Victory Beach
Encyclopedia
Victory Beach is located on the Pacific Ocean
coast of the Otago Peninsula
, in the South Island
of New Zealand
, 24 kilometres (14.9 mi) by road from Dunedin
city centre. The longest beach on the peninsula, Victory Beach is located northeast of the entrance to Papanui Inlet and stretches for 3.5 kilometres. It is backed by a series of high sand dunes. The beach's name derives from the wreck of the SS Victory on the beach in 1861. The beach and headlands to the north and south form Wickliffe Bay.
Administered partly by the Otago Peninsula Trust, the beach is a habitat for many rare species, notably yellow-eyed penguin
s. Other notable birds found in the area include spoonbill
s, and the beach is located close to the Royal Albatross
breeding colony at Taiaroa Head
. Both Hooker's sealions and New Zealand fur seal
s are also found in the area.
Access to the beach is via a narrow metalled
road which links to Portobello
on the Otago Harbour
coast and also, via further narrow roads, with the Highcliff Road which runs along the spine of the peninsula. At the end of the road, a 2 kilometre walking track leads to the beach past two large outcrops of columnar basalt
known as The Pyramids. The southern, smaller outcrop is called Little Pyramid, or Te Matai O Kia.
The beach was used as a location for the television movie Out of Ashes, starring Elisabeth Lanz.
bound for Melbourne
at 4:30 pm on 3 July 1861, carrying passengers, mail and cargo. It ran aground at the southern end of the beach (45.8425°N 170.7321°W) at about 6 pm, seven minutes after chief mate George Hand took charge of the ship. Captain James Toogood ran the engines full astern for around 90 minutes, but the ship was embedded in 6–7 feet of sand, so the passengers and mail were unloaded. Hand was found guilty of being intoxicated and in neglect of duty, and sentenced to serve three months hard labour on 20 July; the court also criticised the captain. On 24 July and the following day the ship's cargo, equipment and hull were auctioned off on the beach, recovering around £1,900 from an estimated value of £25,000.
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
coast of the Otago Peninsula
Otago Peninsula
The Otago Peninsula is a long, hilly indented finger of land that forms the easternmost part of Dunedin, New Zealand. Volcanic in origin, it forms one wall of the eroded valley that now forms Otago Harbour. The peninsula lies south-east of Otago Harbour and runs parallel to the mainland for...
, in the South Island
South Island
The South Island is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand, the other being the more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman Sea, to the south and east by the Pacific Ocean...
of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, 24 kilometres (14.9 mi) by road from Dunedin
Dunedin
Dunedin is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the principal city of the Otago Region. It is considered to be one of the four main urban centres of New Zealand for historic, cultural, and geographic reasons. Dunedin was the largest city by territorial land area until...
city centre. The longest beach on the peninsula, Victory Beach is located northeast of the entrance to Papanui Inlet and stretches for 3.5 kilometres. It is backed by a series of high sand dunes. The beach's name derives from the wreck of the SS Victory on the beach in 1861. The beach and headlands to the north and south form Wickliffe Bay.
Administered partly by the Otago Peninsula Trust, the beach is a habitat for many rare species, notably yellow-eyed penguin
Yellow-eyed Penguin
The Yellow-eyed Penguin or Hoiho is a penguin native to New Zealand. Previously thought closely related to the Little Penguin , molecular research has shown it more closely related to penguins of the genus Eudyptes...
s. Other notable birds found in the area include spoonbill
Spoonbill
Spoonbills are a group of large, long-legged wading birds in the family Threskiornithidae, which also includes the Ibises.All have large, flat, spatulate bills and feed by wading through shallow water, sweeping the partly opened bill from side to side...
s, and the beach is located close to the Royal Albatross
Royal Albatross
Royal Albatross may refer to:* Northern Royal Albatross* Southern Royal AlbatrossNote: Some authorities have yet to split this species such as the SACC or James Clements, in that case, Royal Albatross refers to both Species....
breeding colony at Taiaroa Head
Taiaroa Head
Taiaroa Head is a headland at the end of the Otago Peninsula in New Zealand, overlooking the mouth of the Otago Harbour. It lies within the city limits of Dunedin...
. Both Hooker's sealions and New Zealand fur seal
New Zealand Fur Seal
The Australian fur seal , or New Zealand fur seal or southern fur seal, is a species of fur seal found around the south coast of Australia, the coast of the South Island of New Zealand, and some of the small islands to the south and east of there...
s are also found in the area.
Access to the beach is via a narrow metalled
Metal (pavement)
The term road metal refers to the crushed rock used for road beds, surfaces, 'all-weather' walkways and paths, foundations, and railway embankments, among other things. The use of road metal dates back to antiquity.-History:...
road which links to Portobello
Portobello, New Zealand
Portobello is a village beside the Otago Harbour halfway along the Otago Peninsula in Dunedin City, New Zealand. It lies at the foot of a small peninsula between Portobello Bay and Latham Bay....
on the Otago Harbour
Otago Harbour
Otago Harbour is the natural harbour of Dunedin, New Zealand, consisting of a long, much-indented stretch of generally navigable water separating the Otago Peninsula from the mainland. They join at its southwest end, from the harbour mouth...
coast and also, via further narrow roads, with the Highcliff Road which runs along the spine of the peninsula. At the end of the road, a 2 kilometre walking track leads to the beach past two large outcrops of columnar basalt
Basalt
Basalt is a common extrusive volcanic rock. It is usually grey to black and fine-grained due to rapid cooling of lava at the surface of a planet. It may be porphyritic containing larger crystals in a fine matrix, or vesicular, or frothy scoria. Unweathered basalt is black or grey...
known as The Pyramids. The southern, smaller outcrop is called Little Pyramid, or Te Matai O Kia.
The beach was used as a location for the television movie Out of Ashes, starring Elisabeth Lanz.
Victory wreck
The steamship SS Victory departed Port ChalmersPort Chalmers
Port Chalmers is a suburb and the main port of the city of Dunedin, New Zealand, with a population of 3,000. Port Chalmers lies ten kilometres inside Otago Harbour, some 15 kilometres northeast from Dunedin's city centre....
bound for Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
at 4:30 pm on 3 July 1861, carrying passengers, mail and cargo. It ran aground at the southern end of the beach (45.8425°N 170.7321°W) at about 6 pm, seven minutes after chief mate George Hand took charge of the ship. Captain James Toogood ran the engines full astern for around 90 minutes, but the ship was embedded in 6–7 feet of sand, so the passengers and mail were unloaded. Hand was found guilty of being intoxicated and in neglect of duty, and sentenced to serve three months hard labour on 20 July; the court also criticised the captain. On 24 July and the following day the ship's cargo, equipment and hull were auctioned off on the beach, recovering around £1,900 from an estimated value of £25,000.