The public boat ramp at Te Wharau/Charteris Bay sits on Lyttelton Harbour (Whakaraupo) on New Zealand's South Island and provides access to one of the region's most active recreational waterways.

It is a smaller, scenic slipway compared to the main harbour facilities, but it serves as a useful launching point for reaching destinations such as Quail Island.

Boaters should note a significant tidal restriction: the ramp is useable only a couple of hours either side of high tide. Launching or retrieving outside that window is not advisable, and the area has caught out many boaties over the years.

Plan your trip around the tide tables.