film location
Weta Workshop, Miramar, Wellington
The effects house behind Middle-earth; its Wellington workshop tour displays original props, weapons and creature designs.
11 km · about 20 min drive
OceaniaNew ZealandWellington Region
Wainuiomata
Wellington Region, New Zealand · Oceania
About Wainuiomata
Wainuiomata is worth a stop: 5 minutes from Days Bay, 13km from Mount Victoria Lookout, Wellington.
Wainuiomata is in Wellington Region, New Zealand, with about 20,000 people. You drive on the left here. The nearest town is Days Bay, about 4 km away.
Wainuiomata () is a large dormitory suburb of Lower Hutt, in the Wellington metropolitan area in New Zealand. Its population was estimated as being 20,450 as of June 2025, with a density of 1,600 people per km2. European settlement of Wainuiomata began in the 1850s with timber-felling and farming and began to grow inRead more
the 1920s. After World War 2 there was rapid population expansion, with Wainuiomata earning the nickname 'Nappy Valley' because of the large number of families with young children. From the late 1980s the economy slowed and the population decreased, but since about 2020 there has been a housing boom and corresponding increase in population. Wainuiomata is noted for being the origin of New Zealand's kōhanga reo (Māori-language immersion preschool) movement.
Where to Stay in Wainuiomata
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Wainuiomata?
Within an hour or so of Wainuiomata: Weta Workshop, Miramar, Wellington (11 km), Mount Victoria Lookout, Wellington (13 km), Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa (14 km), Putangirua Pinnacles (Paths of the Dead) (31 km).
Are there any good drives near Wainuiomata?
The nearest famous roads are Queen Charlotte Drive.
Where is Wainuiomata?
Wainuiomata is in Wellington Region, New Zealand, about 4 km from Days Bay.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 20,450
- Continent
- Oceania
- Country
- New Zealand
- Region
- Wellington Region
- Timezone
- Pacific/Auckland
- Coordinates
- -41.2667, 174.9500
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 Wainuiomata
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.
13 km · about 25 min drive
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.
14 km · about 25 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.
31 km · about 35 min drive
museum
Southward Car Museum
One of the Southern Hemisphere's largest collections with over 400 vehicles spanning a century of motoring.
42 km · about 50 min drive
Driving roads near Wainuiomata
- Right hereMount Victoria Lookout, Wellington196 m summit lookout reached by a sealed road above central Wellington, giving a panorama of the harbour and Cook Strait.
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