The boat ramp at Purau Bay sits on the shore of Whakaraupo / Lyttelton Harbour, just beyond Stoddart Point on Banks Peninsula.

It is one of the only inter-tidal boat-launching facilities in the harbour and serves as a valued community asset alongside a nearby jetty.

The concrete ramp presents practical challenges: it faces into the prevailing north-easterly wind and chop, and at low tide the ramp flattens and ends abruptly, making launching larger vessels difficult.

Limited parking and historically poor maintenance add to the complexity. A major upgrade has been scheduled to improve access and resilience.

Both the ramp and jetty face increasing coastal hazard risk as sea levels rise, with some current protection provided by rock armouring along Purau Avenue.