- Houghton Bay
Houghton Bay is one of the southern suburbs of
Wellington ,New Zealand .Location
It is situated between
Island Bay andLyall Bay , on the rocky shores of theCook Strait . It comprises a beach that skirtsPrincess Bay and contains a regular population of surfers and divers.Character
Houghton Bay is predominantly a residential area, but also contains the southern part of Wellington's Southern Walkway and
Greenbelt , the Buckley Road reserve, Houghton Valley School, and the Southern Headlands Reserve. Along with other parts of Wellington's South Coast, it is a popular recreational diving and fishing spot. In 2005 the decommissioned F69Frigate Wellington was sunk off Houghton Bay, and is now an artificial reef and dive location. Houghton Bay has a long history as a favourite surf spot of locals, and is smaller sister to neighbour and primary surfing locale Lyall Bay. On the hill overlooking the breakers, is the legendary Wellington dance and dining hall, The Pines.Transport
The primary residential and access streets are Hungerford Road, View Road, and Houghton Bay Road.
Artists
Houghton Valley and Bay are also home to some Wellington-based musicians and artists, as well as the
Haewai Meadery and Wind Farm.Aurora Australis
Displays of
Aurora Australis are currently able to be seen from this locality, as thelight pollution is shielded to some degree by the range of hills along the coastline. Photos and reports are available online atSharing Space . [http://www.astronomy.net.nz/frame18.htm Aurora Report]The dark sky is necessary as most aurorae are weak and barely visible to the naked eye at this latitude, with any increase in light pollution removing such displays from visual identification.
ee also
*
Aurora Australis
*Te Raekaihau Point
*Lyall Bay
*Wellington
*Light pollution External links
* [http://www.astronomy.net.nz Astronomy in New Zealand]
* [http://www.astronomy.net.nz/frame18.htm Aurora Images and report]
* [http://www.savethepoint.org.nz Save The Point Org]
* Light Trespass
* [http://www.faster.co.nz/~rasnz/DarkSkies/Index.htm RASNZ - Dark Sky Vision Statements]
* [http://www.rasnz.org.nz/ Royal Astronomical Society of New Zealand]
* [http://www.rayching.co.nz/sky.htm Atmospheric Images from Wellington NZ]
* [http://www.pbase.com/philinnz/surf Surf photos of Houghton Bay]
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