Oriental Bay, Wellington Overview

Oriental Bay is also known as Wellington's very own mini Riviera because of the number of visitors it gets and the view it offers.

With nearly 1500 people, Oriental Bay is a top-rated beach among tourists. Oriental Bay will be packed with families and party people during the summer months. This suburb is suitable for swimming, picnicking, cycling or walking on the waterfront. If swimming is not your thing, you can sit back and relax on the sand whilst admiring the people around, the clear seawater and the beautiful view of Wellington's famous beaches. Visitors can also take their dogs and let them enjoy the view off-leash as well.

Carter Memorial Fountain

The fountain at Oriental Bay is named after Hugh Carter. He was a successful businessman who gifted the fountain to the city. The Carter Fountain was installed in the year 1973. Hugh Carter was very found of Wellington and wanted to develop the city. His love for the sea made him contribute nearly 1 million dollars (in today’s money). The fountain features multicoloured lights synchronized which switches on with street lights and three jet formations. The fountain consists of a wind sensor which doesn’t allow the fountain to perform if the wind is at a high speed. In the perfect weather, the fountain can shoot up to 16 meters of height. During the weekdays (Monday to Friday) the fountain works from 7.30am - 9 am, 12:00 pm - 2 pm, 4.30 pm - 6 pm, 7.30 pm - 10.30 pm (till 11 pm only on Fridays) and on the weekends, (Saturday and Sunday) 8.30 am - 4.30 pm, 7:00 pm - 11:00 pm.

History

George Duppa was the first and only person to have landed on Oriental Bay in the year 1840 and hence, Oriental Bay was first known as ‘Duppa’. George Duppa later renamed this place as Oriental Bay, after the ship ‘The Oriental’ in which he travelled to Wellington City. The area was previously used for farming purposes. But after Te Aro Baths were built in the 1900s, strict rules were formed to separate men and women swimming together. The Te Aro Baths later became the Freyberg Pool. People slowly started to move and settle in Oriental Bay and the colonial settlement increased in the 1880s. Oriental Bay is now a popular attraction for visitors as well as the locals.

How To Reach Oriental Bay

Oriental Bay is situated in Wellington, New Zealand. Being only 2.1 km away from the Wellington City Centre, one can easily get there by car and park their cars in the parking space available in Oriental Parade. You can also take a bus from the city centre to Oriental Bay but you will have to walk for 1.2 km as the bus from Willis Street at Willbank Court drops you off at Courtenay Place - Stop C. Oriental Bay is located 14 km from Wellington International Airport. If you choose to travel by bus from the Airport to the beach, you will have to take multiple buses as there are no direct buses. Take the bus ‘2 Karori’ from Hobart Street at Broadway and get down at Hataitai - Stop A and take a walk to Hataitai - Stop C. From there, take the bus ‘14 Wilton- Surrey Street’ and get down at Oriental Parade at Oriental Terrace.