scenic viewpoint
Mount Victoria Lookout, Wellington
196 m summit lookout reached by a sealed road above central Wellington, giving a panorama of the harbour and Cook Strait.
0 km · about 5 min drive
Wellington Region, New Zealand · Oceania
Oriental Bay is worth a stop: right by Mount Victoria Lookout, Wellington.
Oriental Bay is a town located in Wellington Region, New Zealand. With a population of 1,450, it is an important destination in Oceania.
On a road trip, Oriental Bay sits in New Zealand, where you drive on the left. It's in the Pacific/Auckland time zone. Below you'll find where to stay, things to do nearby, and everything you need to add Oriental Bay to your route.
Oriental Bay is a bay and suburb of Wellington, the capital city of New Zealand. Known for being both a popular beach and an opulent centre of affluence in the city, it is located close to the central business district on Wellington Harbour.
It has the closest beach to the central city and is thus a popularRead more
destination for locals, who swarm here especially in the warmer months (December to March). Painted ladies and other historic houses, such as those in distinctly Wellingtonian streamline moderne style, are prominent alongside and up into the hills that face the bay. Situated against the northern slope of Mount Victoria, the suburb lies 1.5 kilometres (0.93 miles) southeast of the city centre, at the start of a coastal route which continues around into Evans Bay. Oriental Bay was originally named Duppa Bay, after its sole original resident George Duppa, but in 1843 he renamed it after the Oriental, one of the first ships to bring settlers to Wellington. Originally described as a remote "dreary-looking spot" of rocks lying between cliffs and the sea used primarily for quarantining foreigners, it has undergone considerable changes since the early stages of European settlement.
Many landmarks were built during the 20th century, including grand streamlined moderne houses like the Olympus Building and the Anscombe Apartments, and the modernist Freyberg Pool built in the 1960s. However, the beach's greatest renovation came in 2004, when 22,000 tonnes of sand was shipped from Golden Bay to rebuild the beach, which had become worn down over many years.
The Carter Fountain is a distinctive feature in the bay, as is a wooden pontoon which is often covered in swimmers. A small section of the bay that lies beside Freyberg Pool is known as Freyberg Beach, after Lord Freyberg.
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Oriental Bay offers many attractions including tourist sites, museums, parks, and local restaurants. Explore famous landmarks, scenic roads, and natural wonders on our interactive map and plan your visit.
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Oriental Bay is located in Wellington Region, New Zealand, Oceania. The coordinates are -41.2917 latitude, 174.7938 longitude.
Oriental Bay has a population of approximately 1,450 people, making it a town in New Zealand.
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Essential numbers in New Zealand
Many rural bridges are single-lane. Give way as signed.
Full driving guide for New Zealand3 notable places within an hour's drive.
scenic viewpoint
196 m summit lookout reached by a sealed road above central Wellington, giving a panorama of the harbour and Cook Strait.
0 km · about 5 min drive
museum
New Zealand's bold national museum, renowned for its interactive exhibits, Maori taonga, and a colossal squid specimen.
1 km · about 5 min drive
museum
One of the Southern Hemisphere's largest collections with over 400 vehicles spanning a century of motoring.
40 km · about 45 min drive
Other places to explore near Oriental Bay.
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