Hauraki Gulf
The Hauraki Gulf / Tīkapa Moana is a coastal feature of the North Island of New Zealand. It has an area of 4000 km2, and lies between, in anticlockwise order, the Auckland Region, the Hauraki Plains, the Coromandel Peninsula, and Great Barrier Island. Most of the gulf is part of the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park.
| Hauraki Gulf / Tīkapa Moana | |
|---|---|
True-colour image showing the Hauraki Gulf / Tīkapa Moana, with Auckland (left) and the Coromandel Peninsula (right), by NASA's Terra satellite, 2002. | |
Hauraki Gulf / Tīkapa Moana | |
| Location | Upper North Island, New Zealand |
| Coordinates | 36°20′S 175°05′E |
| River sources | Tamaki River, Whau River, Wairoa River, Piako River, Waihou River, Waiau River, Mahurangi River |
| Ocean/sea sources | Pacific Ocean |
| Basin countries | New Zealand |
| Max. length | 120 km (74.56 mi) |
| Max. width | 60 km (37.28 mi) |
| Surface area | 4,000 km2 (1,500 sq mi) |
| Islands | Great Barrier Island, Little Barrier Island, Waiheke Island, Rangitoto, Motutapu, Tiritiri Matangi Island, Ponui Island Motukorea / Browns Island, The Noises |
| Sections/sub-basins | Firth of Thames, Tamaki Strait, Rangitoto Channel, Colville Channel, Cradock Channel, Waitematā Harbour |
| Settlements | Auckland, Thames, Coromandel, Snells Beach, Orewa |
Hauraki is Māori for north wind. In 2014, the gulf was officially named Hauraki Gulf / Tīkapa Moana. The New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage gives a translation of "the mournful sea" for Tīkapa Moana. In traditional legend, the Hauraki Gulf is protected by a taniwha named Ureia, who takes the form of a whale.
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