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30-570: Lyall Bay is a bay and suburb on the south side of the Rongotai isthmus in Wellington , New Zealand. The bay is a popular surf beach, featuring a breakwater at the eastern end. It is home to two surf lifesaving clubs and has also been the site of surf lifesaving championships. Lyall Bay is a very popular and safe swimming beach. The beach is only two thirds of its original size: the construction of Wellington International Airport took away

60-623: A peninsula is rather a land protrusion that is connected to a bigger landmass on one side only and surrounded by water on all other sides. Technically, an isthmus can have canals running from coast to coast (e.g. the Panama Canal ), and thus resemble two peninsulas; however, canals are artificial features distinguished from straits . The world's major isthmuses include: Of historic importance were: The cities of Auckland , Madison , Manila , and Seattle are located on isthmuses. Canals are often built across isthmuses, where they may be

90-471: A wharenui . The length, width, and strength of the leaves for weaving vary among pīngao populations growing in different areas. Leaves were also used by Māori for thatching. Pīngao is an important sand-binding plant, but is out-competed by introduced sand binding species such as marram and Pinus radiata , and introduced weeds such as yellow tree lupins . Marram and pines create more stable dunes, so during colonisation large areas of pīngao were burnt. It

120-421: A broader meaning. A land bridge is an isthmus connecting Earth's major land masses. The term land bridge is usually used in biogeology to describe land connections that used to exist between continents at various times and were important for the migration of people and various species of animals and plants, e.g. Beringia and Doggerland . An isthmus is a land connection between two bigger landmasses, while

150-479: A particularly advantageous shortcut for marine transport. For example: Ficinia spiralis Ficinia spiralis ( pīngao , pīkao , or golden sand sedge) is a coastal sedge endemic to New Zealand (including the Chatham Islands ). Originally widespread, it has suffered severely from competition with introduced marram grass and animal grazing and now has only a patchy distribution. Pīngao

180-703: A population of 2,673 at the 2018 New Zealand census , an increase of 78 people (3.0%) since the 2013 census , and an increase of 93 people (3.6%) since the 2006 census . There were 1,029 households, comprising 1,275 males and 1,401 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.91 males per female. The median age was 36.5 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 480 people (18.0%) aged under 15 years, 573 (21.4%) aged 15 to 29, 1,353 (50.6%) aged 30 to 64, and 267 (10.0%) aged 65 or older. Ethnicities were 71.2% European/ Pākehā , 13.0% Māori , 8.5% Pasifika , 16.8% Asian , and 4.6% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity. The percentage of people born overseas

210-493: Is a stout, grass-like plant, 30–90 cm tall, from the sedge family, found on active sand dunes. It is found only in New Zealand and is easily distinguished from other dune species such as spinifex or marram grass . Seen from a distance, pīngao patches have a distinctive orange hue. Most plants produce long, prostrate, tough rope-like stolons that creep along the sand surface until buried by shifting sand, leaving just

240-563: Is near to the Kilbirnie shopping centre and the Tirangi Road Airport Retail Park. There is a primary school (Lyall Bay School), a Playcentre, a lawn bowls club, two churches and a small range of shops. The suburb is also home to Fat Freddy's Drop , a popular Wellington band. The south-western border has Te Raekaihau Point as the dividing landform to Houghton Bay . Lyall Bay was probably the ancient mouth of

270-403: The 1940s until the 1960s Wellington City Council paid contractors to remove it. The beach became severely eroded, with the level of the beach at the surf lifesaving clubhouses about 3 ft (1m) lower in 1961 than it had been previously and no beach remaining at high tide. Residents blamed the removal of material from the beach and the construction of the breakwater at the airport end which had changed

300-471: The Golden Sand Sedge, as the boundary between the forest and the sea, and in his continuing anger, Takaroa is still fighting against the domains of Tane Mahuta. Leaves from pīngao, which turn bright yellow as they dry, are used by Māori in traditional weaving , especially the construction of hats (pōtae), bags (kete), and mats (whāriki). It is also used to create decorative tukutuku panels in

330-534: The Hutt River. The current isthmus was created by geologic upheaval as a result of recurring earthquakes, notably the Haowhenua earthquake in the fifteenth century and the 1855 Wairarapa earthquake . The 1855 earthquake caused a tsunami that swept over the isthmus between Lyall Bay and Evans Bay, leaving fish stranded amongst the sand dunes. Lyall Bay was earlier known as False Bay, because ships would mistake

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360-459: The Lyall Bay club patrol the beach during summer months and Maranui club members patrol Oriental Bay. Members of both clubs compete nationally in various surf sports, which are sometimes held at Lyall Bay. Lyall Bay statistical area covers 0.55 km (0.21 sq mi). It had an estimated population of 2,700 as of June 2024, with a population density of 4,909 people per km. Lyall Bay had

390-587: The Sea. Takaroa was jealous of Tane Mahuta's success in separating Ranginui, the Sky Father from Papa-tu-a-nuku the Earth Mother. Tane Mahuta tried to end the warring between them and as a sign of peace plucked out his eyebrows and gave them to Takaroa. Takaroa's jealousy was so great that he could not find it in his heart to forgive Tane, and threw the eyebrows back onto the shore. There they grow today as Pikao,

420-519: The bay for the entrance to Wellington Harbour. A Māori name for the beach was Hue te para, which literally means ' gourd ' (hue), 'the' (te), and 'ripe' (para) Writing in 1919, Elsdon Best stated that Hue te para appeared on a map drawn by Crawford but that none of the Māori he had spoken to knew of that name. Some believe that Lyall Bay is named after Dr David Lyall of the survey ship HMS Acheron, but he didn't serve on that ship until 1847, by which time

450-521: The bay in 1896. Maranui School (now Lyall Bay School) opened in February 1909. Progress of the suburb was slow until the City Council opened a tram line extension down Onepu Road to the beach In December 1909. This led to rapid development and an influx of day trippers at the weekends. Most development was at the western side of the suburb. The eastern side was mostly sand dunes, and the tramline

480-455: The bay is known as The Corner. The waves here are influenced by the breakwater created when Wellington Airport was built in the 1950s. In 2015 the Airport announced plans to extend its runway. Surfers believed this would adversely affect the surf in the bay, but the airport said they would build an artificial reef 500m offshore to lessen the effect of the runway expansion on the waves. As of 2023

510-454: The currents in the bay. The Council countered that sand and gravel was removed carefully and that the erosion was a natural process. Residents at the eastern end of the bay where there was no seawall also suffered from sand drifting across the road, so in 1975 the Council built a seawall eastwards from Onepu Road. From 1990, Wellington City Council began a programme of sand dune restoration at

540-427: The eastern end of Lyall Bay beach. Part of the dune was fenced off and boardwalks constructed for access to the beach through the dune. Thousands of pingao and other plants were planted to hold the sand in place. In December 1935 Wellington City Council approved Rongotai aerodrome as the site of an airport suitable for all types of aircraft, which would have involved reclamation of 26 acres (10.5 hectares) of seabed at

570-463: The eastern end of Lyall Bay. Some reclamation took place in Lyall Bay in 1940 with spoil from Moa Point Hill. After further discussion a plan was released in 1944 which would require reclamation in Evans Bay and a retaining wall at Lyall Bay. By 1950 the plans included reclamation in Lyall Bay, and by 1954 the work was underway. A breakwater was created and Moa Point Hill was completely flattened, with

600-488: The eastern third of the beach. The suburb consists of most of the southern half of the Rongotai isthmus, although Wellington International Airport and a small industrial area next to it are often considered to be part of Rongotai . Lyall Bay is predominantly a residential area, but also contains a part of Wellington's Southern Walkway and the Southern Headlands Reserve. The suburb has a bus service and

630-529: The genus Desmoschoenus . In 2010 A. M. Muasyaa and P. J. de Lange merged the genus Desmoschoenus into Ficinia after their research showed that the two were indistinguishable. One Māori name for pīngao (or pīkao, in Ngāi Tahu dialect) is ngā tukemata o Tāne , or "Tāne's eyebrows". In the beginning of time there was a great conflict between Tane Mahuta, God of the Forest, and his brother Takaroa, God of

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660-486: The name Lyall Bay was already in use. Another theory is that it is named after George Lyall , one of the directors of the New Zealand Company . Early records also sometimes show the name as Lyell Bay and it has been claimed that it was named after geologist Charles Lyell . The suburb of Lyall Bay was initially named Maranui by H D Crawford and H M Hayward, who began selling 80 sections for a new township at

690-465: The old one built in 1957. The new building has space for club activities and storage as well as toilets, changing rooms and outdoor showers and taps for public use. Maranui SLSC's building was built in 1930 to replace an earlier building. It has been altered over the years and in 2005 Maranui cafe opened on the top floor. The building was destroyed by fire in August 2006, and then rebuilt. Volunteers from

720-679: The runway has not been extended and the reef has not been built. Lyall Bay is home to two surf lifesaving clubs: the Lyall Bay Surf Lifesaving Club and the Maranui Surf Lifesaving Club . Lyall Bay Surf and Lifesaving Club was formed in 1910 but after a dispute between members a group split off in October 1911 to form the Maranui club. In 2021 the Lyall Bay club opened a new clubhouse to replace

750-464: The spoil pushed into Lyall Bay. In total about a third of the bay was reclaimed for the airport, which opened in 1959. People have enjoyed surfing at Lyall Bay for over a century. Surfing was popularised when Duke Paoa Kahanamoku from Hawaii visited Lyall Bay in March 1915 and demonstrated surfing to a large crowd. The eastern end of the beach is known as Surfers Corner, and the surf break at that end of

780-412: The upper 10–30 cm of the upright stem (culm), interspersed with leaf-like bracts. The seeds are shiny, dark brown, egg-shaped, 3–5 mm long, and ripen and fall in early summer. Pīngao can also reproduce vegetatively with its stolons. Pīngao was first scientifically described by Achille Richard in 1832, and was given the name Isolepis spiralis . In 1853 Joseph Dalton Hooker placed Pīngao in

810-523: The upper portion of leaves exposed. Some southern South Island populations produce dense tussock-like plants without extensive stolons. Numerous tough, roughly textured leaves are borne in dense tufts on well-spaced, short, upright stems (tillers), along the length of stolons. The narrow leaves are 2–5 mm wide, with colour ranging from bright green when young through golden yellow to a deep orange on mature plants. Small, dark brown flowers appear in spring and are arranged spirally in tight clusters around

840-483: Was $ 39,600, compared with $ 31,800 nationally. 549 people (25.0%) earned over $ 70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 1,263 (57.6%) people were employed full-time, 321 (14.6%) were part-time, and 78 (3.6%) were unemployed. Lyall Bay School is a co-educational state primary school for Year 1 to 6 students, with a roll of 324 as of August 2024. Isthmus Isthmus and land bridge are related terms, with isthmus having

870-467: Was 27.7, compared with 27.1% nationally. Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 51.2% had no religion, 31.6% were Christian , 0.8% had Māori religious beliefs , 4.8% were Hindu , 1.7% were Muslim , 1.0% were Buddhist and 3.0% had other religions. Of those at least 15 years old, 831 (37.9%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 279 (12.7%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income

900-419: Was often blocked by drifting sand. Wellington City Council responded to the problem in 1925 with a programme to level the dunes and cover much of the area with a layer of clay to hold the sand in place. In 1932 the Council built the distinctive 'whirler' sea wall along the beach. It was designed to blow sand back on to the beach instead of over the road. Sand and gravel built up on the beach during 1939, and from

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