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City in the North Island of New Zealand
Photo: Derrick Coetzee (User:Dcoetzee), CC0 via Wikimedia Commons
Porirua is a city in the Wellington urban area in the southern North Island of New Zealand. Porirua's central business district (CBD) is about 20 km north of the Wellington City CBD. The Porirua CBD is near the southern end of the city, south-west of the less picturesque of the two almost landlocked arms of the Porirua Harbour. Suburbs of the city include Mana, Paremata, Pauatahanui, Plimmerton, Pukerua Bay and Titahi Bay. The city has a population of 56,000.
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It may get snow in winter but at other times is a rewarding few hours' walk for great views of Cook Strait and beyond.
Gear Eatery and Bar
Historic home built for a meat magnate.
Showcases policing methods of the past, present, and future.
A museum and art gallery. There is a Japanese Garden (contributed by sister city Nishio) and at the adjacent public library you can see one of the North Island's best genealogical collections.
At its eastern end is a wildlife sanctuary that has one of the highest densities of copepods (small crustaceans) in the world.
Maybe watch yet another future world champion windsurfer or boardsailor beating the breezes. The area near the beach is one of the Porirua's oldest settlements, dating from the nineteenth century when Plimmer and others pushed the Wellington and Manawatu Railway through.
The headquarters of the Ngati Toa tribe, who immigrated from the Waikato in the 1820s under Te Rauparaha; across the harbour, see the small historic reserve in Plimmerton where the Government captured him in 1846, and which seems to be in better condition than the ruins of the stone fort that was built in the same year at "Parramatta" (now the Ngatitoa Domain) but dismembered by an earthquake very soon after.
Outdoor aerial adventure park. Go in the trees up to 31m. 3 hours with plenty to try. Book ahead.
Historic battle site and regional park. See the farm animals and feed the eels. Yep, feed eels. You can view the site of one of the "Hutt Valley Campaign" battles of 1846. Picnicking, camping, and trails. No dogs, no cell coverage.
Fine Indian cuisine, allows reservations and has take away.
Serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner along with tap beer and cocktails. Tap takeaway lets you bring craft beer home.
Contemporary Asian cuisine.
Coffee shop with sweet and savoury treats.
Luxury motel with 20 spacious ground-floor units.
Backpacker/Hostel. Overlooking Bay and near water's edge. Need to make reservations.
By train
50 to Paremata or Plimmerton (but discounts from 9AM to 3PM). Units leave about every half hour.
By bus
Interprovincial buses generally stop at Plimmerton, Paremata, and central Porirua.
Mana Transport operate numerous services which mostly operate out of the rail station's forecourt to Porirua's suburbs as well as towards surrounding towns.
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Wellington · International · WLG
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