Tasman Bay
Encyclopedia
Tasman Bay is a large V-shaped bay at the north end of New Zealand
's South Island
. Located in the centre of the island's northern coast, it stretches along 120 kilometres (74.6 mi) of coastline and is 70 kilometres (43.5 mi) across at its widest point. It is an arm of the Tasman Sea
, lying on the western approach to Cook Strait
.
At the bay's western extremity, the land around the bay is rough and densely forested. Separation Point, the westernmost point of the bay, is located in Abel Tasman National Park
and separates Tasman Bay from its smaller neighbour, Golden Bay
. To the east, the land is also steep, with the westernmost points of sea-drowned valleys of the Marlborough Sounds
. D'Urville Island
sits to the northeast of Tasman Bay's easternmost point.
The land between these two extremes is more gently rolling, and also includes the coastal plains around the mouth of the Waimea River at the bay's southernmost point. Other rivers entering the sea along the coast of the bay include the Riwaka
, the Motueka
and Serpentine Rivers
. The long low form of Rabbit Island
is located close to the bay's south coast. Tasman Bay contains the rare rock formation known as the Boulder Bank
.
The fertile land around the centre of the bay's coast is extensively cultivated and known for its horticultural crops such as apples, kiwifruit
, olives, grapes and hops
. In the middle of the twentieth century the Tasman Bay area produced large crops of Tobacco
. There is a tobacco museum in Motueka
. It is also the most densely populated part of the South Island's north coast, and several towns and the city of Nelson
are all located close to the shore. These towns include Motueka
, Riwaka
and Richmond
.
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
's South Island
South Island
The South Island is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand, the other being the more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman Sea, to the south and east by the Pacific Ocean...
. Located in the centre of the island's northern coast, it stretches along 120 kilometres (74.6 mi) of coastline and is 70 kilometres (43.5 mi) across at its widest point. It is an arm of the Tasman Sea
Tasman Sea
The Tasman Sea is the large body of water between Australia and New Zealand, approximately across. It extends 2,800 km from north to south. It is a south-western segment of the South Pacific Ocean. The sea was named after the Dutch explorer Abel Janszoon Tasman, the first recorded European...
, lying on the western approach to Cook Strait
Cook Strait
Cook Strait is the strait between the North and South Islands of New Zealand. It connects the Tasman Sea on the west with the South Pacific Ocean on the east....
.
At the bay's western extremity, the land around the bay is rough and densely forested. Separation Point, the westernmost point of the bay, is located in Abel Tasman National Park
Abel Tasman National Park
Abel Tasman National Park is a national park located at the north end of the South Island of New Zealand. The park was founded in 1942, largely through the efforts of ornithologist and author Perrine Moncrieff to have land reserved for the purpose. With a coverage of only 225.3 square kilometres,...
and separates Tasman Bay from its smaller neighbour, Golden Bay
Golden Bay
Golden Bay lies at the edge of the junction between the Tasman Sea and Cook Strait. It stretches for 45 kilometres from the long sand spit of Farewell Spit in the north to Separation Point in Abel Tasman National Park at its southern extremity...
. To the east, the land is also steep, with the westernmost points of sea-drowned valleys of the Marlborough Sounds
Marlborough Sounds
The Marlborough Sounds are an extensive network of sea-drowned valleys created by a combination of land subsidence and rising sea levels at the north of the South Island of New Zealand...
. D'Urville Island
D'Urville Island, New Zealand
D'Urville Island is an island in the Marlborough Sounds along the northern coast of the South Island of New Zealand. It was named after the French explorer Jules Dumont d'Urville. With an area of approximately , it is the eighth-largest island of New Zealand, and has around 52 permanent...
sits to the northeast of Tasman Bay's easternmost point.
The land between these two extremes is more gently rolling, and also includes the coastal plains around the mouth of the Waimea River at the bay's southernmost point. Other rivers entering the sea along the coast of the bay include the Riwaka
Riwaka River
The Riwaka River is located in the Nelson region in the northwest of New Zealand's South Island. It flows for 20 kilometres, entering Tasman Bay close to the town of Riwaka, 10 kilometres north of Motueka....
, the Motueka
Motueka River
The Motueka River is located in the north of the South Island of New Zealand and is a popular tourist destination for watersports and fishing. The Motueka flows from the mountains 40 km west of the city of Nelson in the southeast of the catchment and flows north to the Tasman...
and Serpentine Rivers
Serpentine River, New Zealand
The Serpentine River is a minor river on the north western flanks of the Richmond Range in the South Island of New Zealand.It passes through a plantation forest near the town of Richmond before emptying into Tasman Bay....
. The long low form of Rabbit Island
Rabbit Island, New Zealand
Rabbit Island is the name of several different islands off the New Zealand coast.The largest and best-known Rabbit Island lies across the southernmost part of Tasman Bay, at the top of New Zealand's South Island...
is located close to the bay's south coast. Tasman Bay contains the rare rock formation known as the Boulder Bank
Boulder Bank
The Boulder Bank is a very unusual naturally formed land form in Nelson, New Zealand. It is a 13 kilometre long stretch of rocky substrate which begins at the Mackay Bluff and ends at the Cut of the Nelson Harbour. Haulashore Island was once apart of the Boulder Bank, but after the Cut being made...
.
The fertile land around the centre of the bay's coast is extensively cultivated and known for its horticultural crops such as apples, kiwifruit
Kiwifruit
The kiwifruit, often shortened to kiwi in many parts of the world, is the edible berry of a cultivar group of the woody vine Actinidia deliciosa and hybrids between this and other species in the genus Actinidia....
, olives, grapes and hops
Hops
Hops are the female flower clusters , of a hop species, Humulus lupulus. They are used primarily as a flavoring and stability agent in beer, to which they impart a bitter, tangy flavor, though hops are also used for various purposes in other beverages and herbal medicine...
. In the middle of the twentieth century the Tasman Bay area produced large crops of Tobacco
Tobacco
Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
. There is a tobacco museum in Motueka
Motueka
The town of Motueka in the South Island of New Zealand lies close to the mouth of the Motueka River, on the western shore of Tasman Bay. It is, after Nelson and Richmond, the third largest centre in the Tasman Region, with a population of 7125...
. It is also the most densely populated part of the South Island's north coast, and several towns and the city of Nelson
Nelson, New Zealand
Nelson is a city on the eastern shores of Tasman Bay, and is the economic and cultural centre of the Nelson-Tasman region. Established in 1841, it is the second oldest settled city in New Zealand and the oldest in the South Island....
are all located close to the shore. These towns include Motueka
Motueka
The town of Motueka in the South Island of New Zealand lies close to the mouth of the Motueka River, on the western shore of Tasman Bay. It is, after Nelson and Richmond, the third largest centre in the Tasman Region, with a population of 7125...
, Riwaka
Riwaka
Riwaka is a small town in the north of New Zealand's South Island. It lies beside Tasman Bay, five kilometres north of Motueka, and close to the mouth of the Riwaka River....
and Richmond
Richmond, New Zealand
Richmond, the seat of the Tasman District Council, lies 13 km south of Nelson in the South Island of New Zealand, close to the southern extremity of Tasman Bay...
.