Ocean Beach, Otago facts for kids
Ocean Beach is a beautiful, long sandy beach in Dunedin, New Zealand. It stretches for about three kilometers along the Pacific Ocean coast. This popular beach goes from Saint Clair in the southwest to Lawyer's Head in the east. It's a favorite spot for people in Dunedin to swim, surf, and enjoy walks.
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Exploring Ocean Beach
Ocean Beach is split into three main parts. These are Saint Clair Beach, Middle Beach, and Saint Kilda Beach. Each part offers something a little different for visitors.
Saint Clair Beach: Fun in the Sun
The easiest way to get onto the beach is at the Saint Clair end. Here, you'll find steps and ramps leading down from the Saint Clair Esplanade. The esplanade is a lively area with many cafes and restaurants. At the very end of the esplanade, you'll see the Saint Clair salt-water swimming pool. This is Dunedin's oldest pool, first opened in 1884. It has been updated several times, most recently in 2002. From the pool, a short path takes you to Second Beach. This is a small, stony beach at the bottom of the basalt cliffs of Forbury Head.
Saint Clair Beach is a top spot for surfing. It also has a safe swimming area watched by lifeguards. Since 1970, shark nets have been placed about one kilometer out from the beach every summer. This helps make it a very safe place to swim. Big surf lifesaving and surfing contests often happen here.
Mystery of the Wooden Posts
At the western end of Saint Clair Beach, you'll see a line of old wooden posts. Many people think these are the remains of an old jetty. However, they are actually what's left of a breakwater called a groyne. Long ago, during the Victorian and Edwardian times, there were several groynes along the beach. They helped protect the sand from being washed away by the sea. Over time, most of these groynes have fallen apart. Only a few posts from the last one are still standing today.
Middle Beach and Saint Kilda: Dunes and Views
Another main way to get to the beach is at Saint Kilda. Here, a sandy slope leads down to the sea from the road. This area also has a swimming spot watched by lifeguards. Between Saint Clair and Saint Kilda is Middle Beach. This part of the beach has tall sand dunes behind it. A walkway runs along the top of these dunes. It connects the Saint Clair Esplanade to the Sir James Barnes Lookout. From this lookout, you can get amazing views across south Dunedin, including Forbury Park Raceway. Behind these dunes are several sports fields, like Kettle Park. The Ocean Beach Railway also runs through these parks, starting near the Saint Kilda beach access.
Protecting the Dunes
In recent years, the sand dunes have been worn away by the sea. The Dunedin City Council has taken steps to protect them. This isn't the first time erosion has been a problem here. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, strong waves caused land to be lost near Saint Clair. The current esplanade was built along the line of the first sea wall. That wall was put in place between 1911 and 1913 to help stop the erosion.
Wildlife Visitors
Even though Ocean Beach is a busy place in the city, many different animals visit it regularly. You might spot seals and sea lions resting on the sand. Sometimes, you can even see small blue penguins waddling along the shore.
