Painting of SS Paiaka from the collection of the Museum of Wellington City and Sea. Reproduced here with permission.
Some History:
SS Paiaka was a small iron-hulled steamer, little larger than a good-sized launch. The official statistics state that the vessel was "an iron screw steamer, 14 tons gross and 10 tons net register, built at Wellington in 1881 by Mr David Robertson. Length 46.7 feet, beam 8.7 feet, depth 5 feet, engines 10 horsepower. Owned by Mr E. Seagar, of Wellington".
The Paiaka was wrecked in Fitzroy Bay in a severe storm on 9th July 1906 in full view of the lighthouse keepers at Pencarrow Head Lighthouse. Fortunately there was no loss of life.
The hull of the vessel lay buried in the deep shingle of the beach at Fitzroy Bay until 1987 when the Eastbourne Historical Society arranged for it to be excavated - see illustration below.
Excavation under way in 1987 on Fitzroy Bay beach
The severely-rusted hull now sits alongside the coastal 4 wheel drive road just above the beach, and there is a nearby plaque placed by the Eastbourne Historical Society with information about it.
Plaque placed by Eastbourne Historical Society adjacent to the hull of the vessel
It is quite interesting to climb inside the hull - the old coal-fired boiler is still there, along with the crankshaft of the ship's steam engine which is directly coupled to the propeller shaft. The 3-bladed propeller is still attached.
The remains of the Paiaka today
How to get there:
This is an ideal cache for access with a mountain bike. The quickest access is via the new East Harbour Regional Park entrance to the Baring Head area. This whole area has only recently been purchased by the Wellington Regional Council and added to the park for public access. The entrance is located off the Wainuiomata South Coast Road at S 41° 23.635 E 174° 52.945. Walk or bike up the road, over the hill and down to the coast, and then travel northwest along the coast for a couple of kilometres. Distance from the start to the cache is approximately 3.8km and there are other caches in the Baring Head area to hunt out while you're there.
Alternatively, you can start at Burdan's Gate at the south end of Eastbourne and walk or cycle down the coast road past Pencarrow Head. This is a lot longer at 9.2km each way, but particularly if you have a bike it is a very easy and pleasant ride with no hills. Just choose a calm day!
About the cache:
As at February 2025, the cache has had to be re-located again due to access being blocked by a newly-constructed deer fence. It was originally a Sistema snaplock plastic container but after this proved not to be waterproof it was replaced in 2018 with a camouflage-painted steel ammunition container with logbook, writing implement and a few small swappable items. In its new location, this is is chained to the adjacent post to ensure that it doesn't inadvertently get moved from its correct spot. When originally placed, the cache was close to the ship's hull but after it went missing around the end of 2012 its replacement was moved a short distance away from the wreck.
Please ensure that the cache is well hidden when you replace it!
Caveats:
Dogs are permitted, but only on a leash.