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| Aotea Lagoon | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Location | North Island |
| Coordinates | Coordinates: |
| Lake type | artificial lagoon |
| Primary inflows | Porirua Harbour and streams |
| Primary outflows | Porirua Harbour |
| Basin countries | New Zealand |
| Max. length | 290 m |
| Max. width | 120 m |
| Surface area | 34500 m² |
| Shore length1 | 732 m |
| Surface elevation | sea level |
| Settlements | Papakowhai |
| 1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure. | |
Aotea Lagoon is an artificial lagoon and public park in Papakowhai, North Island, New Zealand. The lagoon formed when transport links were realigned from the natural coastline to land reclaimed from Porirua Harbour.
Contents |
[edit] Hydrology
Depending on the tide, Porirua Harbour is Aotea Lagoon's main inflow or outflow, two pipes from the harbour enter the lagoon under the model windmill. Two streams flow into the lagoon from the east and one from the south-east under the pier.
[edit] History
In the early 1960s the North Island Main Trunk Railway was realigned along a causeway in Porirua Harbour. Running north-east from the city centre to Paremata, the causeway cut straight across three bays turning them into lagoons:
- southern - south of the Gear Homestead headland
- central - that became Aotea Lagoon
- northern - north of the headland where Thurso Grove now stands
The lagoons were partly filled in when the Ministry of Works and Development realigned State Highway 1 inland of the railway. The Ministry and local service clubs then transformed the area around the central lagoon into a public park that opened in 1980. Porirua City Council took over the park in 1994. [1]
[edit] Facilities
The park's centerpiece is the lagoon and its perimeter path used for walking, running and cycling.
South-west of the lagoon is Pipitea Station on the ¼ scale Aotea ridable miniature railway that features two bridges and a tunnel on an 833 metre long track.[2] Built and operated by the Waitangirua Lions [1] the train runs:
Sunday 1-4PM, public holiday 1-4PM, rain no train
—Aotea Railway timetable posted at Pipitea Station
Other facilities clockwise from the north-east:
- playground
- fenced duck pond crossed by a boardwalk, connected to the lagoon by a weir
- island in the lagoon reached by a footbridge
- Pétanque pitch
- smaller duck pond, shaded native bush garden and rose garden in the south-west corner
There are also barbecues and toilets.
[edit] References
- ^ a b History of Aotea Lagoon (HTML). Porirua City Council. Retrieved on 2008-02-16.
- ^ Mini Railways in New Zealand, 2nd Edition (PDF). Canterbury Society of Model and Experimental Engineers (2002-04). Retrieved on 2008-02-16.
