museum
Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
New Zealand's bold national museum, renowned for its interactive exhibits, Maori taonga, and a colossal squid specimen.
18 km · about 20 min drive
OceaniaNew ZealandWellington Region
Porirua
Wellington Region, New Zealand · Oceania
About Porirua
Porirua is worth a stop: 5 minutes from Titahi Bay, 19km from Mount Victoria Lookout, Wellington.
Porirua is in Wellington Region, New Zealand, with about 62,000 people. You drive on the left here. The nearest town is Titahi Bay, about 4 km away.
Porirua (Māori: Pari-ā-Rua) is a city in the Wellington Region of the North Island of New Zealand and is one of the four cities that constitute the Wellington metropolitan area. The name 'Porirua' is a corruption of 'Pari-rua', meaning "the tide sweeping up both reaches". It almost completely surrounds Porirua HarbourRead more
at the southern end of the Kāpiti Coast. As of 2023, Porirua has a population of 62,400 people,
and is a diverse city with 26.5% of the population identifying as Pasifika and 23.0% of the population identifying as Māori.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Porirua?
Within an hour or so of Porirua: Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa (18 km), Mount Victoria Lookout, Wellington (19 km), Weta Workshop, Miramar, Wellington (19 km), Southward Car Museum (31 km).
Are there any good drives near Porirua?
The nearest famous roads are Queen Charlotte Drive.
Where is Porirua?
Porirua is in Wellington Region, New Zealand, about 4 km from Titahi Bay.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 61,500
- Continent
- Oceania
- Country
- New Zealand
- Region
- Wellington Region
- Timezone
- Pacific/Auckland
- Coordinates
- -41.1333, 174.8500
Emergency & Services
Essential numbers in New Zealand
Many rural bridges are single-lane. Give way as signed.
Full driving guide for New ZealandTags
Worth the detour from Porirua
5 notable places within an hour's drive.
scenic viewpoint
Mount Victoria Lookout, Wellington
196 m summit lookout reached by a sealed road above central Wellington, giving a panorama of the harbour and Cook Strait.
19 km · about 20 min drive
film location
Weta Workshop, Miramar, Wellington
The effects house behind Middle-earth; its Wellington workshop tour displays original props, weapons and creature designs.
19 km · about 20 min drive
museum
Southward Car Museum
One of the Southern Hemisphere's largest collections with over 400 vehicles spanning a century of motoring.
31 km · about 35 min drive
film location
Putangirua Pinnacles (Paths of the Dead)
The eroded badland spires on the Wairarapa coast are the Dimholt Road approach to the Paths of the Dead in Return of the King.
47 km · about 55 min drive
Driving roads near Porirua
- 19 kmMount Victoria Lookout, Wellington196 m summit lookout reached by a sealed road above central Wellington, giving a panorama of the harbour and Cook Strait.
- 78 kmQueen Charlotte DriveWinding 35 km sealed road between Picton and Havelock hugging the Marlborough Sounds, with numerous bays and lookout pull-offs.
Nearby Destinations
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