Diamond Harbour Wharf: Fishing, Walks and Ferry from Christchurch

Last updated October 2026

Diamond Harbour Wharf is a council-owned hardwood wharf at Stoddart Point on the south side of Lyttelton Harbour / Whakaraupō, a 12 minute ferry ride from Lyttelton. Fishing is allowed, and the wharf sits next to open sand and a reefy point.

The rules changed on 1 October 2026: new Ngāti Wheke mātaitai bylaws now cover the harbour around the wharf, and red cod, blue moki and skate, three of the fish most often caught here, can no longer be kept from mātaitai water.

The wharf itself and a small patch of water around it are excluded, but most casts land in the mātaitai. Read the rules section before you go.

At a Glance

Location

Stoddart Point, Diamond Harbour, south side of Lyttelton Harbour / Whakaraupō

Water

Lyttelton Harbour / Whakaraupō (sea)

Main species

Rig, kahawai, garfish and mullet; red cod, blue moki and skate are no-take in the surrounding mātaitai

Best time

High tide at night for rig; daytime for garfish, mullet and kahawai

Getting there

Metro ferry route F from Lyttelton (about 12 minutes), or about 45 minutes by road from central Christchurch

Toilets

Public toilets at the wharf

Dogs

On a leash on the wharf and on the ferry

Tide port

Lyttelton (LINZ standard port)

Rules

MPI South-East, plus the Ngāti Wheke mātaitai bylaws (from 1 October 2026)

Cost

Free; ferry fares apply

The Background

There has been a jetty at Stoddart Point since the 1850s, and the present wharf was rebuilt in 1915. Black Cat, which runs the ferry, calls it the longest surviving outlying jetty in continuous use on Banks Peninsula.

A $3 million upgrade in 2022 and 2023 replaced much of the decking and added an 18 metre floating pontoon reached by a railed gangway, mainly so wheelchairs and prams can get on and off the ferry.

A scheduled ferry has crossed between Lyttelton and Diamond Harbour since 1888, and a council report describes it as likely the longest-operating sea ferry in Canterbury. The wharf is still a working ferry landing, so anglers share it with commuters, cyclists and, in summer, a lot of people jumping off the end.

Diamond Harbour takes its name from Mark Stoddart, who arrived in Lyttelton in January 1851 and by about 1856 owned the land around the bay. His cottage on Purau Avenue, the oldest house in Diamond Harbour, is a Category 1 historic place. The bay’s official name is Te Waipapa / Diamond Harbour.

Whakaraupō is the home of Te Hapū o Ngāti Wheke at Rāpaki, one of the Ngāi Tahu papatipu rūnanga on Banks Peninsula.

Ngāti Wheke’s tangata tiaki proposed the 2026 mātaitai bylaws to help restore the harbour’s fish and shellfish, so treat the new rules as part of looking after a place that has fed people for centuries. Hector’s dolphins are common in the harbour and are sometimes seen from the ferry.

How to Fish Diamond Harbour Wharf

Where and when

Fishing writer Peter Langlands rates the wharf as the best wharf fishing in the harbour. It sits beside open sand and a reefy point, so fish both: cast out over the sand for rig, and fish closer in for the species that hang around the structure.

Rig and other bottom fish move in on the high tide at night, while garfish, mullet and the odd kahawai are around during the day.

What you can keep

• Rig: the best target now. Langlands notes rig in the upper harbour over summer, taken on a night high tide with prawn bait.
• Kahawai: a few pass the wharf by day. Kahawai have their own daily limit in the mātaitai, separate from the other finfish.
• Garfish and mullet: daytime fish around the wharf. Use small hooks and small baits under a light float.
• Flatfish: allowed, with their own limit in the mātaitai.

What you must release

Red cod, blue moki and skate have long been the main catches here, but they are now on the mātaitai’s no-take list, together with blue cod, butterfish and conger. Expect to catch them, especially at night, and release them carefully.

What to bring

Bait from Christchurch (there is no tackle shop in Diamond Harbour or Lyttelton that we could confirm), a bucket to rinse the deck, a rubbish bag, and a landing net or drop net for anything decent. A warm layer helps: easterly winds blow straight up the harbour and sea fog can roll in late in the afternoon.

Getting There and Facilities

• Ferry: Metro route F, run by Black Cat, leaves from B Jetty in Lyttelton and takes about 12 minutes. Pay on board by Metrocard, contactless card or cash. The ferry can be held for ship movements, and the last sailing back is earlier on Sundays, so check the timetable on Metroinfo.
• Bus: the No. 8 bus connects central Christchurch with the Lyttelton ferry. There is no public parking on Lyttelton wharf.
• Bikes and dogs: bikes travel free on the ferry if there is room; dogs must be on a lead.
• Driving: about 45 minutes from the central city over the Port Hills, or about 30 minutes from Lyttelton around the bays. Parking beside the wharf is limited and often full.
• Toilets: public toilets at the wharf, with others at Stoddart Point and Purau Bay.
• Access: the pontoon and gangway make the ferry step-free, but it is a steep walk uphill from the wharf to the shops.
• More to do: for the walkway, beach and village, see our Diamond Harbour guide.

Rules and Safety

The mātaitai bylaws

• From 1 October 2026 the Fisheries (Ngāti Wheke Mātaitai Reserves Bylaws) Notice 2026 applies to the Lyttelton Harbour / Whakaraupō mātaitai reserves. In those waters you cannot take skate, blue cod, red cod, butterfish, blue moki or conger.
• The bylaws also set a combined daily limit for all other finfish, separate limits for flatfish and kahawai, and allow only pāua, mussels, cockles and pipi among shellfish. No seaweed may be taken except Undaria. Check the numbers in MPI’s South-East rules or the gazette notice: we do not print them because they change.
• Te Waipapa / Diamond Harbour wharf and a small area of water around it are excluded from the mātaitai, so MPI’s general South-East rules apply on the wharf itself. A normal cast lands outside that area, and fishery officers cannot tell where a fish was hooked. The simple way to stay legal is to follow the mātaitai rules for everything you catch here.

On the wharf

• Keep lines and bait clear of the ferry when it berths. Environment Canterbury’s navigation bylaw restricts fishing, jumping and swimming around wharves while vessels are manoeuvring.
• The council’s facilities bylaw asks anglers not to leave bait, line, hooks or rubbish, to rinse blood and scales off the deck, and not to cast when the wharf is busy or without warning.
• Watch for jumpers and swimmers in summer, and keep small children in lifejackets.

Water and weather

• Environment Canterbury rates Diamond Harbour Beach as poor for swimming over the long term. In February 2026 a damaged sewer discharged into the bay and Ngāti Wheke placed a seven day rāhui on taking seafood. Check LAWA and any health warnings before you eat shellfish from the harbour.
• Easterly and north-easterly winds push short, choppy seas up the harbour, and strong southerlies can be rough. The pontoon can be slippery when wet.

Find Out More

Diamond Harbour Wharf: Common Questions

Can you fish from Diamond Harbour Wharf?
Yes. It is a public council wharf and fishing is allowed, as long as you keep clear of the ferry and clean up after yourself.

Can I keep red cod caught at Diamond Harbour?
Not from mātaitai water. Since 1 October 2026 red cod, blue cod, blue moki, skate, butterfish and conger are no-take in the Whakaraupō mātaitai reserves. Release them.

Is the wharf inside the mātaitai?
The wharf and a small area of water around it are excluded, but most casts land in the mātaitai, so the easiest way to stay legal is to follow the mātaitai rules.

What can you still catch and keep?
Rig, kahawai, garfish, mullet and flatfish, within MPI’s limits for the mātaitai.

How do I get to Diamond Harbour without a car?
Take the No. 8 bus to Lyttelton, then Metro ferry route F from B Jetty. The crossing takes about 12 minutes.

Is there parking at the wharf?
A small amount beside the wharf and at Stoddart Point, and it is often full. The ferry is easier on fine weekends.

Are there toilets?
Yes, there are public toilets at the wharf.

Do I need a licence?
No licence is needed for sea fishing in New Zealand, but the South-East rules and the mātaitai bylaws apply.

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