Oriental Bay

It’s always been considered Wellington’s own little slice of the Riviera and after its $7.5 million facelift that's an even more apt description.

Oriental Bay – Wellington’s favourite beach and waterfront walk – has had a major revamp with Oriental Bay and Freyberg beaches made bigger and better, and a new beach created east of the Band Rotunda. The work took the best part of a year and saw more than 22,000 tonnes of champagne-coloured sand barged in from Takaka in the South Island.

The upgrade was one of the biggest development projects undertaken by Wellington City Council and definitely one of the most unusual – it’s not every day you get to build a beach! Along with the beach expansion, a pier has been built, better lighting put in, extra carparks have been created and new coastal structures built to hold the beach in place – all of which make Oriental Bay the perfect place to catch some sun and enjoy a day at the beach.

And it’s also one of the best spots in the capital to catch the last of the sun’s rays in the evening.  It’s where picnickers head with their fish ‘n chips and glasses of wine and where people from all over the city come to walk, swim, run, cycle or just sit and enjoy an ice cream in the evening sun.