Waitemata Harbor

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Waitemata Harbor
Geographical location
Waitemata Harbor (New Zealand)
Waitemata Harbor
Coordinates 36 ° 50 ′  S , 174 ° 42 ′  E Coordinates: 36 ° 50 ′  S , 174 ° 42 ′  E
Region ISO NZ-AUK
country New Zealand
region Auckland
Sea access Rangitoto Channel , Mutokorea Channel , Hauraki Gulf , Pacific Ocean
Data on the natural harbor
Port entrance 1 980 m wide
length around 16.0 km
width max 9.0 km
surface around 182 km 2
Water depth 12 m on average
places Auckland
Tributaries Whau River and numerous creeks and streams (brooks)
Islands Motumānawa Island , Traherne Island , Te Tokaroa Reef , Herald Island
Industrial port Ports of Auckland , Naval Harbor in Devenport
Marina Westhaven Marina, Westpark Marina , Orakai Marina , Bayswater Marina
Ferry dock Auckland Queens Wharf, and the ferry terminals: Devonport, Stanley Point, Bayswater, Birkenhead, Beach Haven, Hobsonville, West Harbor
Photography of the natural harbor
Waitematā Harbor Eastwards View.jpg
Waitemata Harbor , looking east
The Auckland Harbor Bridge over Waitemata Harbor

Waitemata Harbor is a natural harbor in the Auckland Council urban areaon the North Island of New Zealand . This body of water is often referred to as Auckland Harbor , although Auckland still has a second natural harborwith Manukau Harbor , albeit of lesser importance.

Origin of name

The name of the natural harbor is derived from the Māori name “ Wai-te-matā ” , which in the Māori language means something like: “Obsidian water” , named after the volcanic rock glass . But while the descendants of Te Arawa Waka also named the water after one of their ancestors Tamatekapua , the natural harbor for the Ngāpuhi with reference to the wars over the Tāmaki isthmus was also Te Wai-o-te-mate (The Waters of Death).

geography

The widely ramified, around 182 km² Waitemata Harbor extends within the city of Auckland towards the east coast and ends in two channels that are assigned to the Hauraki Gulf . The natural harbor extends over a length of around 16 km in a west-east direction, if you include the northern side arms that extend into the districts of Riverhead and Albany , then you can see the extension of the natural harbor to a length of around 25 km measured. The port entrance between North Head in the north and Bastion Point in the south is around 2.0 km wide and at its widest point the water measures around 9 km. The western end of the port extends beyond Whenuapai to the northwest and Te Atatu to the west . The port also forms an estuary known as the Whau River to the southwest . The navigable part of the natural harbor has an average water depth of around 12 m.

Around 6 km east of the port entrance is Browns Island ( Mutokorea ) and around 4 km northeast of it is Motuihe Island . About 4 km northeast of the port entrance is the volcanic island of Rangitoto Island , which was only formed 600 to 700 years ago.

geology

The Waitemata Harbor was prepared from a by the in Miozän formed sunken rising sea valley. Sand and sediment deposits cover the greywacke , which makes up the solid subsurface of the seabed.

Adjacent neighborhoods

While the districts of Mission Bay , Parnell , Herne Bay and Point Chevalier are located on the south side of the natural harbor next to the City of Auckland , the districts of Birkenhead , Northcote and Devonport , which were once part of North Shore City , are now on the north side but are grouped together to form the North Shore Ward .

Istmus of Auckland

Together with Manukau Harbor on the west side of the Northland Peninsula , Waitemata Harbor forms the Istmus of Auckland , an isthmus that, at its narrowest point between Manukau Harbor and the Tamaki River, measures just 2 km on one side and a little further west between the two natural harbors have another bottleneck with around 3.6 km.

Harbor crossings

In addition to the ferry connections, there are three motorways that cross Waitemata Harbor at various points. They represent the main arteries between the northern and southern parts of the city, separated by the natural harbor. Probably the most famous, most important and most heavily frequented artery leads with the eight-lane New Zealand State Highway 1 over the Auckland Harbor Bridge . It connects the Waitematā and Gulf Ward , which covers the city center of Auckland , with the North Shore Ward north of it on the other side of the harbor . The second crossing is in the southwestern area of the natural harbor with the New Zealand State Highway 16 instead of from the district of Mt. Albert from Henderson binds and likewise the Whau River crossing. The third crossing is a little further north at Hobsonville with the Upper Harbor Bridge . Here the New Zealand State Highway 18 leads northeast and represents a cross connection between the two State Highways 1 and 16.

See also

literature

Web links

Commons : Waitemata Harbor  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files
  • Waitemata Harbor . In: NZ Topo Map . Gavin Harriss,accessed January 19, 2018(with data fromLand Information New Zealand).

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Margaret McClure : Auckland places - Waitematā Harbor . In: Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand . Ministry for Culture & Heritage , August 5, 2016, accessed January 18, 2018 .
  2. ↑ a b c Waitemata Harbor . In: An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand . 1966.
  3. ↑ a b Topo250 maps . Land Information New Zealand , accessed January 19, 2018 .
  4. ↑ a b Coordinates and longitudes were partly made using Google Earth Version 7.1.8.3036 on January 19, 2018.
  5. ↑ Schofield : Geology of Motuihe Island , Waitemata Harbor . In: New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics . 1968, p.  485 f .