Scorching Bay

Scorching Bay, Wellington Overview

Scorching Bay is a famous crescent-shaped sandy roadside beach. The bathing beach is 120 meters in length. Known for its large grassed area, the Scorching Bay makes it a place of leisure.

There is a scenic detour that leads to Scorching Bay. However, the quickest route is to get through the Miramar Peninsula. It has a playground, rope climbing structure and popular cafes nearby to serve your hunger. It has an ample car park and is surrounded by native plants, pohutukawa trees, and residential buildings. This bay is primarily famous among swimmers and sunbathers and is a fantastic place to watch the ships entering and leaving the harbour.

Facilities and Activities

This beach is very well suited for families to spend a good day with activities for all age groups. It is advised that the families are prepared for beach conditions. The Scorching Bay is generally considered safe, but it can get a little dangerous when the weather conditions are poor. Though it is patrolled, the beach with flags as boundaries, it does not have surf lifeguards present there. It consists of a pavilion housing, toilets, shower facilities, and excellent eateries. It is also worth a mention that dogs are not allowed on the beach at any time.
Swimming
Swimming at the beach is very popular among the visitors, more so in summer. The beach has golden sand and is covered with lush greenery at the back of it. Importantly, as the beach gently slopes to the ocean, it is sheltered and patrolled (the flags that are present to mark the safer boundaries). But it is worth a try even for the less skilled/beginners who want to swim. Unless at high tides, strong winds or poor weather conditions swimming is always recommended at the Scorching Bay.
Surfing
Surfing at this beach is not advised although under very extreme weather conditions it is not safe to even enter the water.
Fishing
Fishing at this beach is one of the lesser recognised activities. Fishing at the Scorching Bay is no paradise for fishers, but there are a few good rock fishing locations around the beach that have a countable number of people fishing.
Kid's Arena
There is a playground for children at the beach. The rope climbing structure at this playground is a huge hit among the kids. The Scorching Bay has a good number of toilets surrounding the grassed area and thus creates no ruckus among the visitors.

Grab a Bite

Few good eateries that serve beverages and seafood cuisine surround the beach. Among the many eateries surrounding the beach, the one that stands out is Scorch-O-Rama Cafe, which is one of the best cafes in Wellington. It is advised to reserve the tables here since it is packed most of the day. This cafe is known for its custom made milkshakes where you get to choose what must make your milkshake.

History

A 2-minute walk from the bay will lead to the Fort Ballance, which will give the visitors a walk down the memory lane. Here, there is an army bunker that was built back in 1885 out of fear from the Russian threat during World War 2. This bunker is one of the few pieces of history now at Wellington. This bunker, which was once a soldier den, is now a graffiti galore and a favourite spot for underground skaters.
An upgrade to the Scorching Bay area was undertaken in the year 2008 through the Plimmer Bequest fund which furthermore beautified the ample green space and improvised the pedestrian access. Also, steps were taken to minimise soil erosion.

How To Reach Scorching Bay

The Scorching Bay is located near the Miramar peninsula, Karaka Bay, Wellington. It is located 10.4 km from central city Wellington and approximately 8.6 km from Wellington International Airport. Although the best way to get there is by car, one can also consider travelling by bus but will have to take multiple buses. There is a road in the turnaround area of the beach that leads directly to a regenerating bush.