Sandfly Bay: A visit to Otago Peninsula

If you are visiting Dunedin, one beach you need to put on your to-do list is Sandfly Bay. Now I’ve lived in Dunedin most of my life and have only just visited this wee gem on the Otago Peninsula. I know, crazy right? This beach is located in the part of Dunedin known as Sandymount, on the city’s rugged peninsula. While the name might not make it sound the best, I can promise there were no sandflies here when I visited, and I haven’t heard that they are an issue here.

The beach here is truely incredible and you could be forgiven for thinking you were in a different country. The sand dunes are huge and are so much fun to scramble up and down. We passed a few kids with boogie boards who were going to slide down them, which would be so much fun!

How to get to Sandfly Bay

It’s reasonably easy to find this beach by either Googling Seal Point Road or using the coordinates listed below. Head along the windy Highcliff Road, until you see Seal Point Road. At the end of this road is a large car parking area, and from there is a walking track that crosses private farmland down to a viewing platform. From the viewing platform you have an amazing view of the ocean, the peninsula and the beach. This viewing platform also makes for a great spot to watch the moon rise and the stars at night, as there is very little light pollution.

Sandfly Bay – Local wildlife

Head on down the track and scramble down the sand dunes to get to the beach. Do be sure to stick to the marked track as Sandfly Bay is home to Sea Lions and Yellow Eyed Penguins, so over the summer period parts of the beach are closed off due to breeding. You also have to be very observant as to what’s around you, and it’s common to come face to face with a sea lion lying in the path! When we visited in November there were plenty around, including one we gave a very wide berth to who was just chilling in middle of the path! I definitely kept a close eye on Jack as we were exploring around down here!

Apparently this is a very good area to spot a Yellow Eyed Penguin too. The best time is just on dusk as they return from a day of fishing. They have an established colony around Sandfly Bay, so it’s very important to stay at least 50m away from them and don’t make any sudden movements as to not frighten them.

Sandfly Bay – What you need to know

• Located: At the end of Seal Point Road, off Highcliff Road.
• Google Directions: Search on Google for Sandfly Bay or use the co-ordinates 45.8935° S, 170.6396° E
• Track Length: 560 meters return
• Track difficulty: The walking track to the platform is relatively easy. Further on down to the beach it can be a bit of a challenge as the dunes are very steep.
• Approx time: 10 mins down to the beach and the same back up.
• Good for kids? Kids will love it! They might just need a bit of help getting back up depending on how little they are. Watch them closely as sea lions live around here too!