Discover Picturesque Aramoana
Aramoana lies about 25 km northeast of Dunedin, at the northern head of Otago Harbour, facing the Pacific Ocean. There is a small beachside settlement and a beautiful 3 km long beach, also known as Split Beach. Its white sands shimmer with colourful fragments of dissolved shells, and the area is backed by dunes at the harbour end and dramatic cliffs to the north. The large round hole in Bear Rock (or Keyhole Rock) adds a striking focal point where the cliffs meet the dunes. Aramoana is also popular with surfers, and it is home to a variety of seabirds, seals, and penguins.
Sadly, in 1990, the small township was also the site of one of New Zealand’s worst mass shootings, and there is a memorial in the township.
The best time to visit is when the tide is retreating, making it easier to walk beyond Bear Rock and below the cliffs. There are also a couple of large, interesting rock formations on the beach as you head beyond Bear Rock. The beach is unpatrolled and not considered safe for swimming, but it is popular for surfers.
Aramoana Mole and The Spit
The beach is separated from the sandy Aramoana Spit, also called Shelly Beach, that extends into the mouth of Otago Harbour, by the Aramoana Mole. The mole is a breakwater stretching around 1 km into the harbour entrance. Behind the mole and between the township and the Spit lie wide salt marshes with a walking track. The combination of cliffs, surf, and wildlife makes it a diverse place for walking, surfing, and reflection.
Name origin
The Māori name Aramoana means pathway of the sea, an apt description for the spit that leads into Otago Harbour.
How to get there
From central Dunedin, follow State Highway 88 toward Port Chalmers, then continue north on Aramoana Road. The drive takes about 40 minutes and ends at the Domain car park by the beach.
You can also explore Shelly Beach on the harbour side of the mole, or hike to the top of and along the cliff to remote Kaikia Beach on the Heyward Point Track (2 hours return). After that, head back to Port Chalmers for cafés and galleries.
