Pegasus Bay
Pegasus Bay is a bay on the east coast of New Zealand's South Island in the Canterbury region of New Zealand . It extends over a length of about 100 kilometers in a semicircular arc from the confluence of the Waipara River in the Pacific to the Banks Peninsula . The city of Christchurch is at the southern end of the bay.
In addition to the Waipara River, the Ashley River and the Waimakariri River also flow into Pegasus Bay.
There are around 50 kilometers of sandy beaches along the bay, a stark contrast to the other stone beaches. Because of the many beaches and the good wind conditions along the coastline, the area is very attractive for surfers .
The name Pegasus Bay is derived from a sailing ship called Pegasus that explored this part of the coast of the South Island in 1809 . The ship's mate, William Stewart, gave the bay its current name. In this exploratory trip the captain turned the ship also stated that the of James Cook entered as an island in the cards Banks Iceland , the southern end of the Pegasus Bay is actually a peninsula and since then Banks Peninsula is.
Coordinates: 43 ° 20 ′ S , 173 ° 0 ′ E