Wellington tide times

Wellington is on the southern tip of the North Island at the entrance to Cook Strait — the 22-kilometre channel that separates the North and South Islands and is one of the windiest passages in the Southern Hemisphere. The city's relationship with wind is the defining fact of coastal life here. Mean spring tidal range in Wellington Harbour is about 1.2 metres, but wind-driven sea level changes and the Cook Strait tidal exchange significantly influence conditions in the harbour and the strait itself.

Cook Strait tidal current is powerful: up to 4 knots in the narrows between the North and South Islands during peak spring tides. Ferries crossing from Wellington to Picton in the Marlborough Sounds need to account for the tidal current direction and the sea state it generates. The strait's famous chop — 'Cooks Strait conditions' — results from the combination of strong wind, tidal current, and the compression of waves between the islands.

Island Bay, Lyall Bay, and Princess Bay on the south coast of Wellington face directly into Cook Strait and receive the full effect. Lyall Bay has the best surf in Wellington — a beach break that works on southerly swells generated by Southern Ocean storms, which track north through Cook Strait. The surf season runs April through September; summer is largely flat. Kite surfing is extremely popular at Lyall Bay due to the reliable wind — Wellington's southerly buster is a regular 25 to 35 knot event. The airport's runway ends at Lyall Bay's north end; planes landing over the bay create a unique backdrop.

Wellington Harbour is sheltered from the southern Cook Strait exposure but not immune to northerlies, which funnel down through the Hutt Valley and across the harbour. In settled conditions, the harbour is excellent for sailing and paddling from Oriental Bay and the waterfront. The Wellington waterfront from Te Papa museum to Frank Kitts Park is one of the more active urban waterfronts in New Zealand.

For snorkelling, the rocky reefs at Red Rocks (along the south coast, accessible from Owhiro Bay) hold blue cod, spotties, and crayfish in cold, clear water. The area around Sinclair Head has a New Zealand fur seal colony — resident year-round, most visible from the rocky shore. Water temperature is 11 to 15°C year-round; a 5mm wetsuit is standard.

Predictions on this page come from Open-Meteo Marine, a gridded global ocean model. Accuracy is typically within plus or minus 45 minutes on timing and 0.2 to 0.3 metres on height — model-derived, not from a local gauge. For authoritative New Zealand tide data, consult Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) at linz.govt.nz.