Sandfly Bay, Dunedin (2024) - Images, Timings

Sandfly Bay, Dunedin Overview

Situated at the farthest south end of Otago, Sandfly Bay is considered a spot of the densest fauna and wildlife in Dunedin and Otago Peninsula. One may find fur seals and sea lions in abundance across the bay. The beach is famous for its high dunes and for watching albatrosses in their natural habitat through the Royal Albatross center.

The gravel, uneven roads guides you to a separate wing called the Allans Beach, which is widely known for its housing the rare and endangered species of sea lions called the Hooker Sea Lions. The beach sands make it a good spot for a walk or an evening stroll, right between the sound of crashing waves and the chirping of the local birds. The scenic view calls for photography of its greenery and wildlife.

Flora and Fauna

Being the southernmost and remotest corner of the Otago Peninsula, the bay is dense in its flora and fauna. You are to find sea lions and fur seals here in abundance lingering and straying on the beach or across the dunes. There are no sandflies though, etymologically it suggests the heavy breeze that makes the sand fly.

It is also a natural habitat to the Yellow-Eyed Penguins that come ashore around dusk. There is also a wide range of local birdlife you can watch and listen to them humming in early hours of dawn and dusk.

What to Do

Harrington Point Gun Emplacements- A forged and untrue newspaper article led to coming up with this place back in the late 19th century stuffed with bunkers and gun pits. It is an area of reserved fortification with a great number of buildings and shacks, each with their own story to tell.

Victory Beach- An abandoned wing of beach stamped with the footprints of animals. It's a short drive from the Sandfly beach.

Pyramids and Cave- A 231-hectare reserve where you see an enormous flywheel sticking out of the ocean. There is a trail of pyramids with basalt wand kilns for one to climb through.

Sandymount Lime Kilns- One of the best reserved Limekilns in Dunedin, this place is photographic for its archaic and rich reserves from the past. One may take the Highcliff road from and Dunedin and then the trail to the Sandymount Road to reach the Hoopers inlet.

Love Leap- The loops encircle the Sandymount hill. An experienced guide will let you in about some traditional anecdotes about the place which is very central to your visit.

How To Reach Sandfly Bay

If you start your journey from Portobello, the direction is quite straight and direct if you take the Highcliff road.
It joins the Sealpoint road at a rough distance of some 50 kilometers.
The Seapoint road then joins you to a gravel path which might get a bit steep but keep a little patience and time to reach the southernmost end where you will find yourself in the Sandfly bay.
The road leading to it is basically a sheep paddock, sandy and steep.