Palliser Bay is a magnificent and exposed bay on the southern coast of New Zealand's North Island, forming part of the Cook Strait. Stretching approximately 40 kilometers from Turakirae Head to Cape Palliser, it features a dramatic coastline with steep, shingle beaches in the central sections and rock-fringed beaches at its eastern and western edges. The bay sits at the northern fringe of the Cook Strait's many canyons, with the Rimutaka Range to the west and the Aorangi Range to the east rising steeply from the shore. This expansive, south-facing coastline is considered a spiritual home for surfcasting in the lower North Island, offering a productive and scenic fishery. The plain of the Ruamāhanga River lies inland, with the river flowing through Lake Wairarapa before reaching the coast.