Things to do in beautiful Kilbirnie
‘Located as a gateway to the eastern and southern suburbs, Kilbirnie has a range of activities to offer locals and visitors in or within a very short distance from the suburb centre.’
Kilbirnie Mural Movement
View Kilbirnie through an inspired artistic lens and experience a striking splash of colour. Go for a walk and join the Kilbirnie mural movement.
Starting from the north, Kilbirnie's newest mural, 'Te Taiao' by artist Miriama Grace-Smith is located on Tacy street and depicts the birds and marine life that inhabit the Wellington coastline and sea. This maximus mural can be found on the wall facing the EBIS netball courts.
Head south, cross onto Rongotai Road and you will see the first of two geometric murals by artist David H. Brown. 'Cause and Effect' wrapping around the Wellington Electricity building. These works were inspired by the seismic history of the local terrain and how influential this now is to the settlement of Kilbirnie. Both 'Te Taiao' and 'Cause and Effect' were commissioned by the Kilbirnie Business Network.
Bear towards Bay Road and walk south taking in the five framed murals by Timon Maxey on the Countdown wall; these depict different scenes from the surrounding area. Across to Coutts Street and look up to the Kilbirnie Liquor Centre south-facing wall where you will see the second David H. Brown mural. Staying on Coutts Street, near the Dairy you will see two murals, 'Memories of the tramway' and 'Memories of the Rongotai Speedway' by artist Sheyne Tuffery.
Take a moment and walk over to Mahora Street to check out a colourful mural, commissioned by Dwell Housing Trust to complement its beautiful community housing project.
Thanks to Resene and Wellington City Council for their support and huge contributions towards these projects, and to all the businesses and landlords involved.
Other activities close to Kilbirnie Shopping Centre include:
- ASB Sports Centre
- Wellington Regional Aquatic Centre
- Kilbirnie / Lyall Bay Community Centre
- Meridian Wind Sculpture Walkway
- Mt. Victoria walking tracks
- Lyall Bay beach
- Weta Cave
- Miramar Golf Club
- Wellington National Hockey Stadium
- Wellington Zoo
ASB Sports Centre (7 min walk)
72 Kemp Street, Kilbirnie
Kilbirnie shops are closest amenities to the ASB Sports Centre and is a short bus ride away from other sporting venues around Oriental Bay, Newtown, Hataitai, and Miramar. Facilities at ASB Sports Centre: 12 sprung-floor courts available for hire, suitable for most indoor sports and recreation activities, Spectator seating for up to 2,200 people, Changing rooms, Café, free onsite car parks and Wi-Fi.
Wellington Regional Aquatic Centre (5mins walk)
63 Kilbirnie Cres, Kilbirnie
Wellington Regional Aquatic Centre has aquatic education programmes suitable for pre-school through to tertiary level. Programmes include: Learn To Swim, Water Safety, Kayaking, Snorkelling, Diving, Flipperball, Kiwisurf and Water Polo. Recreational swimming including diving boards, platforms, inflatables and a slippery pole.
The Weta Cave (7 min drive)
1 Weka St, Miramar
Weta Workshop is a multi-award winning conceptual design and physical manufacturing facility servicing the world's entertainment and creative industries. Entry to the Weta Cave with its museum and film screening is absolutely free. Tours run every hour from 10am to 5pm, 7 days a week. http://wetaworkshop.com/visit-us/the-weta-cave/Kilbirnie
Ruth Gotleib Library (3 min walk)
101 Kilbirnie Cres, Kilbirnie
There is free WiFi and activities for all ages at the local library. Visit their website (http://www.wcl.govt.nz/about/branches/ruthgotlieb/whatson.html) to see what’s on.
Kilbirnie Recreation Centre (5 min walk)
101 Kilbirnie Cres, Kilbirnie
Kilbirnie Recreation Centre is designed to cater for wheel-based activities including skateboarding, scootering, and roller and inline skating. You can use the recreation centre on a casual basis or hire it for sport and corporate events.
Facilities:
- 20m by 40m concrete rink with sport court flooring, 1.5m barrier and safety netting.
- Removable ramps and obstacles - these dominate the rink during public skating times.
- Tinytown - a safe, fun, interactive play area with ride-on toys and high energy activities for preschoolers.
Kilbirnie / Lyall Bay Community Centre and Citizen’s Advice Bureau (CAB)
56-58 Bay Road, Kilbirnie
The Community Centre is located in the centre of the Bay Rd Shopping area. This is also home to the CAB. It has its own car parking area at the rear. There is also a NZ Post public car park adjacent to the Community Centre carpark.
It has its own car parking area at the rear.
There is also a NZ Post public car park adjacent to the Community Centre carpark.
Lyall Bay beach (20 min walk or catch No 3 bus)
Lyall Bay is Wellington’s most popular surf beach. It offers a kids playground, walking, picnics, dog walking, swimming, surfing, windsurfing, kitesurfing and kayaking.
It is home to two surf lifesaving clubs:
- Lyall Bay Surf Life Saving Club, 1 Lyall Parade It was formed in 1910 and was the first club in NZ to patrol with a reel and line.
- Maranui Surf Life Saving Club, 7 Lyall Parade It was formed in 1911 and has been actively training surf lifeguards and providing voluntary patrols at Oriental Bay and other Wellington City Beaches. The word "Maranui" means "long sands" and was used by Maori to describe an abundance of sand and sea.
Parking is free. Beachfront parking along Lyall Bay Parade.
The Meridian Wind Sculpture Walk (10 min walk)
Evans Bay Marina
The walkway consists of 5 sculptures as part of the Meridian Energy Wind Sculpture Series. The terrain is flat however the location is one of the most exposed in Wellington therefore expect a lot of wind. The sculptures are designed to respond to this environment and are best viewed on a windy day.
- Sculptures on this walk include:
- Zephyrometer, Phil Price
- Urban Forest, Leon van den Eijkel, in collaboration with Allan Brown
- Akau Tangi, Phil Dadson (currently the cones are down for repairs)
- Tower of Light, Andrew Drummond
- Pacific Grass, Kon Dimopoulos