Lyall Bay has a roar about it. Whether it’s from the rolling surf that makes it Wellington’s best surfing beach, or the distant sound from jets at Wellington Airport, which flank its eastern end.

This is a ‘real’ New Zealand beach, right on Wellington city’s doorstep. With its large sweeping arch and extensive grey sands, it is probably Wellington’s most popular beach, after the more refined and inner-city, Oriental Bay.

Summertime is obviously the most popular time of year when the ‘surfs up’ and the kids can be let loose for a swim and the obligatory ice cream afterwards. But it also seems to be a magnet at any time of year – all it takes is a holiday break or weekend when the weather is shiny and blue – the panorama above, was shot in mid winter.

Aside from surfing, Lyall Bay is a popular location for windsurfing, boogie boarding, body surfing and of course, swimming. There’s a special children’s play area on the water front and dogs are allowed to run free in a large zoned area at the eastern end of the beach. Parking along most of the beach front is rarely difficult to find.

By way of footnote, moves are under way to establish an artificial surf reef at Lyall Bay. If this were to happen, it is estimated that Lyall Bay’s ‘good surfing days’ would increase dramatically from the present average of only 27 days per year to between at least 118 to 142 days per year. Watch this space.

Take a look at ‘Place Finder’ Wellington.