This rocky coastline faces south and is exposed to the full force of the southerlies which regularly pound Wellington’s southern shores. A couple of days of northerlies though and this site is a cracker and one of the most dramatic and convenient of Wellington’s dive sites. Long rocky reefs extend out SSW with steep walled channels and gravely flats between them with shaded walls prolific with encrusting life and lush mixed kelp forests in well lit areas. A few narrow swim throughs are particularly rewarding but be careful not to scrape against the walls, particularly on surgy days when you may want to avoid the narrower areas to reduce impact on this popular site. Rocky reefs end at about 13 metres or so extending out into Cook Strait.

Aquatic Life:

Fish species commonly seen here include blue moki, red moki, banded wrasse, scarlet wrasse, spotties, butterfish (particularly along tops of reefs), blue cod (generally seen at base of reefs in sandy areas), tarakihi and marblefish.

Invertebrates include rock lobster, octopus, brittle stars, 11-armed starfish, aneneomes, sea cucumbers, sponges, sea tulips, crabs and nudibranchs.

Warnings:

This site is a marine reserve. All life and natural features are totally protected. It is illegal to take, disturb, kill or damage anything within the reserve and anyone who commits an offence may be subject to a fine of up to $250,000 and/or imprisonment. It is also an offence to pollute or litter the reserve, discharge any firearm in or into the reserve or erect any structure in the reserve.

Directions:

From Wellington city centre head through Newtown along Adelaide Rd and continue along this road, through Berhampore and Island Bay until you hit the coast. Turn right along The Esplanade, about 700 metres along there is a car park on the seaward side of the road. Local dive shops are located on the corner of the Parade and Reef St just before you hit the coast (Island Bay Divers), and opposite the car park at the site itself (Splash Gordon). The Bach Café is also conveniently located across the road from the car park where you can grab a cuppa to warm yourself up with after your dive.

There is a good entry from the gravel and bouldery beach through the main channel here heading directly out to sea. About 100 metres or so out there is often a buoy (owned by a dive shop) from which you can take a southeast bearing to hit a lovely swim through. However, anywhere along this bit of coast makes for an interesting dive. For your first time though you can’t beat probing into the finger reefs to the east of the entry point.