti Island Kapiti Island () is an island about off the west coast of the lower North Island of New Zealand. It is long, running southwest/northeast, and roughly wide, being more or less rectangular in shape, and has an area of . Its name has been used s ...
, a prominent offshore feature, is part of the district. The district is not generally considered part of the
Wellington Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by ...
metropolitan area, being distant from Wellington City,
Porirua Porirua, ( mi, Pari-ā-Rua) a city in the Wellington Region of the North Island of New Zealand, is one of the four cities that constitute the Wellington metropolitan area. The name 'Porirua' is a corruption of 'Pari-rua', meaning "the tide sw ...
and the
Hutt Valley The Hutt Valley (or 'The Hutt') is the large area of fairly flat land in the Hutt River valley in the Wellington region of New Zealand. Like the river that flows through it, it takes its name from Sir William Hutt, a director of the New Zeala ...
, which make up the nucleus of the area. Still, Waikanae is considered by many to be the absolute northernmost point Wellington can be considered to reach as a city. Many residents travel into Wellington each day for work, and the district is a popular weekend destination for the people of the Wellington Region. The town of Paraparaumu, considered the pivot of the district, is located about 55 km north of Wellington. The area has an
oceanic climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate, is the humid temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring cool summers and mild winters ...
with moderate temperature swings between seasons, resulting in warm summers and mild winters without any severe heat waves or cold spells.


Populated places

Kapiti Coast District consists of the following towns, localities, settlements and communities: * Ōtaki Ward: ** Ōtaki **
Ōtaki Beach Ōtaki Beach is a small settlement in the Kapiti Coast District of the Wellington Region of New Zealand's North Island. It is located on the South Taranaki Bight north of the mouth of Ōtaki River, 4.0 kilometres northwest of Ōtaki. A cairn ...
** Te Horo ** Te Horo Beach ** Hautere ** Forest Lakes ** Marycrest ** Ōtaki North * Paekākāriki-Raumati Ward: ** Paekākāriki Area: ***
Paekākāriki Paekākāriki () is a town in the Kapiti Coast District in the south-western North Island, New Zealand, and one of the northernmost suburbs of Wellington. It lies north of Porirua and northeast of the Wellington CBD. The town's name comes fro ...
*** Queen Elizabeth Park *** Moonshine Valley *** Mackay *** Emerald Green *** Whareroa ** Raumati Area: *** Raumati Beach *** Raumati South *** Whareroa * Paraparaumu Ward: ** Paraparaumu ** Paraparaumu Beach ** Maungakōtukutuku ** Otaihanga ** Nīkau Valley ** Tūteremoana * Waikanae Ward: **
Waikanae Waikanae (, ) is a town on the Kapiti Coast, 60 kilometres north of the Wellington CBD. The name is a Māori word meaning "waters" (''wai'') "of the grey mullet". The town lies between Paraparaumu, eight kilometres to the southwest, and Ōt ...
**
Reikorangi Reikorangi is a rural locality on the Kapiti Coast in New Zealand's North Island. It is inland, behind Waikanae in the Akatarawa Valley of the Tararua Ranges. The Ngatiawa River and Reikorangi Stream both meet the Waikanae River Waik ...
** Waikanae Beach **
Peka Peka Peka Peka, sometimes spelled Pekapeka, is a seaside locality on the Kapiti Coast of New Zealand's North Island. It is located just off State Highway 1 and the North Island Main Trunk railway between Waikanae and Te Horo. Peka Peka was briefl ...
** Waikanae Downs


History

Māori chief Te Rauparaha established a base on Kapiti Island, and from this position, he was able to launch attacks on other tribes during the
Musket Wars The Musket Wars were a series of as many as 3,000 battles and raids fought throughout New Zealand (including the Chatham Islands) among Māori between 1807 and 1837, after Māori first obtained muskets and then engaged in an intertribal arms rac ...
of the early 19th century. Around this time, Europeans began whaling in the area, and on 16 October 1839,
William Wakefield William Hayward Wakefield (1801 – 19 September 1848) was an English colonel, the leader of the first colonising expedition to New Zealand and one of the founders of Wellington. As a leader, he attracted much controversy. Early life William W ...
of the
New Zealand Company The New Zealand Company, chartered in the United Kingdom, was a company that existed in the first half of the 19th century on a business model focused on the systematic colonisation of New Zealand. The company was formed to carry out the principl ...
arrived in the Kapiti region to purchase land for permanent European settlement. Te Rauparaha sold him land in the Nelson and
Golden Bay Golden Bay may refer to: * Golden Bay / Mohua Golden Bay / Mohua is a shallow, paraboloid-shaped bay in New Zealand, near the northern tip of the South Island. An arm of the Tasman Sea, the bay lies northwest of Tasman Bay / Te Tai-o-Aorere a ...
area. European settlement of the Kapiti Coast only took place on a significant scale after the Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company (WMR) opened its railway line from
Wellington Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by ...
to Longburn, just south of
Palmerston North Palmerston North (; mi, Te Papa-i-Oea, known colloquially as Palmy) is a city in the North Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Manawatū-Whanganui region. Located in the eastern Manawatu Plains, the city is near the north bank of the ...
. The line was opened in 1886, with the final spike driven in on the Kapiti Coast at Otaihanga. Paekākāriki was quickly established as a significant
steam locomotive A steam locomotive is a locomotive that provides the force to move itself and other vehicles by means of the expansion of steam. It is fuelled by burning combustible material (usually coal, oil or, rarely, wood) to heat water in the loco ...
depot due to the need to swap locomotives at the location; powerful, heavy locomotives were required to handle trains over the rugged section from Wellington to Paekākāriki, while lighter, faster locomotives were more suited to the relatively flat terrain north of Paekākāriki. In 1908, the WMR was purchased by the
New Zealand Railways Department The New Zealand Railways Department, NZR or NZGR (New Zealand Government Railways) and often known as the "Railways", was a government department charged with owning and maintaining New Zealand's railway infrastructure and operating the railway ...
, who incorporated the line into the
North Island Main Trunk The North Island Main Trunk (NIMT) is the main railway line in the North Island of New Zealand, connecting the capital city Wellington with the country's largest city, Auckland. The line is long, built to the New Zealand rail gauge of and se ...
railway. In June 1940, the Wellington-Paekākāriki section was
electrified Electrification is the process of powering by electricity and, in many contexts, the introduction of such power by changing over from an earlier power source. The broad meaning of the term, such as in the history of technology, economic history ...
as
electric locomotive An electric locomotive is a locomotive powered by electricity from overhead lines, a third rail or on-board energy storage such as a battery or a supercapacitor. Locomotives with on-board fuelled prime movers, such as diesel engines or g ...
s provided better motive power. This meant trains would swap from steam (and later diesel-electric) to electric traction in Paekākāriki and it retained its status as a significant locomotive depot. It also became the northern terminus of the Wellington commuter railway network until 8 May 1983, when it was extended to Paraparaumu. In February 2011 electrification reached Waikanae, which became the new terminus. During
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
, Queen Elizabeth Park – a large tract of parkland between Raumati South and Paekākāriki – was the location of two
United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, ...
and
Marines Marines, or naval infantry, are typically a military force trained to operate in littoral zones in support of naval operations. Historically, tasks undertaken by marines have included helping maintain discipline and order aboard the ship (refl ...
camps, McKay and Russell. US troops were stationed at the camps in 1942–44 prior to being sent into combat in the Pacific Ocean theatre. After World War II, Wellington's Rongotai Airport was closed due to safety reasons in 1947 and Kapiti Coast Airport became the main airport for the
Wellington Region Greater Wellington, also known as the Wellington Region (Māori: ''Te Upoko o te Ika''), is a non-unitary region of New Zealand that occupies the southernmost part of the North Island. The region covers an area of , and has a population of T ...
. In 1949, it was New Zealand's busiest airport and helped to stimulate growth on the Kapiti Coast. The Wellington International Airport was opened in 1959 and Paraparaumu Airport never regained its status, with some of its land sold for residential development in the 1990s and 2000s.


Administration


District Council

The parts of the district south of the
Waikanae River Waikanae River is located on the Kapiti Coast in the North Island of New Zealand. The river drains the western flanks of the Tararua Ranges around Reikorangi and the Akatarawa Valley, then passes to the south of the town of Waikanae to the n ...
were originally part of the now defunct
Hutt County Hutt County was one of the former counties of New Zealand. It occupied the south-western corner of the North Island, extending south from the Waikanae River and lying to the west of the summits of the Rimutaka Ranges. The county's name arises f ...
. The Kapiti Borough Council was carved from it in 1973. In New Zealand's local government reforms of 1989, the borough council was replaced by the Kapiti Coast District Council, and the area under its jurisdiction expanded northwards to include Waikanae and Ōtaki, which had been part of the
Horowhenua Horowhenua District is a territorial authority district on the west coast of the North Island of New Zealand, administered by Horowhenua District Council. Located north of Wellington and Kapiti, it stretches from slightly north of the town of ...
County. The council, now styled ''Kāpiti Coast District Council'', is a territorial authority elected by residents every three years. It consists of a mayor and 10 councillors. Two councillors are elected for the Paraparaumu ward, one each for the Ōtaki, Paekākāriki-Raumati and Waikanae wards, and five are elected at-large. Kapiti Island is part of the Paraparaumu ward. Although "Kapiti Coast District" is the official name of the district, the council uses the spelling "Kāpiti" for its name. Despite sharing the same spelling, the name is unrelated to the
Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the Co ...
word for "cabbage" ( mi, kāpiti).


Community boards

The Kāpiti Coast District Council has created five local community boards, under the provisions of Part 4 of the
Local Government Act 2002 The Local Government Act 2002 (sometimes known by its acronym, LGA) is an Act of New Zealand's Parliament that defines local government in New Zealand. There are 73 territorial authorities (local districts), each with an elected Mayor and elec ...
, covering the district: *The Paekākāriki Community Board representing the area including
Paekākāriki Paekākāriki () is a town in the Kapiti Coast District in the south-western North Island, New Zealand, and one of the northernmost suburbs of Wellington. It lies north of Porirua and northeast of the Wellington CBD. The town's name comes fro ...
, Emerald Glen and Whareroa Road in the north; *The Paraparaumu Community Board representing the area from Paraparaumu through to Otaihanga; *The Raumati Community Board representing the area including Raumati Beach and Raumati South; *The Waikanae Community Board representing the area from
Waikanae Waikanae (, ) is a town on the Kapiti Coast, 60 kilometres north of the Wellington CBD. The name is a Māori word meaning "waters" (''wai'') "of the grey mullet". The town lies between Paraparaumu, eight kilometres to the southwest, and Ōt ...
Downs in the south through to
Peka Peka Peka Peka, sometimes spelled Pekapeka, is a seaside locality on the Kapiti Coast of New Zealand's North Island. It is located just off State Highway 1 and the North Island Main Trunk railway between Waikanae and Te Horo. Peka Peka was briefl ...
in the north; *The Ōtaki Community Board representing the area including north of Marycrest, Te Horo, Ōtaki North to Forest Lakes. Community boards are primarily advocates for their local area and they also administer community grant funding.


Regional Council

Greater Wellington Regional Council Wellington Regional Council, branded as Greater Wellington Regional Council, is the regional council overseeing the Wellington Region of New Zealand's lower North Island. It is responsible for public transport under the brand Metlink, environm ...
is responsible for regional governance of the district and the wider region, including public transport, water and environmental management.


Demographics

Kapiti Coast District covers and had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km2. Many of the residents work in Wellington. The population of the district has grown rapidly since the 1980s, fuelled in large part by Wellingtonians moving there to retire.


2018 census

Kapiti Coast District had a population of 53,673 at the
2018 New Zealand census Eighteen or 18 may refer to: * 18 (number), the natural number following 17 and preceding 19 * one of the years 18 BC, AD 18, 1918, 2018 Film, television and entertainment * ''18'' (film), a 1993 Taiwanese experimental film based on the short ...
, an increase of 4,569 people (9.3%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 7,476 people (16.2%) since the 2006 census. There were 21,753 households. There were 25,314 males and 28,359 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.89 males per female. The median age was 47.9 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 9,285 people (17.3%) aged under 15 years, 7,386 (13.8%) aged 15 to 29, 22,935 (42.7%) aged 30 to 64, and 14,067 (26.2%) aged 65 or older. Ethnicities were 87.7% European/Pākehā, 14.7% Māori, 3.0% Pacific peoples, 4.6% Asian, and 2.2% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity. The percentage of people born overseas was 22.6, compared with 27.1% nationally. Although some people objected to giving their religion, 52.9% had no religion, 35.8% were Christian, 0.5% were Hindu, 0.1% were Muslim, 0.6% were Buddhist and 2.7% had other religions. Of those at least 15 years old, 10,188 (23.0%) people had a bachelor or higher degree, and 7,167 (16.1%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $29,700, compared with $31,800 nationally. 7,950 people (17.9%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 18,792 (42.3%) people were employed full-time, 6,435 (14.5%) were part-time, and 1,596 (3.6%) were unemployed.


Attractions

Apart from Kapiti Island, one of the most visible features of the Kapiti Coast is Queen Elizabeth Park. Lying to the south of Raumati, it is a popular attraction that covers some 12 km². It extends to Paekākāriki, and includes the
Wellington Tramway Museum The Wellington Tramway Museum is located at Queen Elizabeth Park on the lower North Island of New Zealand, near the overbridge at McKay's Crossing between Paekakariki and Paraparaumu. Trams have been in operation on a line through the park ...
. Other tourist attractions include: *
Kapiti Island Kapiti Island () is an island about off the west coast of the lower North Island of New Zealand. It is long, running southwest/northeast, and roughly wide, being more or less rectangular in shape, and has an area of . Its name has been used s ...
is an iconic landmark, providing a symbol for a number of local businesses and groups. The island has several walks and trails, and contains species of protected native birdlife. Access to the nature reserve is by approved tour groups only. *The Kapiti Coast Museum in Waikanae has a wide range of historic collections including object and clothing displays, archives, hands-on exhibits, a reconstruction of a historic Kapiti Coast domestic layout, plus military and 19th century communications equipment. *Ōtaki-Māori Racing Club is New Zealand's only
Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the Co ...
racing club; it was formed in 1886, and holds eight race meetings annually.
Ōtaki Museum
houses documents, photographs, oral histories and artifacts of significance to the history of Ōtaki and the surrounding district. *Queen Elizabeth Park contains the
Wellington Tramway Museum The Wellington Tramway Museum is located at Queen Elizabeth Park on the lower North Island of New Zealand, near the overbridge at McKay's Crossing between Paekakariki and Paraparaumu. Trams have been in operation on a line through the park ...
and a number of coastal walking tracks. It also hosts
orienteering Orienteering is a group of sports that require navigational skills using a map and compass to navigate from point to point in diverse and usually unfamiliar terrain whilst moving at speed. Participants are given a topographical map, usually a ...
events. * Paekakariki Station Museum has displays of local Maori and heritage items along with sections devoted to railways and the
US Marines The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through comb ...
occupation of the McKays Crossing area during World War II. It is located in the historic Paekakariki Railway Station building. * Steam Incorporated, a railway preservation society, is based in the Paekakariki Railway Yard. Steam Inc.'s depot, known as "The Engine Shed", where
locomotive A locomotive or engine is a rail transport vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. If a locomotive is capable of carrying a payload, it is usually rather referred to as a multiple unit, motor coach, railcar or power car; the ...
s and
rolling stock The term rolling stock in the rail transport industry refers to railway vehicles, including both powered and unpowered vehicles: for example, locomotives, freight and passenger cars (or coaches), and non-revenue cars. Passenger vehicles can b ...
are restored and displayed, and the society is also one of the few operators of steam-hauled excursions on New Zealand's national railway network. *One of the Southern Hemisphere's largest car collections is at the Southward Car Museum in Otaihanga. * Paekakariki Escarpment Walkway is a walking track that goes between
Paekākāriki Paekākāriki () is a town in the Kapiti Coast District in the south-western North Island, New Zealand, and one of the northernmost suburbs of Wellington. It lies north of Porirua and northeast of the Wellington CBD. The town's name comes fro ...
and
Pukerua Bay railway station Pukerua Bay railway station is located on the North Island Main Trunk Railway (NIMT) in Pukerua Bay, New Zealand and is part of the suburban rail network of Wellington. It is double tracked, has an island platform layout, and is 30.4 k ...
. It is part of
Te Araroa Te Araroa (The Long Pathway) is New Zealand's long distance tramping route, stretching circa along the length of the country's two main islands from Cape Reinga to Bluff. Officially opened in 2011, it is made up of a mixture of previously made ...
walkway that traverses New Zealand from north to south. *Paraparaumu Golf Course.


Economy and transport

The Kapiti Coast is well known for its cheeses and other products from Lindale. Light industry is focused in Paraparaumu and Ōtaki, with small clusters in Waikanae and Raumati. Many of the Kapiti Coast's residents are not employed in the area. Instead, they commute to jobs in Wellington.
Transdev Transdev, formerly Veolia Transdev, is a French-based international private-sector company which operates public transport. It has operations in 17 countries and territories as of November 2020. History The group was formed by the merger of V ...
operates electric commuter trains along a portion of the North Island Main Trunk Railway referred to as the
Kapiti Line Metlink's Kapiti Line is the electrified southern portion of the North Island Main Trunk railway between New Zealand's capital city, Wellington, and Waikanae on the Kapiti Coast, operated by Transdev Wellington on behalf of Greater Wellington R ...
on behalf of Metlink (the Greater Wellington public transport brand), and the
KiwiRail KiwiRail Holdings Limited is a New Zealand state-owned enterprise responsible for rail operations in New Zealand, and operates inter-island ferries. Trading as KiwiRail and headquartered in Wellington, New Zealand, KiwiRail is the largest rail ...
Capital Connection The Capital Connection is a long-distance commuter train operated by KiwiRail between Palmerston North and the capital city of Wellington on the North Island Main Trunk. In 2018 the service faced funding issues, but the Government ensured that ...
commuter train from Palmerston North to Wellington provides a service for commuters north of the electric terminus in Waikanae. Metlink also provides regular local bus services throughout the Kapiti Coast, operated by Uzabus. In February 2017 an 18 km (11 mi) long expressway diversion from
Mackays Crossing Mackays Crossing is a locality in the Kapiti Coast District of New Zealand's North Island, located between Paekākāriki to the south and Raumati South to the north. Name The locality was previously officially named MacKays Crossing, but was of ...
north of
Paekākāriki Paekākāriki () is a town in the Kapiti Coast District in the south-western North Island, New Zealand, and one of the northernmost suburbs of Wellington. It lies north of Porirua and northeast of the Wellington CBD. The town's name comes fro ...
to just north of
Peka Peka Peka Peka, sometimes spelled Pekapeka, is a seaside locality on the Kapiti Coast of New Zealand's North Island. It is located just off State Highway 1 and the North Island Main Trunk railway between Waikanae and Te Horo. Peka Peka was briefl ...
, was opened to enable State Highway 1 to bypass developed urban areas. An extension to just north of Ōtaki opened in December 2022. State Highway One connects the Kapiti Coast to Wellington. Before the long-mooted
Transmission Gully Motorway The Transmission Gully Motorway () is a , four-lane motorway north of Wellington, New Zealand; it is part of the State Highway 1 route. Construction began on 8 September 2014 and completion was originally scheduled for April 2020, but contractu ...
opened in March 2022, the road (now re-designated State Highway 59) was a narrow, highly congested coastal highway and has been subject to occasional closure due to landslides. The district is on the North Island Main Trunk railway line (NIMT) and served as far north as Waikanae by suburban passenger trains on the
Kapiti Line Metlink's Kapiti Line is the electrified southern portion of the North Island Main Trunk railway between New Zealand's capital city, Wellington, and Waikanae on the Kapiti Coast, operated by Transdev Wellington on behalf of Greater Wellington R ...
, one of Wellington's three Metlink commuter rail links. There are also commuter bus services. The small Kapiti Coast Airport is sandwiched between Paraparaumu (to the north) and Raumati (to the south). With three runways (one of which is now closed), it once served as the main airport of the Wellington region, but was until recently used mainly by aeroclubs. In 2011 scheduled commercial flights from Kapiti to Auckland resumed. It also has daily scheduled flights across
Cook Strait Cook Strait ( mi, Te Moana-o-Raukawa) separates the North and South Islands of New Zealand. The strait connects the Tasman Sea on the northwest with the South Pacific Ocean on the southeast. It is wide at its narrowest point,McLintock, A H, ...
to Nelson and Blenheim. After
Air New Zealand Air New Zealand Limited () is the flag carrier airline of New Zealand. Based in Auckland, the airline operates scheduled passenger flights to 20 domestic and 30 international destinations in 18 countries, primarily around and within the Pacific ...
withdrew air services in April 2018,
Air Chathams Air Chathams Limited is an airline based in the Chatham Islands, New Zealand. It was established in 1984 and operates scheduled passenger services between the Chatham Islands and mainland New Zealand along with routes between Auckland a ...
announced that they would be launching flights to Auckland from August 2018.
Sounds Air Sounds Air is a New Zealand airline based at Picton. The airline was founded in 1986 by Cliff and Diane Marchant to provide low cost flights to the Marlborough Sounds. The airline has a maintenance facility at Omaka aerodrome with its Soun ...
also operates from the airport, and it is used for flight training and for private and hobby flights.


Film and television

Film director
Peter Jackson Sir Peter Robert Jackson (born 31 October 1961) is a New Zealand film director, screenwriter and producer. He is best known as the director, writer and producer of the ''Lord of the Rings'' trilogy (2001–2003) and the ''Hobbit'' trilogy ( ...
is from Pukerua Bay and went to high school at Kapiti College in Raumati Beach. Scenes from his movies ''
Lord of the Rings ''The Lord of the Rings'' is an epic high-fantasy novel by English author and scholar J. R. R. Tolkien. Set in Middle-earth, intended to be Earth at some time in the distant past, the story began as a sequel to Tolkien's 1937 children's boo ...
'' and ''
King Kong King Kong is a fictional giant monster resembling a gorilla, who has appeared in various media since 1933. He has been dubbed The Eighth Wonder of the World, a phrase commonly used within the franchise. His first appearance was in the novelizat ...
'' were filmed on the Kapiti Coast. Some of the seminal battle scenes in the fields in front of Minas Tirith in '' The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King'' were shot in part at Queen Elizabeth Park. Kapiti Island figured in ''King Kong'' with the scenes approaching the lost island of King Kong shot in the waters between Raumati Beach and the island.


Sport

A number of
rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its m ...
clubs are based in the area, including Paraparaumu RFC, Waikanae RFC, Rahui RFC, and Toa RFC. Horowhenua Kapiti represent the district in the
Heartland Championship The Heartland Championship competition, known for sponsorship reasons as the Bunnings Warehouse Heartland Championship, is a domestic rugby union competition in New Zealand. It was founded in 2006 as one of two successor competitions to the countr ...
. Kapiti has been represented in
rugby league Rugby league football, commonly known as just rugby league and sometimes football, footy, rugby or league, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular field measuring 68 metres (75 yards) wide and 112 ...
by the Kapiti Bears – Kapiti Coast Rugby League Club Inc. The Club was founded in the 1970s and was the home of
Kiwi Kiwi most commonly refers to: * Kiwi (bird), a flightless bird native to New Zealand * Kiwi (nickname), a nickname for New Zealanders * Kiwifruit, an edible berry * Kiwi dollar or New Zealand dollar, a unit of currency Kiwi or KIWI may also ref ...
and
Melbourne Storm The Melbourne Storm are a rugby league club based in Melbourne, Victoria in Australia that participates in the National Rugby League. The first fully professional rugby league team based in the state, the Storm entered the competition in 1998. ...
player
Stephen Kearney Stephen Peter Kearney (born 11 June 1972) is a New Zealand professional rugby league football coach who until 2020 was the head coach of the New Zealand Warriors in the NRL and a former player. A New Zealand national captain and second-row for ...
. The Kapiti Bears operate out of Matthews Park, Menin Road, and are affiliated with the Wellington Rugby League Association. In association football, Kapiti is represented by
Kapiti Coast United Kapiti Coast United (KCU) is an association football club in New Zealand. Their home ground is Weka Park in Raumati Beach on the Kāpiti Coast. History Originally known as the Raumati Hearts, they formed in 1960 as a junior club then two year ...
, who play at
Weka Park Raumati Beach is a beach community on the Kapiti Coast of New Zealand's North Island; located 60km north-west of Wellington, and about 10 km north of Raumati South. It is immediately to the south-west of the larger town of Paraparaumu. The Maun ...
in Raumati Beach. The club was formed by the merger of Raumati Hearts and Paraparaumu United in 2003. Paraparaumu Track and Field Club is the
athletics Athletics may refer to: Sports * Sport of athletics, a collection of sporting events that involve competitive running, jumping, throwing, and walking ** Track and field, a sub-category of the above sport * Athletics (physical culture), competi ...
club based in Paraparaumu, with facilities at the Paraparaumu Domain.


News media

The Kapiti Coast has four news sources owned and operated on the coast. * Kapiti News – a newspaper run by
New Zealand Herald ''The New Zealand Herald'' is a daily newspaper published in Auckland, New Zealand, owned by New Zealand Media and Entertainment, and considered a newspaper of record for New Zealand. It has the largest newspaper circulation of all newspapers ...
and a part of
NZME New Zealand Media and Entertainment (abbreviated NZME) is a New Zealand newspaper, radio and digital media business. It was launched in 2014 as the formal merger of the New Zealand division of APN News & Media, APN New Zealand; The Radio Netw ...
* BeachFM – local owned radio station broadcasting on 106.3 FM * What's On Kapiti –
online news An online newspaper (or electronic news or electronic news publication) is the electronic publishing, online version of a newspaper, either as a stand-alone publication or as the online version of a printed periodical literature, periodical. Goin ...
source publishing about Kapiti. * Kapiti Observer – free newspaper delivering to homes and run by
Stuff Stuff, stuffed, and stuffing may refer to: *Physical matter *General, unspecific things, or entities Arts, media, and entertainment Books *''Stuff'' (1997), a novel by Joseph Connolly (author), Joseph Connolly *''Stuff'' (2005), a book by Jere ...


References


External links


Kāpiti Coast District Council

What's On Kapiti

Beach FM
{{Cities and districts of New Zealand Local government in New Zealand Landforms of the Wellington Region Coastline of New Zealand