Boulder Bank & Lighthouse
Te Taero a Kereopa
A natural 13 km bank of pebbles that shelters Nelson Harbour, with a cast-iron lighthouse built in 1862 at its far end.
The Boulder Bank is a natural barrier of granodiorite pebbles stretching about 13 km and separating Nelson Harbour from Tasman Bay, a rare landform anywhere in the world. The cast-iron lighthouse, completed in 1862, is New Zealand's second-oldest lighthouse. You can get out at Boulder Bank Drive on the northern side and walk it, but the round trip takes most of a day and the surface is all round stones, which makes for tough walking. An easier option is to take a small boat directly from the harbour.
Opening hours
All day
Nearby sights
- Founders Heritage Park
- Centre of New Zealand
- The Suter Art Gallery
- Nelson Market
- Nelson Provincial Museum
- Queens Gardens
- Christ Church Cathedral, Nelson
- Tahunanui Beach