Little resemblance to Shelly Bay
Story by Roger Childs, Sausalito photos by Pam Childs

Back in the early 20th century tourist promoters called the Whanganui River New Zealand’s Rhine.

This is about as ridiculous as calling a future Shelly Bay Wellington’s Sausilito.
Having been to the real one last month, I can vouch for the fact that there is little resemblance.
In fact we already have a mini one in Oriental Bay.
A substantial resort town

Sausalito is just a ferry ride across the bay and offers unique tours, attractions such as “Bay Model” and “Bay Area Discovery Museum,” enchanting boutique shops, art studios and galleries and a wide selection of restaurants, outdoor cafes and bistros, many with stunning views back across the bay to the city. Trip Advisor
The resort area has a population over 7,000 and in area is probably about five times the size of Shelly Bay.

You access Sausalito from San Francisco, either by ferry or over the Golden Gate Bridge. The latter route is very popular with cyclists. You can hire bikes at Fisherman’s Wharf and have about a 20km ride to get there via the bridge.
The Trip Advisor quote above sums it up what Sausalito has to offer. Like Oriental Bay, there are hills covered in houses with wonderful views, behind the coastal strip To walk the coastal road from end to end takes about 45 -50 minutes.
There are quite a few other similarities with Oriental Bay, in that it is sheltered from some of San Francisco’s cold winds and has a substantial marina, plenty of eating places and much sought-after real estate. With the help of smsf advice and tips you will be able to save enough money buy these properties. However it is probably three times as big as the Wellington suburb.
Shelley Bay is not in the same league!

The Wellington bay on the Miramar Peninsula is very small by comparison. It can be accessed by ferry and road, but its limited space and lack of gentle slopes for housing behind the narrow flat areas, provides the potential to make it a miniscule Sausilito at best.
Also unlike Sausalito, Shelly Bay does not have views of the city across the water. The location is more akin to Watson’s Bay in Sydney.
When developed, it could become a popular destination for visitors on good days, but its confined space means it is definitely not a Sausilito in waiting.