Island Bay is a coastal suburb of Wellington, the capital of New Zealand, situated 5 km south of the city centre. Island Bay lies on the bay which shares its name, one of numerous small bays off Cook Strait and west of Lyall Bay. 500m offshore in Island Bay lies Tapu Te Ranga Island, which forms a natural breakwater and provides a sheltered anchorage for local fishing boats. Noted current Island Bay residents include former Minister of Justice Andrew Little MP. Former residents include former Mayor Celia Wade-Brown, the late Bruce Stewart, writer and dramatist at Tapu Te Ranga Marae; Middlesbrough F.C. and All Whites striker Chris Killen; artist John Drawbridge; poet Alan Brunton; writer Robin Hyde; and, in the late 19th century, The Hermit of Island Bay.