Last updated October 2026
Scuttled ships lie in Shipwreck Bay, immediately south of Greenpoint Recreation Reserve, an Invercargill City Council reserve on the shore of Bluff Harbour. The council places it about 27 km south of Invercargill, at Greenpoint near Bluff, with access from State Highway 1.
Parts of the reserve are covered in regenerating native vegetation, and the council notes views of the coast and Bluff Harbour from it. The wrecks remain visible at low tide, and Tikore Island sits about 500 metres offshore.
Practical Information
- Location
- Greenpoint, on Bluff Harbour near Bluff, reached from State Highway 1
- Distance from the city
- About 27 km south of Invercargill (Invercargill City Council)
- Managed by
- Invercargill City Council
- Best time
- Low tide, when the wrecks in Shipwreck Bay are visible
- Status
- Invercargill City Council: Environmental reserves page (Greenpoint Recreation Reserve)
About Greenpoint Recreation Reserve
The council groups Greenpoint with its environmental reserves, a list that also takes in Bluff Hill/Motupōhue, Omaui Reserve, Thomsons Bush and Seaward Bush. Greenpoint is the harbour-edge member of that group, with native plants growing back over parts of it.
From the reserve, the council says, you get vistas of the coast and Bluff Harbour. Tikore Island lies about 500 metres offshore to the north-east, and the council describes it as a significant landmark in the harbour, easy to see from State Highway 1. Rabbit Island lies north-east of Tikore and can only be reached by boat.
The Ship Graveyard at Shipwreck Bay
Shipwreck Bay lies directly south of the reserve, and the council notes it for the wrecks of scuttled ships that remain visible at low tide. Plan a visit around the tide table if you want to see them.
The travel site Trip Ideas, whose page says the vessel locations on the track’s information board were identified by the Bluff History Group, describes the bay as an informal retirement ground for Foveaux Strait working boats from around the 1870s until at least the 1950s.
Boats that were surplus or past repair were driven onto the sandbanks at high tide and left there. Among the vessels it names are the Kekeno, the Dispatch, the Orewa, the Savaii and the Loyalty, a former Wellington ferry that went into the oyster trade.
The same page describes a track and boardwalk from the car park to a viewing platform. Environment Southland lists the Greenpoint ship graveyard among the highlights of the Invercargill Bluff Trail, an off-road trail of about 25 km that is a joint project of Environment Southland and Invercargill City Council, which can be joined or left at Greenpoint, about 3 km from its Bluff end.
Where to Learn More
Invercargill City Council: Environmental reserves: Greenpoint Recreation Reserve, Tikore Island and the council’s other bush and coastal reserves.
Invercargill City Council: Parks and reserves: the council’s parks, reserves and dog control policy for council reserves.
Environment Southland: Invercargill Bluff Trail: the off-road trail between Invercargill and Bluff, with the Greenpoint ship graveyard among its highlights.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Greenpoint Recreation Reserve?
At Greenpoint on Bluff Harbour, near Bluff, about 27 km south of Invercargill. It is reached from State Highway 1.
Who manages the reserve?
Invercargill City Council, as one of its environmental reserves.
Where are the shipwrecks?
In Shipwreck Bay, directly south of the reserve. The council says the scuttled ships remain visible at low tide.
When is the best time to see the wrecks?
At low tide, when the council says the wrecks are visible.
What is the island offshore?
Tikore Island, about 500 metres offshore to the north-east, a landmark in Bluff Harbour. Rabbit Island lies north-east of it and can only be reached by boat.
What is the reserve like?
A coastal reserve with regenerating native vegetation and views over the coast and Bluff Harbour.
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