Boulder Beach is a rocky beach on the Pacific Ocean, located on the south side of

Otago Peninsula The Otago Peninsula ( mi, Muaūpoko) is a long, hilly indented finger of land that forms the easternmost part of Dunedin, New Zealand. Volcanic in origin, it forms one wall of the eroded valley that now forms Otago Harbour. The peninsula lies sou ...

, some by road east from central

Dunedin Dunedin ( ; mi, Ōtepoti) is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand (after Christchurch), and the principal city of the Otago region. Its name comes from , the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. Th ...

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

. In addition to being relatively difficult to access physically due to the steepness of the surrounding country, it is closed to the public in the summer months (November–February) to protect the

yellow-eyed penguin The yellow-eyed penguin (''Megadyptes antipodes''), known also as hoiho or tarakaka, is a species of penguin endemic to New Zealand. Previously thought closely related to the little penguin (''Eudyptula minor''), molecular research has shown it ...

s that nest on it.

Physical geography

Boulder Beach is approximately long, facing almost exactly due south. Near the eastern end a stretch of about is sandy; the remainder is covered in boulders, hence the beach's name. To the west the beach ends with the rise of Highcliff, for which the neighbouring suburb of Dunedin is named; Highcliff becomes Pudneys Cliff further west, and ends at Māori Head, beyond which lie

Smaills Beach Smaills Beach (often spelled "Smails Beach") is a beach on the Pacific Ocean southeast of the city centre of Dunedin, New Zealand. Located within the Ocean Grove Reserve adjacent to Tomahawk Beach, at the point where Otago Peninsula joins the ...

and

Tomahawk Beach Tomahawk Beach is a beach on the Pacific Ocean southeast of the city centre of Dunedin, New Zealand. Located within the Ocean Grove Reserve between St Kilda Beach and Smaills Beach, at the point where Otago Peninsula joins the mainland of ...

. To the east Boulder Beach is truncated by a series of headlands which culminate in Seal Point, followed by

Sandfly Bay Sandfly Bay is a sandy bay with large dunes east of central Dunedin, New Zealand. Located on the southern side of Otago Peninsula, between Seal Point and the Gull Rocks on the western side of Sandymount, Sandfly Bay is a Department of Conserva ...

. Northward the land rises steeply to Highcliff Hill, Patrons Hill, and

Sandymount Sandymount () is an affluent coastal suburb in the Dublin 4 district on the Southside of Dublin in Ireland. Etymology An early name for the area was Scal'd Hill or Scald Hill.

. A river called Robertsons Creek flows off Sandymount to cross Boulder Beach about halfway along its length. Though the upper areas of the slopes are farmed, the lower parts near the beach itself are scrubby and partly forested.

Highcliff Tracks

Access to Boulder Beach is via the Highcliff Track system. Highcliff Track begins at the end of McMeeking Road, a side-street off Karetai Road, and follows the contours of the land to meet Braidwood Track, a pedestrian extension of Braidwood Road (itself accessible from Seal Point Road) at Robertsons Creek. Karetai Road and Seal Point Road both meet Highcliff Road at the top of the hill. Boulder Beach Track itself follows Robertsons Creek down to the beach. Alternative access to Highcliff Track can be reached via Buskin Track or Paradise Road Track, both leading down from Highcliff Road.

Wildlife conservation

Boulder Beach is often visited by

New Zealand fur seal ''Arctocephalus forsteri'' (common names include the Australasian fur seal, South Australian fur seal, New Zealand fur seal, Antipodean fur seal, or long-nosed fur seal) is a species of fur seal found mainly around southern Australia and New Z ...

s and

New Zealand sea lion The New Zealand sea lion (''Phocarctos hookeri''), once known as Hooker's sea lion, and as or (male) and (female) in Māori, is a species of sea lion that is endemic to New Zealand and primarily breeds on New Zealand's subantarctic Auckland a ...

s. The scrub adjacent to the beach is a favoured nesting spot for

s, and since these birds are very shy about nesting or breeding where they may be seen by humans, Boulder Beach Track has been closed to the public during their breeding season since 2005, initially from December to February, but more recently from November to February. Boulder Beach conservation is administered by the

Department of Conservation An environmental ministry is a national or subnational government agency politically responsible for the environment and/or natural resources. Various other names are commonly used to identify such agencies, such as Ministry of the Environment ...

(DOC) in two blocks: Boulder Beach / Highcliff Block and Boulder Beach / WWF Block.

Recreational use

The Highcliff Track system is popular with trampers, and considered moderately challenging. Boulder Beach is considered a reasonably consistent

surfing Surfing is a surface water sport in which an individual, a surfer (or two in tandem surfing), uses a board to ride on the forward section, or face, of a moving wave of water, which usually carries the surfer towards the shore. Waves suitabl ...

beach, offering both left- and right-hand waves. It is occasionally used by

naturists Naturism is a lifestyle of practising non-sexual social nudity in private and in public; the word also refers to the cultural movement which advocates and defends that lifestyle. Both may alternatively be called nudism. Though the two terms a ...

for nude sunbathing. New Zealand has no official nude beaches, as public nudity is legal on any beach where it is "known to occur".

References

{{Authority control Otago Peninsula Beaches of Otago Nude beaches Naturism in New Zealand