Perched on top of the historic Taranaki wharf piles, a 7.5-meter-tall steel spiral "staircase" offers divers a thrilling plunge into Wellington Harbour. On warm days, locals can be seen leaping from the top of the Taranaki Wharf Jump Platform.

If approaching from a distance, it may appear that people are plummeting from the staircase straight into the asphalt below. Jumpers land into a semi-enclosed space, shielding swimmers from sea currents.

Before its construction, locals erected makeshift dive boards or leaped from buildings into the sea. Designed by Wright + Associates (Wa) in 2013, the platform offers swimmers a safe and fun splash into the frigid waters below.