Canterbury Bight
The Canterbury Bight is a large bight on the eastern side of New Zealand's South Island. The bight runs for approximately 135 kilometres (84 mi) from the southern end of Banks Peninsula to the settlement of Timaru and faces southeast, exposing it to high-energy storm waves originating in the Pacific Ocean. The bight is known for rough conditions as a result, with wave heights of over 2 metres (6.6 ft) common. Much of the bight's geography is shaped by this high-energy environment interacting with multiple large rivers which enter the Pacific in the bight, such as the Rakaia, Ashburton / Hakatere, and Rangitata Rivers. Sediment from these rivers, predominantly Greywacke, is deposited along the coast and extends up to 50 kilometres (31 mi) out to sea from the current shoreline. Multiple hapua, or river-mouth lagoons, can be found along the length of the bight where waves have deposited sufficient sediment to form a barrier across a river mouth, including most notably Lake Ellesmere / Te Waihora and Washdyke Lagoon
| Canterbury Bight | |
|---|---|
Aerial view of Kaitorete Spit and Lake Ellesmere / Te Waihora, showing the northern end of the Canterbury Bight | |
Canterbury Bight The Canterbury Bight takes up much of the Cantabrian coast south of Banks Peninsula. Canterbury Bight Canterbury Bight (Oceania) | |
| Location | Canterbury, New Zealand |
| Coordinates | 44°15′S 171°38′E |
| Type | Oceanic bight |
| Primary inflows | Lake Ellesmere / Te Waihora, Rakaia River, Ashburton River / Hakatere, Rangitata River |
| Primary outflows | Pacific Ocean |
| Basin countries | New Zealand |
| Settlements | Timaru |