About Otago Harbour
The Otago Harbour entrance lies between Heyward Point and Taiaroa Head. The harbour channel extends 5 nautical miles to Port Chalmers, then a further 7 nautical miles to the city of Dunedin. From Taiaroa Head to the container terminal at Port Chalmers, the harbour is dredged to accommodate vessels with a maximum draught of 13.5 metres, thus enabling large container ships to make Port Chalmers their final port of call in New Zealand. From Port Chalmers to Dunedin, the channel is dredged to handle vessels with a draught of 7.5 metres.



Facilities
COORDINATES
-45.80850 N, 170.62739 E
Port Information
Telephone
Berth Sizes
< 10m, 10-20m
Manoeuvrability
Fair
VHF Channel
VHF CH 14
Overseas Visitor Berths
Yes
Tidal Flow
Negligible
Active Winter
Yes
Weather Forecast
Thu
5AM - 9AM
19 February 2026
- Light and variable.
- Increasing from 9 to 14°C
- E 1.2m at 9s period
- UV Index: 0 - Low
- Partly cloudy
Thu
9AM - 1PM
19 February 2026
- W 4 knots increasing to SW 11 knots. Gusts up to 18 knots.
- Increasing from 15 to 19°C
- E 1.1m at 9s period
- UV Index: 8 - Very High
- Partly cloudy
Thu
1PM - 5PM
19 February 2026
- W 2–15 knots.
- 18 to 20°C
- E 1.0m at 9s period
- UV Index: 8 - Very High
- Mostly fine