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Wellington Harbour

Wellington Harbour (Māori: Te Whanganui-a-Tara [tɛ ˈfaŋanʉi a taɾa], historically known as Port Nicholson) is a large natural harbour on the southern tip of New Zealand's North Island. The harbour entrance is from Cook Strait. Central Wellington is located on parts of the western and southern sides of the harbour, and the suburban area of Lower Hutt is to the north and east.[1]

Wellington Harbour
Port Nicholson
Te Whanganui-a-Tara (Māori)
Looking north-east over Wellington Harbour from above Cook Strait
Left to right: Lambton Harbour, Miramar Peninsula and the harbour entrance
Wellington Harbour
Location in New Zealand
LocationWellington, New Zealand
Coordinates41°16′S 174°51′E / 41.267°S 174.850°E / -41.267; 174.850
TypeNatural harbour
River sourcesHutt River
Ocean/sea sourcesCook Strait

In the Māori language the harbour is known as Te Whanganui-a-Tara, "the great harbour of Tara".[2] Another Māori name for Wellington, Pōneke, is said to be a transliteration of Port Nick (Port Nicholson).[3][4]

The harbour area bounded by a line between Pencarrow Head to Petone foreshore, was officially named Port Nicholson until it assumed its current dual name in 1984.[5] It is now a regional park, overseen by Wellington Regional Council.[1]

Toponymy edit

Te Whanganui a Tara, a Māori language name for the area, translates literally as "the great harbour of Tara". It is believed to refer to Whatonga's son Tara, who was sent down from the Māhia Peninsula by his father to explore southern lands for their people to settle.[2][6] Another traditional Māori name for the area, Te Upoko o te Ika a Maui, is derived from Māori legend and translates literally as "the head of Māui's fish".[6] A further Māori name for Wellington, Pōneke, is said to be a transliteration of Port Nick (Port Nicholson).[3][4]

Captain James Herd is said to have named the harbour "Port Nicholson" after Sydney's harbourmaster Captain John Nicholson.[6] However, while Herd is attributed as the creator of the first charts describing Te Whanganui a Tara as "Port Nicholson" it is likely that Captain John Rodolphus Kent of the cutter Mermaid had entered the harbour in 1824, and named it after the harbourmaster, his superior officer.[7][8]

William Wakefield named the harbour Lambton Harbour in 1839 in honour of the Earl of Durham, who had the family name of "Lambton".[9]

History edit

Pre-European history edit

Traditional Māori accounts of the creation of Wellington harbour describe a time when the harbour was fully enclosed as a lake. Two taniwha who lived in the lake, Ngake and Whataitai, attempted to escape. While making his escape, Ngake formed the harbour entrance to Cook Strait, and water flowed out from the lake. The other taniwha, Whataitai, became stranded and his body formed the isthmus of land where Wellington airport is now located.[10]: 6 

According to oral history, Wellington Harbour was first discovered by the Polynesian explorer Kupe.[1]

Modern history edit

During his voyage on HMS Resolution, James Cook passed by the entrance to the harbour on 2 November 1773, and then put about, in an attempt to see what lay within the entrance. He anchored a mile from Barrett Reef, and made some brief observations noting that it appeared to be a sheltered harbour. A wind change led him to leave the area, and there were no further observations from European explorers for the next 50 years.[7]

 
Lambton Harbour, Port Nicholson, Wellington, New Zealand, ca. 1840

In 1826, Captain James Herd entered the harbour on the barque Rosanna, along with Captain Barnett of the cutter Lambton. Both subsequently made charts of the harbour.

The New Zealand Company established settlements in Petone and Wellington from 1840.[11]

The 1855 Wairarapa earthquake uplifted the north-western side of the Wellington bay. This led to the reclamation of Wellington Harbour, which increased the availability of flat land for Wellington City.[12]

In 1968, the inter-island passenger ferry Wahine grounded at Barrett Reef, near the harbour entrance, during a storm. Fifty-one people died at the time and two more died much later from injuries suffered that day.[1]

Geography edit

Setting edit

Wellington Harbour is a natural harbour with an area of around 76 km², with an entrance from Cook Strait at its southern end between Pencarrow Head and Palmer Head on the southern tip of Miramar Peninsula. The harbour has a maximum length of over 11 kilometres and a width of 9.25 kilometres, and the entrance is over 1.6 kilometres wide from shore to shore.

The shipping channel through the harbour entrance lies between Barrett Reef on the western side, and Pencarrow Head to the east. Barrett Reef is a cluster of rocks that is partly exposed even at high tide. It has been the site of a large number of shipwrecks. The most serious loss caused by impact with Barrett Reef is the wreck of the inter-island ferry TEV Wahine in 1968, with the loss of 53 lives.

Wellington harbour provides sheltered anchorage in a region where wind velocities may exceed 160 km/h. The depth of water over most of the harbour exceeds 20 metres or 10 fathoms.[13]

There are two main bays within the harbour, Evans Bay and Lambton Harbour. The small Oriental Bay to the north of Mount Victoria features beaches and cafes. The suburbs of Wellington city are spread around the low lying terrain immediately surrounding the harbour, and the hills overlooking the west and south-west of the harbour. Lambton Harbour is surrounded by the reclaimed land of Wellington's central business district and contains the majority of the city's port facilities. Evans Bay lies between Mt Victoria and the Miramar Peninsula, and is below the flight path to low-lying Wellington Airport.[1]

To the east of the harbour lie several small bays, most of which are populated by small coastal communities. The largest of these suburban settlements is Eastbourne, directly to the east of the northern tip of the Miramar Peninsula.[1]

The small islands Matiu / Somes Island, Mākaro / Ward Island and Mokopuna Island are located within the harbour.[1]

Geology edit

The harbour is of seismic origin, and a major earthquake fault lies along its western shore. At the northern end of the harbour lies the narrow triangular plain of the Hutt River, which largely follows the line of the earthquake fault to the north-east. The city of Lower Hutt is located on this plain.[1]

Māori oral history recounts that there used to be two channels at the entrance to the harbour. The present entrance was called Te Au-a-Tane and a western channel (now the Rongotai isthmus) was called Te-Awa-a-Taia. Between the two channels lay the island of Motu-Kairangi (present day Miramar Peninsula). Then a violent earthquake known as Haowhenua (Māori for 'land swallower') uplifted the land so that the Te-Awa-a-Taia channel dried up and the island of Motu-kairangi became joined to the mainland.[14] Researchers have concluded that the earthquake happened around 1460AD.[15][16][17]

Waiwhetu aquifer edit

The Waiwhetu aquifer is a pressurized zone of water-retaining sand, gravel and boulders beneath the Hutt Valley and Wellington Harbour, which provides around 40 percent of the Wellington region's annual water supply.[18][19] The harbour basin contains massive quantities of gravel washed down from the Hutt River, in some places hundreds of metres deep.[20]: 22, 24  Above the gravel is a layer of mud and silt which seals fresh water within the gravel, creating an artesian aquifer. There are several aquifers in the area in different layers underground, but the Waiwhetu aquifer is the largest and most productive one.[21] Water flows down into the aquifer from a five-kilometre stretch of the Hutt River south of Taita Gorge, and rainwater also contributes to the aquifer.[21] South of Melling the aquifer becomes pressurized by the layer of mud and silt above the gravel layer holding the water in, meaning that if a bore is sunk into the aquifer, water will rise up the pipe. Water from the aquifer also reaches the surface through natural springs at various places around the harbour.[18] Pressure within the aquifer stops sea water from getting into the aquifer.

The water level in Wellington Harbour was much lower 20,000 years ago, and the ancient Hutt River used to flow down a paleochannel to the east of Matiu / Somes Island as far as the present-day Miramar Peninsula.[22]: 28  [20]: 75  [18] Much of the water in the Waiwhetu aquifer moves under the sea bed from the direction of the Hutt River to the Falcon Shoals area (between Karaka Bay and Worser Bay) at the harbour mouth via the paleochannel. The characteristics of the aquifer between Matiu / Somes Island and the harbour mouth are not as well studied as the portion to the north of the island.[23]

Reclamations edit

 
Lambton Harbour and
Aotea Quay

Reclamation of Wellington Harbour started in the 1850s, in order to increase the amount of usable land for the then new City of Wellington. Land plots in the early city were scarce, with little room for public buildings and parks, as well as inadequate dockside areas for shipping. Reclamation progressively advanced into the harbour throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, providing room for public, commercial and industrial areas for the city.

Marine life edit

Fish edit

Fish species commonly caught in the harbour by recreational fishers include red cod, kahawai, gurnard, tarakihi, snapper, trevally, elephant fish and kingfish.[24][25] Children enjoy catching spotties.[26] Eagle rays and stingrays can both be found in the harbour: eagle rays are often seen in the shallow water around Whairepo Lagoon, which was named after the Māori name for the species.[27][28] Several species of octopus live in the harbour.[29] In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, large octopuses would occasionally grab people at the water's edge.[30][31][32] Rig sharks visit the harbour each year to mate and give birth.[33] Other species seen less often include basking sharks, blue sharks and seven-gilled sharks.[34][35][36]

Marine mammals edit

Common dolphins and orca visit the harbour quite often.[37] In the nineteenth century, southern right whales bred within Wellington Harbour, but in the 21st century sightings are rarer.[38] Humpback whales are also seen occasionally.[39] There is a fur seal colony at Pariwhero / Red Rocks on the south coast facing Cook Strait,[40] and seals sometimes appear in and around the harbour.[41] Vagrant and rare marine mammal visitors include leopard seals (reclassified from vagrant to resident in 2019),[41][42] crabeater seals,[43] and an elephant seal nicknamed 'Blossom' that hung around the harbour for several years in the 1960s.[44]

Plants and sponges edit

Over 100 species of seaweed are found in Wellington Harbour.[45] Rocky shores around the harbour support kelp forests, for example at Kau Bay, but rising sea temperatures may be affecting the health of these areas.[46][47] Sponge beds are found in deeper parts of the harbour.[48]

Birds edit

Between 2018 and 2022, annual surveys were made of indigenous coastal birdlife along the coastlines of the south coast and the western side of Wellington Harbour. Thirty-four native or endemic species and 14 naturalised introduced species were observed, though some of these were only seen on the south coast and not within the harbour.[49] The surveys showed that stretches of the coastline "hardened" by reclamation or seawall construction have lower densities of birds and less diversity of species, probably due to the steepness of the shoreline and lack of intertidal foraging habitats. Changes to average sea level and temperature may affect some species in the future.[49]: 34–35  Black-backed gulls, red-billed gulls and several species of shags are found all around the harbour. A breeding population of fluttering shearwaters has been established on Matiu / Somes Island.[50] Little blue penguins are found in many locations, with nesting boxes provided in some places to encourage them.

Environmental protection edit

As part of maintaining a healthy marine environment, Greater Wellington Regional Council and the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) have monitored water quality in Wellington Harbour since 2016.[51] Water quality is affected by sediment, nutrients and pollutants from the whole catchment around the harbour, turbidity caused by rainfall and outflow from the Hutt River, and tides.[51][52]

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and NIWA have carried out surveillance on non-indigenous marine species which may arrive in the harbour in water ballast or attached to hulls of ships.[53][54] Examples of marine pests found in the harbour include the Northern Pacific sea star[54] and wakame, a seaweed native to the north-west Pacific Ocean, which was first found in Wellington Harbour in 1987. It grows rapidly and can displace native species of seaweed.[55]

Volunteers from the group Ghost Diving organise regular harbour clean-ups, collecting tonnes of rubbish from the water around the inner-city waterfront and bringing attention to the problem of littering.[56][57]

Transport edit

 
Ferry MV Kaitaki in the Harbour

Wellington Harbour is a significant port serving the lower North Island, with the Regional Council-owned company CentrePort recording around 14,000 commercial shipping movements each year. Wellington Harbour, the region's third largest container port, is located in Wellington City.[58] There is a tanker terminal at Seaview in Lower Hutt.[1]

Wellington harbour ferries first began operating at the end of the 19th century and regular crossings from central Wellington to Days Bay continue today. The harbour is also used by inter-island ferries linking Wellington to Picton.

A project to develop a walking and cycling route around the harbour, the Great Harbour Way, is gathering momentum.[1] Te Ara Tupua is a cycling and walking path being built from Melling in the Hutt Valley to central Wellington.

Wharves edit

As of 2023, there are 20 wharves situated around Wellington Harbour. This includes large wharves in the inner harbour and port area, smaller wharves in seaside suburbs and the fuel wharves at Point Howard and Evans Bay. The first wharves were built from 1840 by newly-arrived European settlers, to enable them to move goods from ship to shore. The first publicly-owned wharf built in Wellington Harbour was Queens Wharf, completed in 1862. In 1880 the Wellington Harbour Board was created and took control of most wharves in the harbour until its disestablishment in 1989.

At that time a commercial company, Port of Wellington (now called CentrePort Wellington) took over management of most industrial wharves, while Wellington City Council and Hutt City Council gained control of most suburban wharves. Wharves were built for various purposes - moving fuel, primary products such as timber, wool and meat coming from the hinterland, other goods and passengers. Wharves for passenger ferries included ferries taking commuters and day trippers to and from the city and suburbs, and larger inter-island ferries going to Picton and Lyttelton. The wharves also serviced passenger liners from overseas, and TEAL flying boats. Over time Wellington's wharves have been altered, upgraded, extended, truncated or buried in reclamation along the shoreline of Wellington Harbour. Many wharves have been repurposed in response to changing domestic and international conditions and requirements for maritime transport of passengers and cargo.

Recreation edit

 
Detailed map of Wellington Harbour

The Wellington South Coast and harbour entrance is exposed to open sea, providing places to dive and fish. There are also fishing spots at the rocks and reclamations within the harbour.[1]

Harbour beaches like Oriental Bay, Petone Bay, Days Bay and Hataitai Beach are suited to swimming and sunbathing.[1]

The harbour accommodates a range of activities, with five water ski lanes, an area for personal water craft and areas for windsurfing. Several rowing, waka ama and yachting clubs operate from the harbour.[1]

Small boat craft can anchor at Mākaro / Ward Island and Mokopuna Island and can also visit the Matiu / Somes Island reserve during daylight hours. Harbour cruises also travel regularly between the main Wellington waterfront, Matiu / Somes Island, Days Bay and Petone.[1]

In the arts edit

In 1974, the New Zealand author Denis Glover published an anthology Wellington Harbour, containing poems about or inspired by views of the harbour.[59]

Big weather is an anthology of 100 poems about Wellington's harbour, hills, and environment. It was published in 2009 and in later editions.[60][61]

The Wellington Writers Walk is a series of 23 quotations from New Zealand poets, novelists, and playwrights, installed along the Wellington waterfront in the form of contemporary concrete plaques or inlaid metal text on wooden 'benchmarks'.[62][63][64][65] The plaques celebrate the lives and works of these well-known writers, all of whom had (or have) some connection to Wellington. Many of the quotations reference the harbour.

Gallery edit

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "Wellington Harbour". gw.govt.nz. Wellington Regional Council.
  2. ^ a b David Allan Hamer & Roberta Nicholls, (editors). The Making of Wellington, 1800–1914, Victoria University Press, 1990 ISBN 0-86473-200-7
  3. ^ a b F. L. Irvine-Smith. The Streets of My City, Wellington New Zealand, A.H. & A.W. Reed, Wellington New Zealand 1948.
  4. ^ a b Tony Deverson and Graeme Kennedy (Ed.) The New Zealand Oxford Dictionary, Oxford University Press, 2005, ISBN 9780195584516
  5. ^ "Place name detail: Wellington Harbour (Port Nicholson)". New Zealand Gazetteer. New Zealand Geographic Board. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
  6. ^ a b c "Wellington's Māori History". newzealand.com. Tourism New Zealand.
  7. ^ a b The Wellington Harbour Board Collection. Wellington Harbour Board. 1980. ISBN 978-0-90858244-0.
  8. ^ Johnson, David (1996). Wellington Harbour. Wellington Maritime Museum Trust. Wellington [N.Z.]: Wellington Maritime Museum Trust. ISBN 0-9583498-0-0. OCLC 45262694.
  9. ^ "Wellington Waterfront History". wellingtonwaterfront.co.nz. Wellington Waterfront. Archived from the original on 5 April 2014.
  10. ^ Fill, Barbara; Astwood, Karen (2012). (PDF). New Zealand Historic Places Trust. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 February 2021.
  11. ^ Maclean, Chris (15 June 2008). "Wellington". Te Ara: the Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 16 August 2008.
  12. ^ "Wellington Waterfront Reclamation". wellingtonwaterfront.co.nz. Wellington Waterfront.
  13. ^ A. H. McLintock, (editor). Port Nicholson (Wellington Harbour), An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand, published 1966. ISBN 978-0-478-18451-8
  14. ^ Best, Elsdon (1923). "Miramar Island and its History: How Motu-kairangi was discovered and settled by Polynesians, and how, in Times long past, it became Miramar Peninsula". Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New Zealand. 54: 779–791 – via Paperspast.
  15. ^ Pillans, Brad; Huber, Phil (May 1992). "Earthquakes and uplift history of Miramar Peninsula, Wellington" (PDF). Earthquake Commission. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
  16. ^ Moore, P R; McFadgen, B G (1978). "Excavation Of A Shell Midden At Turakirae Head, Near Wellington, And A Date For The Haowhenua Earthquake Of Maori Tradition". Journal of the Polynesian Society. pp. 253–256. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
  17. ^ Goff, J R; Chague-Goff, C (2001). "Catastrophic events in New Zealand coastal environments" (PDF). Department of Conservation. pp. 6–7. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
  18. ^ a b c Ballance, Alison (30 June 2017). "The science of a water aquifer". RNZ. from the original on 14 April 2023. Retrieved 14 April 2023.
  19. ^ Edwards, Laurence; Blakemore, Rob (2018). The Battle of Waterloo [Conference paper]. Wellington, New Zealand: Wellington Water. from the original on 19 February 2023. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  20. ^ a b Harding, Steven James (August 2000). The Characteristics of the Waiwhetu Artesian Aquifer beneath Wellington Harbour including the Spatial Distribution and Causes of Submarine Spring Discharge [thesis] (PDF). Victoria University, Wellington, New Zealand. (PDF) from the original on 24 September 2017. Retrieved 15 April 2023.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  21. ^ a b Gyopari, Mark (June 2014). Lower Hutt Aquifer Model Revision (HAM3): Sustainable Management of the Waiwhetu Aquifer [report] (PDF). New Zealand: Institute of Environmental Science & Research Ltd. (PDF) from the original on 19 April 2023. Retrieved 19 April 2023.
  22. ^ McConchie, Jack; Winchester, David; Willis, Richard, eds. (2000). Dynamic Wellington: A contemporary synthesis and explanation of Wellington. Wellington, New Zealand: Institute of Geography, Victoria University of Wellington. ISBN 0475110560.
  23. ^ "Wellington Harbour Bores – Exploratory Drilling Findings : Water New Zealand". www.waternz.org.nz. from the original on 23 April 2023. Retrieved 23 April 2023.
  24. ^ MacLeod, Andy (2013). "A guide to surfcasting around Wellington". The Fishing Website. Retrieved 28 September 2023.
  25. ^ O'Brien, Jim (April 2017). "Slide-baiting for kingfish". The Fishing Website.
  26. ^ Burgess, Allan (17 November 2014). "Spotty - Notolabrus celidotus - One of the easiest species to catch!". Fishingmag.co.nz. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
  27. ^ Desmarais, Felix (3 December 2018). "Docile eagle rays spotted swimming in Wellington's Whairepo lagoon". Stuff. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
  28. ^ "Eagle Rays - An Inner City Wildlife Spectacle". RNZ. 3 March 2015. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
  29. ^ "What will I see underwater in Wellington?". Dive HQ Wellington. 20 May 2023. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
  30. ^ "A curious incident". Wairarapa Daily Times. 31 October 1895 – via Papers Past.
  31. ^ "Fight with an octopus". Dominion. 30 January 1917 – via Papers Past.
  32. ^ "A huge octopus". New Zealand Times. 18 June 1925 – via Papers Past.
  33. ^ "'Harmless' sharks spotted in Wellington Harbour". RNZ. 16 January 2018. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
  34. ^ "Great white sightings 'seasonal'". NZ Herald. 29 September 2023. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
  35. ^ "Trapped shark guided to freedom". RNZ. 10 April 2015. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
  36. ^ Phillipps, W J (April 1948). "Fishes taken in Wellington Harbour" (PDF). Pacific Science. 2 (2): 128–130.
  37. ^ "Wonderful Whale-ington [factsheet]" (PDF). Department of Conservation. March 2001.
  38. ^ Hunt, Tom (26 July 2023). "Southern right whale spotted in Wellington Harbour". Stuff. Retrieved 28 September 2023.
  39. ^ Chin, Frances (11 June 2023). "Multiple whale sightings around Wellington, locals delighted". Stuff. Retrieved 28 September 2023.
  40. ^ "Red Rocks Coastal Walk". Wellington City Council. 1 August 2023. Retrieved 28 September 2023.
  41. ^ a b "Seals show up on Wellington train tracks, a beach and a porch". RNZ. 27 September 2023. Retrieved 28 September 2023.
  42. ^ "Owha and her friends awarded citizenship". NIWA. 27 May 2019. Retrieved 28 September 2023.
  43. ^ "Crabeater seals and their mysterious attraction to the Hutt River (the sequel)". Te Papa’s Blog. 23 July 2019. Retrieved 28 September 2023.
  44. ^ "Sea Elephant remains on Oriental Bay beach". Press. 27 November 1962 – via Papers Past.
  45. ^ "Native animals". Wellington City Council. 1 May 2023. Retrieved 28 September 2023.
  46. ^ "2020/12/12 Monitoring Kelp – adventure360.co.nz". adventure360.co.nz. Retrieved 28 September 2023.
  47. ^ Green, Kate (3 June 2022). "As the climate warms, Wellington's underwater forests are in trouble". Stuff. Retrieved 28 September 2023.
  48. ^ "Project Baseline Wellington - Marine Citizen Science". The Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development. Retrieved 28 September 2023.
  49. ^ a b McArthur, Nikki (10 June 2022). State and trends in the indigenous bird values of the Wellington City coastline [report] (PDF). Greater Wellington Regional Council.
  50. ^ Ballance, Alison (4 June 2019). "Successful new seabird colony on Matiu Somes Island". RNZ. from the original on 5 December 2022. Retrieved 5 December 2022.
  51. ^ a b "Te Whanganui–a-Tara / Wellington Harbour monitoring". Greater Wellington Regional Council. 2021. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
  52. ^ "High levels of sediment and toxic contamination in Wellington Harbour". Wellington Scoop. 3 June 2022. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
  53. ^ NIWA (2008). Targeted surveillance for nonindigenous marine species in New Zealand: Design report for Wellington. Wellington, New Zealand: Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. ISBN 978-1-77665-997-5.
  54. ^ a b "CuriousCity: What lurks beneath Wellington Harbour". Stuff. 22 January 2017. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
  55. ^ Troup, Christina (12 June 2006). "Marine invaders - Invasive marine algae and plants in New Zealand". Te Ara. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
  56. ^ "Huge haul of rubbish collected in clean-up of Wellington marina". 1 News. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
  57. ^ "Wellington divers help clean up rubbish from sea". Newshub. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
  58. ^ "Centreport Continues its Big Ship Agenda". centreport.co.nz. Centreport.
  59. ^ Glover, Denis (1974). Wellington Harbour. Wellington: The Catspaw Press.
  60. ^ "Big weather : poems of Wellington [catalogue record]". National Library of New Zealand. Retrieved 2 September 2023.
  61. ^ "Poetry for review". Otago Daily Times Online News. 24 October 2009. Retrieved 2 September 2023.
  62. ^ McCrystal, John (8 May 2017). "Wellington Waterfront: where writers' words are cast". AA Traveller. Retrieved 17 December 2019.
  63. ^ "Wellington Writers Walk". Collabcubed. 17 April 2013. Retrieved 17 December 2019.
  64. ^ "Wellington Writers Walk". STQRY. Retrieved 17 December 2019.
  65. ^ "Wellington Writers Walk". NZ Places: explore the cultural landscape. Retrieved 17 December 2019.

External links edit

  • CentrePort Wellington
  • Positively Wellington Waterfront
  • Greater Wellington Regional Council

wellington, harbour, other, uses, port, nicholson, port, nicholson, disambiguation, māori, whanganui, tara, ˈfaŋanʉi, taɾa, historically, known, port, nicholson, large, natural, harbour, southern, zealand, north, island, harbour, entrance, from, cook, strait, . For other uses of Port Nicholson see Port Nicholson disambiguation Wellington Harbour Maori Te Whanganui a Tara tɛ ˈfaŋanʉi a taɾa historically known as Port Nicholson is a large natural harbour on the southern tip of New Zealand s North Island The harbour entrance is from Cook Strait Central Wellington is located on parts of the western and southern sides of the harbour and the suburban area of Lower Hutt is to the north and east 1 Wellington HarbourPort NicholsonTe Whanganui a Tara Maori Looking north east over Wellington Harbour from above Cook StraitLeft to right Lambton Harbour Miramar Peninsula and the harbour entranceWellington HarbourLocation in New ZealandLocationWellington New ZealandCoordinates41 16 S 174 51 E 41 267 S 174 850 E 41 267 174 850TypeNatural harbourRiver sourcesHutt RiverOcean sea sourcesCook StraitIn the Maori language the harbour is known as Te Whanganui a Tara the great harbour of Tara 2 Another Maori name for Wellington Pōneke is said to be a transliteration of Port Nick Port Nicholson 3 4 The harbour area bounded by a line between Pencarrow Head to Petone foreshore was officially named Port Nicholson until it assumed its current dual name in 1984 5 It is now a regional park overseen by Wellington Regional Council 1 Contents 1 Toponymy 2 History 2 1 Pre European history 2 2 Modern history 3 Geography 3 1 Setting 3 2 Geology 3 2 1 Waiwhetu aquifer 3 3 Reclamations 4 Marine life 4 1 Fish 4 2 Marine mammals 4 3 Plants and sponges 4 4 Birds 5 Environmental protection 6 Transport 7 Wharves 8 Recreation 9 In the arts 10 Gallery 11 See also 12 References 13 External linksToponymy editTe Whanganui a Tara a Maori language name for the area translates literally as the great harbour of Tara It is believed to refer to Whatonga s son Tara who was sent down from the Mahia Peninsula by his father to explore southern lands for their people to settle 2 6 Another traditional Maori name for the area Te Upoko o te Ika a Maui is derived from Maori legend and translates literally as the head of Maui s fish 6 A further Maori name for Wellington Pōneke is said to be a transliteration of Port Nick Port Nicholson 3 4 Captain James Herd is said to have named the harbour Port Nicholson after Sydney s harbourmaster Captain John Nicholson 6 However while Herd is attributed as the creator of the first charts describing Te Whanganui a Tara as Port Nicholson it is likely that Captain John Rodolphus Kent of the cutter Mermaid had entered the harbour in 1824 and named it after the harbourmaster his superior officer 7 8 William Wakefield named the harbour Lambton Harbour in 1839 in honour of the Earl of Durham who had the family name of Lambton 9 History editPre European history edit Traditional Maori accounts of the creation of Wellington harbour describe a time when the harbour was fully enclosed as a lake Two taniwha who lived in the lake Ngake and Whataitai attempted to escape While making his escape Ngake formed the harbour entrance to Cook Strait and water flowed out from the lake The other taniwha Whataitai became stranded and his body formed the isthmus of land where Wellington airport is now located 10 6 According to oral history Wellington Harbour was first discovered by the Polynesian explorer Kupe 1 Modern history edit During his voyage on HMS Resolution James Cook passed by the entrance to the harbour on 2 November 1773 and then put about in an attempt to see what lay within the entrance He anchored a mile from Barrett Reef and made some brief observations noting that it appeared to be a sheltered harbour A wind change led him to leave the area and there were no further observations from European explorers for the next 50 years 7 nbsp Lambton Harbour Port Nicholson Wellington New Zealand ca 1840In 1826 Captain James Herd entered the harbour on the barque Rosanna along with Captain Barnett of the cutter Lambton Both subsequently made charts of the harbour The New Zealand Company established settlements in Petone and Wellington from 1840 11 The 1855 Wairarapa earthquake uplifted the north western side of the Wellington bay This led to the reclamation of Wellington Harbour which increased the availability of flat land for Wellington City 12 In 1968 the inter island passenger ferry Wahine grounded at Barrett Reef near the harbour entrance during a storm Fifty one people died at the time and two more died much later from injuries suffered that day 1 Geography editSetting edit Wellington Harbour is a natural harbour with an area of around 76 km with an entrance from Cook Strait at its southern end between Pencarrow Head and Palmer Head on the southern tip of Miramar Peninsula The harbour has a maximum length of over 11 kilometres and a width of 9 25 kilometres and the entrance is over 1 6 kilometres wide from shore to shore The shipping channel through the harbour entrance lies between Barrett Reef on the western side and Pencarrow Head to the east Barrett Reef is a cluster of rocks that is partly exposed even at high tide It has been the site of a large number of shipwrecks The most serious loss caused by impact with Barrett Reef is the wreck of the inter island ferry TEV Wahine in 1968 with the loss of 53 lives Wellington harbour provides sheltered anchorage in a region where wind velocities may exceed 160 km h The depth of water over most of the harbour exceeds 20 metres or 10 fathoms 13 There are two main bays within the harbour Evans Bay and Lambton Harbour The small Oriental Bay to the north of Mount Victoria features beaches and cafes The suburbs of Wellington city are spread around the low lying terrain immediately surrounding the harbour and the hills overlooking the west and south west of the harbour Lambton Harbour is surrounded by the reclaimed land of Wellington s central business district and contains the majority of the city s port facilities Evans Bay lies between Mt Victoria and the Miramar Peninsula and is below the flight path to low lying Wellington Airport 1 To the east of the harbour lie several small bays most of which are populated by small coastal communities The largest of these suburban settlements is Eastbourne directly to the east of the northern tip of the Miramar Peninsula 1 The small islands Matiu Somes Island Makaro Ward Island and Mokopuna Island are located within the harbour 1 Geology edit The harbour is of seismic origin and a major earthquake fault lies along its western shore At the northern end of the harbour lies the narrow triangular plain of the Hutt River which largely follows the line of the earthquake fault to the north east The city of Lower Hutt is located on this plain 1 Maori oral history recounts that there used to be two channels at the entrance to the harbour The present entrance was called Te Au a Tane and a western channel now the Rongotai isthmus was called Te Awa a Taia Between the two channels lay the island of Motu Kairangi present day Miramar Peninsula Then a violent earthquake known as Haowhenua Maori for land swallower uplifted the land so that the Te Awa a Taia channel dried up and the island of Motu kairangi became joined to the mainland 14 Researchers have concluded that the earthquake happened around 1460AD 15 16 17 Waiwhetu aquifer edit Main article Waiwhetu Aquifer The Waiwhetu aquifer is a pressurized zone of water retaining sand gravel and boulders beneath the Hutt Valley and Wellington Harbour which provides around 40 percent of the Wellington region s annual water supply 18 19 The harbour basin contains massive quantities of gravel washed down from the Hutt River in some places hundreds of metres deep 20 22 24 Above the gravel is a layer of mud and silt which seals fresh water within the gravel creating an artesian aquifer There are several aquifers in the area in different layers underground but the Waiwhetu aquifer is the largest and most productive one 21 Water flows down into the aquifer from a five kilometre stretch of the Hutt River south of Taita Gorge and rainwater also contributes to the aquifer 21 South of Melling the aquifer becomes pressurized by the layer of mud and silt above the gravel layer holding the water in meaning that if a bore is sunk into the aquifer water will rise up the pipe Water from the aquifer also reaches the surface through natural springs at various places around the harbour 18 Pressure within the aquifer stops sea water from getting into the aquifer The water level in Wellington Harbour was much lower 20 000 years ago and the ancient Hutt River used to flow down a paleochannel to the east of Matiu Somes Island as far as the present day Miramar Peninsula 22 28 20 75 18 Much of the water in the Waiwhetu aquifer moves under the sea bed from the direction of the Hutt River to the Falcon Shoals area between Karaka Bay and Worser Bay at the harbour mouth via the paleochannel The characteristics of the aquifer between Matiu Somes Island and the harbour mouth are not as well studied as the portion to the north of the island 23 Reclamations edit Main article Reclamation of Wellington Harbour nbsp Lambton Harbour andAotea QuayReclamation of Wellington Harbour started in the 1850s in order to increase the amount of usable land for the then new City of Wellington Land plots in the early city were scarce with little room for public buildings and parks as well as inadequate dockside areas for shipping Reclamation progressively advanced into the harbour throughout the 19th and 20th centuries providing room for public commercial and industrial areas for the city Marine life editFish edit Fish species commonly caught in the harbour by recreational fishers include red cod kahawai gurnard tarakihi snapper trevally elephant fish and kingfish 24 25 Children enjoy catching spotties 26 Eagle rays and stingrays can both be found in the harbour eagle rays are often seen in the shallow water around Whairepo Lagoon which was named after the Maori name for the species 27 28 Several species of octopus live in the harbour 29 In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries large octopuses would occasionally grab people at the water s edge 30 31 32 Rig sharks visit the harbour each year to mate and give birth 33 Other species seen less often include basking sharks blue sharks and seven gilled sharks 34 35 36 Marine mammals edit Common dolphins and orca visit the harbour quite often 37 In the nineteenth century southern right whales bred within Wellington Harbour but in the 21st century sightings are rarer 38 Humpback whales are also seen occasionally 39 There is a fur seal colony at Pariwhero Red Rocks on the south coast facing Cook Strait 40 and seals sometimes appear in and around the harbour 41 Vagrant and rare marine mammal visitors include leopard seals reclassified from vagrant to resident in 2019 41 42 crabeater seals 43 and an elephant seal nicknamed Blossom that hung around the harbour for several years in the 1960s 44 Plants and sponges edit Over 100 species of seaweed are found in Wellington Harbour 45 Rocky shores around the harbour support kelp forests for example at Kau Bay but rising sea temperatures may be affecting the health of these areas 46 47 Sponge beds are found in deeper parts of the harbour 48 Birds edit Between 2018 and 2022 annual surveys were made of indigenous coastal birdlife along the coastlines of the south coast and the western side of Wellington Harbour Thirty four native or endemic species and 14 naturalised introduced species were observed though some of these were only seen on the south coast and not within the harbour 49 The surveys showed that stretches of the coastline hardened by reclamation or seawall construction have lower densities of birds and less diversity of species probably due to the steepness of the shoreline and lack of intertidal foraging habitats Changes to average sea level and temperature may affect some species in the future 49 34 35 Black backed gulls red billed gulls and several species of shags are found all around the harbour A breeding population of fluttering shearwaters has been established on Matiu Somes Island 50 Little blue penguins are found in many locations with nesting boxes provided in some places to encourage them Environmental protection editAs part of maintaining a healthy marine environment Greater Wellington Regional Council and the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research NIWA have monitored water quality in Wellington Harbour since 2016 51 Water quality is affected by sediment nutrients and pollutants from the whole catchment around the harbour turbidity caused by rainfall and outflow from the Hutt River and tides 51 52 The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and NIWA have carried out surveillance on non indigenous marine species which may arrive in the harbour in water ballast or attached to hulls of ships 53 54 Examples of marine pests found in the harbour include the Northern Pacific sea star 54 and wakame a seaweed native to the north west Pacific Ocean which was first found in Wellington Harbour in 1987 It grows rapidly and can displace native species of seaweed 55 Volunteers from the group Ghost Diving organise regular harbour clean ups collecting tonnes of rubbish from the water around the inner city waterfront and bringing attention to the problem of littering 56 57 Transport edit nbsp Ferry MV Kaitaki in the HarbourWellington Harbour is a significant port serving the lower North Island with the Regional Council owned company CentrePort recording around 14 000 commercial shipping movements each year Wellington Harbour the region s third largest container port is located in Wellington City 58 There is a tanker terminal at Seaview in Lower Hutt 1 Wellington harbour ferries first began operating at the end of the 19th century and regular crossings from central Wellington to Days Bay continue today The harbour is also used by inter island ferries linking Wellington to Picton A project to develop a walking and cycling route around the harbour the Great Harbour Way is gathering momentum 1 Te Ara Tupua is a cycling and walking path being built from Melling in the Hutt Valley to central Wellington Wharves editMain article Wharves in Wellington Harbour As of 2023 there are 20 wharves situated around Wellington Harbour This includes large wharves in the inner harbour and port area smaller wharves in seaside suburbs and the fuel wharves at Point Howard and Evans Bay The first wharves were built from 1840 by newly arrived European settlers to enable them to move goods from ship to shore The first publicly owned wharf built in Wellington Harbour was Queens Wharf completed in 1862 In 1880 the Wellington Harbour Board was created and took control of most wharves in the harbour until its disestablishment in 1989 At that time a commercial company Port of Wellington now called CentrePort Wellington took over management of most industrial wharves while Wellington City Council and Hutt City Council gained control of most suburban wharves Wharves were built for various purposes moving fuel primary products such as timber wool and meat coming from the hinterland other goods and passengers Wharves for passenger ferries included ferries taking commuters and day trippers to and from the city and suburbs and larger inter island ferries going to Picton and Lyttelton The wharves also serviced passenger liners from overseas and TEAL flying boats Over time Wellington s wharves have been altered upgraded extended truncated or buried in reclamation along the shoreline of Wellington Harbour Many wharves have been repurposed in response to changing domestic and international conditions and requirements for maritime transport of passengers and cargo Recreation edit nbsp Detailed map of Wellington HarbourThe Wellington South Coast and harbour entrance is exposed to open sea providing places to dive and fish There are also fishing spots at the rocks and reclamations within the harbour 1 Harbour beaches like Oriental Bay Petone Bay Days Bay and Hataitai Beach are suited to swimming and sunbathing 1 The harbour accommodates a range of activities with five water ski lanes an area for personal water craft and areas for windsurfing Several rowing waka ama and yachting clubs operate from the harbour 1 Small boat craft can anchor at Makaro Ward Island and Mokopuna Island and can also visit the Matiu Somes Island reserve during daylight hours Harbour cruises also travel regularly between the main Wellington waterfront Matiu Somes Island Days Bay and Petone 1 In the arts editIn 1974 the New Zealand author Denis Glover published an anthology Wellington Harbour containing poems about or inspired by views of the harbour 59 Big weather is an anthology of 100 poems about Wellington s harbour hills and environment It was published in 2009 and in later editions 60 61 The Wellington Writers Walk is a series of 23 quotations from New Zealand poets novelists and playwrights installed along the Wellington waterfront in the form of contemporary concrete plaques or inlaid metal text on wooden benchmarks 62 63 64 65 The plaques celebrate the lives and works of these well known writers all of whom had or have some connection to Wellington Many of the quotations reference the harbour Gallery edit nbsp HMS Indefatigable 1945 nbsp MS Wanganella being towed from an entrance reef 1947 nbsp QE2 slips out the entrance in a following breeze 2006 nbsp Tugs Kupe and Toia 2006 nbsp Lambton Harbour 2007 nbsp HMNZS Canterbury 2007 nbsp Aotea Quay 2008 nbsp Ferry and Barrett Reef just after low water 2010 nbsp Aotea Quay Queen Mary 2 2011 nbsp Pleasure craft 2012See also edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Wellington Harbour Reclamation of Wellington Harbour Notable ship visits to Wellington Miramar Peninsula Evans Bay Porirua HarbourReferences edit a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Wellington Harbour gw govt nz Wellington Regional Council a b David Allan Hamer amp Roberta Nicholls editors The Making of Wellington 1800 1914 Victoria University Press 1990 ISBN 0 86473 200 7 a b F L Irvine Smith The Streets of My City Wellington New Zealand A H amp A W Reed Wellington New Zealand 1948 a b Tony Deverson and Graeme Kennedy Ed The New Zealand Oxford Dictionary Oxford University Press 2005 ISBN 9780195584516 Place name detail Wellington Harbour Port Nicholson New Zealand Gazetteer New Zealand Geographic Board Retrieved 31 July 2021 a b c Wellington s Maori History newzealand com Tourism New Zealand a b The Wellington Harbour Board Collection Wellington Harbour Board 1980 ISBN 978 0 90858244 0 Johnson David 1996 Wellington Harbour Wellington Maritime Museum Trust Wellington N Z Wellington Maritime Museum Trust ISBN 0 9583498 0 0 OCLC 45262694 Wellington Waterfront History wellingtonwaterfront co nz Wellington Waterfront Archived from the original on 5 April 2014 Fill Barbara Astwood Karen 2012 Registration Report for a Historic Area Wellington Harbour Board Historic Area Volume I PDF New Zealand Historic Places Trust Archived from the original PDF on 9 February 2021 Maclean Chris 15 June 2008 Wellington Te Ara the Encyclopedia of New Zealand Retrieved 16 August 2008 Wellington Waterfront Reclamation wellingtonwaterfront co nz Wellington Waterfront A H McLintock editor Port Nicholson Wellington Harbour An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand published 1966 ISBN 978 0 478 18451 8 Best Elsdon 1923 Miramar Island and its History How Motu kairangi was discovered and settled by Polynesians and how in Times long past it became Miramar Peninsula Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New Zealand 54 779 791 via Paperspast Pillans Brad Huber Phil May 1992 Earthquakes and uplift history of Miramar Peninsula Wellington PDF Earthquake Commission Retrieved 9 December 2021 Moore P R McFadgen B G 1978 Excavation Of A Shell Midden At Turakirae Head Near Wellington And A Date For The Haowhenua Earthquake Of Maori Tradition Journal of the Polynesian Society pp 253 256 Retrieved 9 December 2021 Goff J R Chague Goff C 2001 Catastrophic events in New Zealand coastal environments PDF Department of Conservation pp 6 7 Retrieved 11 December 2021 a b c Ballance Alison 30 June 2017 The science of a water aquifer RNZ Archived from the original on 14 April 2023 Retrieved 14 April 2023 Edwards Laurence Blakemore Rob 2018 The Battle of Waterloo Conference paper Wellington New Zealand Wellington Water Archived from the original on 19 February 2023 Retrieved 17 April 2023 a b Harding Steven James August 2000 The Characteristics of the Waiwhetu Artesian Aquifer beneath Wellington Harbour including the Spatial Distribution and Causes of Submarine Spring Discharge thesis PDF Victoria University Wellington New Zealand Archived PDF from the original on 24 September 2017 Retrieved 15 April 2023 a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a CS1 maint location missing publisher link a b Gyopari Mark June 2014 Lower Hutt Aquifer Model Revision HAM3 Sustainable Management of the Waiwhetu Aquifer report PDF New Zealand Institute of Environmental Science amp Research Ltd Archived PDF from the original on 19 April 2023 Retrieved 19 April 2023 McConchie Jack Winchester David Willis Richard eds 2000 Dynamic Wellington A contemporary synthesis and explanation of Wellington Wellington New Zealand Institute of Geography Victoria University of Wellington ISBN 0475110560 Wellington Harbour Bores Exploratory Drilling Findings Water New Zealand www waternz org nz Archived from the original on 23 April 2023 Retrieved 23 April 2023 MacLeod Andy 2013 A guide to surfcasting around Wellington The Fishing Website Retrieved 28 September 2023 O Brien Jim April 2017 Slide baiting for kingfish The Fishing Website Burgess Allan 17 November 2014 Spotty Notolabrus celidotus One of the easiest species to catch Fishingmag co nz Retrieved 27 September 2023 Desmarais Felix 3 December 2018 Docile eagle rays spotted swimming in Wellington s Whairepo lagoon Stuff Retrieved 27 September 2023 Eagle Rays An Inner City Wildlife Spectacle RNZ 3 March 2015 Retrieved 27 September 2023 What will I see underwater in Wellington Dive HQ Wellington 20 May 2023 Retrieved 27 September 2023 A curious incident Wairarapa Daily Times 31 October 1895 via Papers Past Fight with an octopus Dominion 30 January 1917 via Papers Past A huge octopus New Zealand Times 18 June 1925 via Papers Past Harmless sharks spotted in Wellington Harbour RNZ 16 January 2018 Retrieved 29 September 2023 Great white sightings seasonal NZ Herald 29 September 2023 Retrieved 29 September 2023 Trapped shark guided to freedom RNZ 10 April 2015 Retrieved 29 September 2023 Phillipps W J April 1948 Fishes taken in Wellington Harbour PDF Pacific Science 2 2 128 130 Wonderful Whale ington factsheet PDF Department of Conservation March 2001 Hunt Tom 26 July 2023 Southern right whale spotted in Wellington Harbour Stuff Retrieved 28 September 2023 Chin Frances 11 June 2023 Multiple whale sightings around Wellington locals delighted Stuff Retrieved 28 September 2023 Red Rocks Coastal Walk Wellington City Council 1 August 2023 Retrieved 28 September 2023 a b Seals show up on Wellington train tracks a beach and a porch RNZ 27 September 2023 Retrieved 28 September 2023 Owha and her friends awarded citizenship NIWA 27 May 2019 Retrieved 28 September 2023 Crabeater seals and their mysterious attraction to the Hutt River the sequel Te Papa s Blog 23 July 2019 Retrieved 28 September 2023 Sea Elephant remains on Oriental Bay beach Press 27 November 1962 via Papers Past Native animals Wellington City Council 1 May 2023 Retrieved 28 September 2023 2020 12 12 Monitoring Kelp adventure360 co nz adventure360 co nz Retrieved 28 September 2023 Green Kate 3 June 2022 As the climate warms Wellington s underwater forests are in trouble Stuff Retrieved 28 September 2023 Project Baseline Wellington Marine Citizen Science The Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development Retrieved 28 September 2023 a b McArthur Nikki 10 June 2022 State and trends in the indigenous bird values of the Wellington City coastline report PDF Greater Wellington Regional Council Ballance Alison 4 June 2019 Successful new seabird colony on Matiu Somes Island RNZ Archived from the original on 5 December 2022 Retrieved 5 December 2022 a b Te Whanganui a Tara Wellington Harbour monitoring Greater Wellington Regional Council 2021 Retrieved 27 September 2023 High levels of sediment and toxic contamination in Wellington Harbour Wellington Scoop 3 June 2022 Retrieved 27 September 2023 NIWA 2008 Targeted surveillance for nonindigenous marine species in New Zealand Design report for Wellington Wellington New Zealand Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry ISBN 978 1 77665 997 5 a b CuriousCity What lurks beneath Wellington Harbour Stuff 22 January 2017 Retrieved 29 September 2023 Troup Christina 12 June 2006 Marine invaders Invasive marine algae and plants in New Zealand Te Ara Retrieved 29 September 2023 Huge haul of rubbish collected in clean up of Wellington marina 1 News Retrieved 29 September 2023 Wellington divers help clean up rubbish from sea Newshub Retrieved 29 September 2023 Centreport Continues its Big Ship Agenda centreport co nz Centreport Glover Denis 1974 Wellington Harbour Wellington The Catspaw Press Big weather poems of Wellington catalogue record National Library of New Zealand Retrieved 2 September 2023 Poetry for review Otago Daily Times Online News 24 October 2009 Retrieved 2 September 2023 McCrystal John 8 May 2017 Wellington Waterfront where writers words are cast AA Traveller Retrieved 17 December 2019 Wellington Writers Walk Collabcubed 17 April 2013 Retrieved 17 December 2019 Wellington Writers Walk STQRY Retrieved 17 December 2019 Wellington Writers Walk NZ Places explore the cultural landscape Retrieved 17 December 2019 External links editCentrePort Wellington Positively Wellington Waterfront Greater Wellington Regional Council Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Wellington Harbour amp oldid 1186863554, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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