The Surprising Wellington South Coast

Douglas Paul
Nov 20, 2022

For a visitor, the Wellington south coast is a nice surprise on a sunny day. From downtown, we suggest you find your way to Willis St heading south, then onto Brooklyn Road. This becomes Ohiro Road, then Happy Valley Road before you get to the coast at Owhiro Bay. It only takes about 10 minutes to drive, so is not as far as it seems. If you can access a bike, this could be a more interesting way to do this trip.

From Owhiro Bay, the road to the west becomes 4WD only but it is an easy coastal walk or bike ride to Red Rock as an option. Then head east around the coast on Owhiro Bay Parade. Taputeranga Island, cliffs, steep hillsides with eclectic and sometimes unusual houses, and a rocky shoreline with some impressive rock pools as the tide retreats, are the main features of the south coast. But there are also sandy beaches in several of the bays you pass through.

Once you reach the larger beach at Lyall Bay next to the airport, you can either loop back to downtown or continue on around the Miramar Peninsula.

Owhiro Bay

Owhiro Bay is the last of the road-accessible suburban bays on the southwest coast of Wellington. It is mainly surrounded by steep hills and cliffs, with a scattering of houses. Access is through Happy Valley between the hills from downtown or from around the coast to the east along Owhiro Bay Parade.

At the end of the Owhiro Bay Parade, the road becomes 4WD with controlled access around the bays and beaches to the west. It’s an easy 3 km from there to Pariwhero Red Rocks, which is a popular coastal walk or bike ride. There is also a parking area and visitor centre. The centre has a series of panels that describe the history, features of the region and the Taputeranga Marine Reserve, managed by DOC, which runs from Owhiro to Houghton Bay to the east.

The beach is mostly rocky, so not the place to plan a swim. But, like nearby Siren Rocks, it has superb rock pools as the tide retreats.

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The Sirens Rocks

The Sirens Rocks certainly have an interesting name and describe about 600 metres of rocky foreshore between Owhiro Bay and Island Bay, within the Taputeranga Marine Reserve. If you like exploring coastal rock formations and rock pools, this is the place to start in Wellington. From the road and footpath, it is just a few steps onto the rocks from the path, although parking may be a bit tight on a nice weekend.

The eastern end of The Siren Rocks also provides a nice view of Taputeranga Island.

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Island Bay

Island Bay is a bit more suburban with a number of quirky houses. It has a better beach than Owhiro, plus easier access for a boat. Taputeranga Island sits at the front of the bay and is particularly photogenic. But more importantly, it is the centre of the Taputeranga Marine Reserve, which extends from Owhiro Bay to Te Raekaihau, the eastern point of the next bay along the coast, Houghton Bay.

Although the island is only 80 metres from the shore, it is not considered safe to swim out to it. But if you can access a kayak, you can use this to explore around the island’s rock pools. Apparently, these rock pools are even more spectacular than the ones closer to the shore.

The reserve with its “no take” rules helps to explain why the rock pools around Owhiro, The Sirens Rocks and the island are so colourful, with a dramatic recovery in marine life since the reserve was implemented.

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Rock Pools

The rock pools From Owhiro Bay to Island Bay are particularly colourful, rich in various seaweeds and marine life. There has been an explosion in life since the 8 square km Taputeranga Marine Reserve was established in 2008, which included a “no take” rule. Three major ocean currents converge in the reserve, which explains why the recovery has been so dramatic in such a short time.

The rock pools are the most obvious result for a casual observer, but the reserve is now also rich in a variety of fish species that had largely disappeared from the south coast. A visit by kayak to Taputeranga Marine Reserve is recommended, where the pools are enormous and over 2 metres deep, and the snorkelling is easy.

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Lyall Bay

Continue along the south coast through Houghton Bay and Waitaha Cove, and another rocky section at Arthur’s Nose to reach Lyall Bay. The road becomes Lyall Bay Parade and this bay marks the end of the west side of the Wellington south coast, with the airport providing a boundary to the east. Beachfront parking can be found along the road.

The area around the bay is more suburban than the other western south coast bays and the beach is a lot wider. It is also sandy and is the best option for typical beach activities, including swimming and boating. There is an ongoing attempt to restore the once substantial sand dunes around the beach with plantings of dune grasses and shrubs.

It is also the only significant surf beach in Wellington with two surf lifesaving clubs, one of which has a cafe. The perfect place to take a break from a wander around the south coast.

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Want more Wellington Region Trip Ideas?

Check out our blogs on Exploring the Wairarapa Part 1 and Part 2, and the Ranges of Wellington.

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