A Walk from the Wharf Around Oriental Bay

Some of the best walking in Wellington is also the flattest. From the end of Clyde Quay Wharf, the harbour edge curves east along Oriental Parade toward Point Jerningham, and almost every step of it has something to look at: boatsheds, a mid-century pool, a beach built from imported sand, and a row of pines older than most of the houses behind them. This is a walk for a calm morning, a long lunch break or a visitor’s first afternoon in Pōneke.

Before you set out

Wellington weather turns quickly, and the harbour edge is exposed to both northerlies and southerlies. Check the MetService Wellington forecast before leaving, and take a layer even on a bright day. On a still day the walk is gentle and sheltered; in a strong wind, spray can come over the sea wall at the more exposed points.

Starting at the wharf

Clyde Quay Wharf has been part of the waterfront for more than a century. The timber wharf was built in the early 1900s, and in 1964 the Overseas Passenger Terminal was added on top of it, built for the era of ocean liners. The terminal was replaced by the present apartment building in the 2010s, designed by Athfield Architects for Willis Bond, with the old terminal’s spire kept and set on top. Our essay on the wharf’s heritage covers that story in more depth.

Walk back toward the shore and turn east. The public edge of the wharf is a good place to pause and look back across the harbour toward the city and the hills behind it.

Clyde Quay Boat Harbour

The first stop is the boat harbour, sheltered behind its breakwater. In 1900 the Wellington Harbour Board approved works here for a small-craft harbour and public baths, and the row of reinforced concrete boatsheds along the inner edge remains one of the most photographed features of the waterfront. Their painted doors face the water, and the sheds step down from the footpath above. The harbour is home to a yacht club and an ocean sports centre, so on a weekend expect small boats and paddle craft coming and going.

Freyberg Pool

At the northern end of the boat harbour stands Freyberg Pool, opened in 1963 on the site of the earlier Te Aro Baths. It is named for Bernard Freyberg, the soldier and later governor-general, who trained as a swimmer at the old baths. The building is a striking piece of mid-century design, with a butterfly roof and walls of glass facing the harbour, and Heritage New Zealand lists it as a Category 1 historic place. Even if you are not swimming, walk past slowly and look at how the roof lifts toward the water.

The beach

Beyond the pool the parade opens out to Oriental Bay beach, the closest beach to the city centre. It is not a natural beach in its present form. In 2004 around 22,000 tonnes of sand were shipped from Golden Bay to rebuild it, and the result has drawn summer crowds ever since. On a warm day in January the beach, the promenade and the grass behind are full; on a winter morning you may share it with a few dog walkers and the gulls.

The bay takes its name from the Oriental, one of the early settler ships that arrived in Wellington in 1840.

Norfolk pines and the promenade

The tall pines lining much of Oriental Parade are Norfolk Island pines, first planted as seedlings in 1921 and now listed as heritage trees. They give the parade its character, especially at night when many are strung with lights. Their size is a useful reminder of how long the promenade has been a place for strolling.

Carter Fountain

Out in the water off the beach is the Carter Fountain, donated in 1973. Its jet rises around 16 metres. Because the spray drifts onto the parade in any breeze, the fountain is linked to a wind sensor and shuts down when the wind picks up, so on a classic Wellington day you may see nothing at all. Catch it on a still evening when it is lit.

The old bathing pavilion

Further along stands the building most Wellingtonians call the band rotunda. It was in fact designed mainly as a bathing pavilion and opened in 1937, on a site that had earlier held a band rotunda. It has been closed since 2012, when it was assessed as earthquake prone, and in December 2024 the city council announced plans for its redevelopment. Check its status before you go, as the area around it may be fenced during works.

Toward Point Jerningham

If you have the legs for it, carry on along the sea wall toward Point Jerningham. The sea wall here was built in stages from 1911 and reached the point by the 1920s. The road narrows, the houses climb the hill behind, and the views open up across Evans Bay toward the airport and the eastern hills. From here you can turn back the way you came, or keep going along the bays if you have the time.

Practical notes

• The full loop from the wharf to the beach and back is an easy stroll on a flat, sealed path, and the promenade is wide enough for prams along most of its length.
• Cafes line the parade opposite the beach, so there is no need to carry much.
• Cyclists share parts of the route, so keep left and watch for bikes.
• In a southerly, the exposed stretches past the beach can be cold and wet even in summer.

For more on the waterfront and how to reach it, see the city council’s waterfront pages.