Blueskin Bay is an estuary in coastal Otago, about 25km north of Dunedin. The name also unofficially describes the rural district which includes the northern slopes of Mount Cargill, the southern slopes of the Kilmog, and the townships of Doctors Point, Waitati, Evansdale, Warrington, and Seacliff.
Place names
Originally called Waitete, a Maori reference to the number of freshwater springs that could be found in the bay area, "Blueskin Bay" historically referred to a wider stretch of coast from Heyward Point to Seacliff, including PurakaunuiIan Church Blueskin days, Waitati 2007. Blueskin Bay is named after Kahuti, the resident Maori authority of the area, whom Pakeha settlers nicknamed "Blueskin" for the large amount of Tā moko (traditional Maori tattooing) on their bodies. The name had been used as the nickname of a notorious 1700s London criminal, Joseph "Blueskin" Blake.
The estuary
The Waitati River and Careys Creek enter Blueskin Bay at its southwest and northwest corners. A long sand spit from the northern headland closes the bay to a small channel to the Pacific Ocean at the southeast corner. Rabbit Island lies just inside this entrance.
Shellfish
Blueskin Bay is a popular site for gathering clams, locally known as "cockles". Along with families collecting the shellfish for personal consumption, Southern Clams Ltd clams commercially for export.
