Houghton Bay

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HoughtonBay

Houghton Bay is one of the southern suburbs of Wellington, New Zealand.

1 Location
2 Character
3 Transport
4 Artists
5 Aurora Australis
6 See also
7 External links

[edit] Location

It is situated between Island Bay and Lyall Bay, on the rocky shores of the Cook Strait. It comprises a beach that skirts Princess Bay and contains a regular population of surfers and divers.

[edit] Character

South Coast view to South Island

Houghton Bay is predominantly a residential area, but also contains the southern part of Wellington's Southern Walkway and Greenbelt, the Buckley Road reserve, Houghton Valley School, and the Southern Headlands Reserve. Along with other parts of Wellington's South Coast, it is a popular recreational diving and fishing spot. In 2005 the decommissioned F69 Frigate Wellington was sunk off Houghton Bay, and is now an artificial reef and dive location. Houghton Bay has a long history as a favourite surf spot of locals, and is smaller sister to neighbour and primary surfing locale Lyall Bay. On the hill overlooking the breakers, is the legendary Wellington dance and dining hall, The Pines.

[edit] Transport

South Coast rocks

The primary residential and access streets are Hungerford Road, View Road, and Houghton Bay Road.

[edit] Artists

Houghton Valley and Bay are also home to some Wellington-based musicians and artists, as well as the Haewai Meadery and Wind Farm.

[edit] Aurora Australis

Displays of Aurora Australis are currently able to be seen from this locality, as the light pollution is shielded to some degree by the range of hills along the coastline. Photos and reports are available online at Sharing Space. Aurora Report

The dark sky is necessary as most aurorae are weak and barely visible to the naked eye at this latitude, with any increase in light pollution removing such displays from visual identification.