Aramoana Mole

#168 Do - today I walked the Mole! The Aramoana Mole is a 1.2km man-made breakwater constructed to keep the sediment carried by the current out of path of the Otago Harbour - keeping the channel clear. The first Mole was started in 1884 (from 1884 to 1886 convict labourers made up the majority of the workforce) and completed in 1888. But storm damage and a suspected arson attack resulted in a new Mole being built and only really finished in the 1960s. Interesting that old steamer ships (including Paloona, Kahika, Mokoia, Moana) and a tug called Plucky were placed alongside it to help protect it from erosion - some of the wrecks are still there and would make for interesting diving (check out Dive Otago's interactive maps). You'll recognise these ships as they're also now Aramoana street names! Love the local history and it's a beautiful place - even more so on a windy, cold day

#nature #beach #history