Sinclair Head

{{Short description|Promontory on North Island, New Zealand}}

{{Use New Zealand English|date=April 2024}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}}

{{Infobox landform

| name = Sinclair Head / Te Rimurapa

| native_name = {{native name|mi|Te Rimurapa}}

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| type = Headland

| photo = Sinclair Head Wellington 08.jpg

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| photo_caption = Sinclair Head, as seen from the east

| map = New Zealand Wellington

| map_width = 260px

| map_caption = Location of Sinclair Head / Te Rimurapa in the Wellington region

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| location = Wellington South coast

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| coordinates = {{coord|41|21|45|S|174|43|00|E|region:NZ_type:landmark|display=inline,title}}

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Sinclair Head / Te Rimurapa is a major promontory on the south coast of New Zealand's North Island. It lies {{convert|14|km|mi}} to the west of the entrance to Wellington Harbour, and a similar distance to the east of Cape Terawhiti.

The headland is named for Sir George Sinclair, a director of the New Zealand Company. The Māori name literally means "the search for seaweed".Reed, A.W. (1975). Place names of New Zealand. Wellington: A.H. & A.W. Reed. p. 380.

Sinclair Head is home to a non-breeding colony of New Zealand fur seals, with resident seal numbers ranging from over 300 in winter to about 50 in summer when only the non-breeding males stay behind.{{cite web|url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/95072858/curiouscity-the-large-colony-of-fur-seals-on-wellingtons-back-doorstep|title=CuriousCity: The large colony of fur seals on Wellington's back doorstep|publisher=Stuff.co.nz|author=Ged Cann|date=30 July 2017|accessdate=2018-11-26}} The seal haul-out is also known as the Red Rocks seal colony, named after an area of red coloured rocks immediately east of the headland.{{cite web|url=https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/13193/red-rocks|title=Red Rocks - Wellington region|publisher=Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand|accessdate=2018-11-26}}