Lyall Bay
New Zealand
drive to Lyall Bay beach, pass Wellington airport and see some of the rugged coast line. On a clear day you may see some spectacular views of the South Island. We pass Barrett’s Reef, where on 10 April 1968 the roll on/roll off ferry Wahine hit the reef and capsized near Seatoun (just a short distance from the shoreline) during a hurricane resulting in 52 lives being lost.
Contents
8 sections · tap a section for its opening lines1Lyall Bay
Welcome to Lyall Bay. As we step onto the wide, concrete sea wall that frames this expansive crescent of sand, the first thing that strikes the senses is the sheer, raw power of the environment. …
Listen in the app2The Surf Culture of the Capital
As we walk westward along the sand, turn your attention to the water. Lyall Bay is universally recognized as Wellington's premier surfing destination. …
Listen in the app3Aviation Engineering at Moa Point
Let us pause here and look toward the eastern boundary of the bay, an area known geographically as Moa Point. Jutting aggressively out into the turbulent waters of the Cook Strait is a massive, fortified peninsula of concrete and…
Listen in the app4Coastal Ecology and Dune Restoration
As we move away from the immediate shoreline and walk nearer to the road, take notice of the undulating mounds of sand anchored by tough, spiky grasses. These are the Lyall Bay sand dunes, a critical component of the coastal…
Listen in the app5The Historic Maranui Surf Club
Looming ahead of us, nestled into the sand dunes with a commanding view over the entire bay, is a striking, deeply historical building. This is the Maranui Surf Life Saving Club. …
Listen in the app6The Breakwater and Tidal Flow
As we approach the western boundary of Lyall Bay, you will observe a substantial, artificial wall of heavy boulders and concrete extending out into the water. This is the breakwater. …
Listen in the app7Ancestral Footprints: Māori History
We have reached the far western corner of the bay, an area where the sandy beach gives way to jagged, uplifted coastal rocks and deep tidal pools. It is here, among the sea spray and the clinging kelp, that we must reflect on the…
Listen in the app8Lyall Bay
Our journey along the sweeping curve of Lyall Bay comes to an end here, on the western rocks, looking back across the expanse of sand toward the distant airport runway. If you have timed your visit well, the late afternoon sun…
Listen in the app
What is Lyall Bay?
Lyall Bay is a place in New Zealand with 8 story sections on Tellby. You can read the opening of each section on this page; the sound plays in the app.
| Location | New Zealand |
|---|---|
| Type | Heritage |
| Story sections | 8 |
| Text language | English |
| Coordinates | -41.3283, 174.7977 |
| Last updated |
