train journey to Wellington takes about 35 minutes, to Paraparaumu 20 minutes. A second station, Muri Railway Station, 1.2 km by road north of Pukerua Bay station, was closed on 30 April 2011. Pukerua Bay's skatepark was rebuilt in 2009 in a collaborative venture between the Porirua City Council, the Residents Association, and PKBSK8 Inc. Funding was also provided by the Caversham Foundation and the Mana Community Grants Foundation. The park is adjacent to the Pukerua Bay railway station, and replaces an old asphalt bowl which the City Council claims was the only purpose-built skatepark in the Southern Hemisphere when it opened in 1976. A popular 10-kilometre walkway, the Escarpment Track, constructed as part of the national Te Araroa Trail, links Pukerua Bay with Paekakariki. The walk features views to Kapiti Island. Education Pukerua Bay School is a co-educational state primary school for Year 1 to 8 students, with a roll of as of . Following primary education, most students go to either Aotea College or Kāpiti College for their secondary educations. Pukerua Bay has a kindergarten and a pre-school. Notable residents Former residents include poets Louis Johnston, Sam Hunt, James K. Baxter, Denis Glover, Meg Campbell, Alistair Campbell, film editor John Gilbert, and actress Davina Whitehouse. Pukerua Bay is also the birthplace and childhood home of film director Peter Jackson, whose first feature film, Bad Taste, was filmed there. He later went on the direct the successful Lord of the Rings films and Hobbit Trilogy. Prominent current residents are author Gay Hay, actor Christopher Winchester, former CEO of Meridian Energy Dr Keith Turner, artist Pauline Morse and composer Jenny McLeod. Notes External links Pukerua Bay Community web site Pukerua Bay Community Profile from Statistics NZ Photo of the Napier Express and Pukerua Bay c1932 Populated places in the Wellington Region Suburbs of Porirua Bays of the Wellington Region