List of fiords of New Zealand

The fiords of New Zealand (Māori: tai matapari "bluff sea"[1][2]) are all located in the southwest of the South Island, in a mountainous area known as Fiordland. A fiord is a narrow inlet of the sea between cliffs or steep slopes, which results from marine inundation of a glaciated valley. The spelling fiord is used in New Zealand rather than fjord, although all the maritime fiords instead use the word sound in their name.

Of the twelve major fiords on Fiordland's west coast, Milford Sound is the most famous.

The Marlborough Sounds, a series of deep indentations in the coastline at the northern tip of the South Island, are in fact drowned river valleys, or rias. The deeply indented coastlines of Northland and Auckland also host many rias, such as the Hokianga and Waitematā Harbours.

New Zealand has fifteen named maritime fiords, listed here from northernmost to southernmost.[3]

List edit

Name Location Length Area[4]
Milford Sound / Piopiotahi 44°38′0″S 167°53′0″E / 44.63333°S 167.88333°E / -44.63333; 167.88333 17.5 kilometres (10.9 mi) 25.3 km2
Te Hāpua / Sutherland Sound 44°46′22″S 167°37′14″E / 44.77278°S 167.62056°E / -44.77278; 167.62056 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) 11 km2
Hāwea / Bligh Sound 44°47′4″S 167°30′28″E / 44.78444°S 167.50778°E / -44.78444; 167.50778 18 kilometres (11 mi) 21.1 km2
Te Houhou / George Sound 44°52′36″S 167°21′48″E / 44.87667°S 167.36333°E / -44.87667; 167.36333 (George Sound) 20.5 kilometres (12.7 mi) 32.9 km2
Taitetimu / Caswell Sound 45°1′6.6″S 167°10′55.56″E / 45.018500°S 167.1821000°E / -45.018500; 167.1821000 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) 17.5 km2
Taiporoporo / Charles Sound 45°5′0″S 167°6′49″E / 45.08333°S 167.11361°E / -45.08333; 167.11361 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) 15.9 km2
Hinenui / Nancy Sound 45°8′44.5″S 167°4′23″E / 45.145694°S 167.07306°E / -45.145694; 167.07306 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) 13.9 km2
Te Awa-o-Tū / Thompson Sound 45°13′27″S 166°58′16″E / 45.22417°S 166.97111°E / -45.22417; 166.97111 18 kilometres (11 mi) 28.4 km2
Kaikiekie / Bradshaw Sound 45°17′0″S 167°6′3″E / 45.28333°S 167.10083°E / -45.28333; 167.10083 18.5 kilometres (11.5 mi) 20.9 km2
Doubtful Sound / Patea 45°22′57″S 167°5′28″E / 45.38250°S 167.09111°E / -45.38250; 167.09111 40 kilometres (25 mi) (to head of Hall Arm) 83.7 km2
Te Rā / Dagg Sound 45°23′51″S 166°48′47″E / 45.39750°S 166.81306°E / -45.39750; 166.81306 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) 14.7 km2
Te Puaitaha / Breaksea Sound 45°32′52″S 166°52′22″E / 45.54778°S 166.87278°E / -45.54778; 166.87278 30.5 kilometres (19.0 mi) 61.5 km2
Tamatea / Dusky Sound 45°45′35″S 166°37′36″E / 45.75972°S 166.62667°E / -45.75972; 166.62667 40 kilometres (25 mi) 181 km2
Taiari / Chalky Inlet 46°0′54″S 166°34′50.52″E / 46.01500°S 166.5807000°E / -46.01500; 166.5807000 27.7 kilometres (17.2 mi) 110 km2
Rakituma / Preservation Inlet 46°4′46.56″S 166°41′14.28″E / 46.0796000°S 166.6873000°E / -46.0796000; 166.6873000 36.5 kilometres (22.7 mi) 93 km2

Thompson Sound separates Secretary Island from the mainland and connects with Doubtful Sound and Bradshaw Sound at its inland end. The mouth of Bradshaw Sound is on Doubtful Sound approximately 12 km from the Tasman Sea.

Freshwater fiords edit

A number of lakes in the Fiordland and Otago regions also fill glacial valleys. Lake Te Anau has three western arms which are fiords (and are named so). Lake McKerrow to the north of Milford Sound is a fiord with a silted-up mouth. Lake Wakatipu fills a large glacial valley, as do lakes Hakapoua, Poteriteri, Monowai and Hauroko in the far south of Fiordland. Lake Manapouri has fiords as its West, North and South arms.

References edit

  1. ^ "tai matapari". Māori Dictionary. Te Ipukarea. Retrieved 19 August 2023.
  2. ^ "New Zealand Geographic Features". New Zealand Geographic Board Ngā Pou Taunaha o Aotearoa. Land Information New Zealand. Retrieved 19 August 2023.
  3. ^ Distance measured down centreline of fiord from coastline to head of longest arm of fiord.
  4. ^ Stanton, B. R.; Pickard, G. L. (1981). Physical Oceanography of the New Zealand Fiords (PDF). New Zealand Department of Scientific and Industrial Research. p. 14. Retrieved 18 July 2020.