Awarua Plain

"Awarua" redirects here. For other uses, see Awarua (disambiguation).

The Awarua Plain is a large area of wetland to the east of Bluff, New Zealand.^[1] Covering an area of around 600 km², the plain stretches for 35 kilometres along the coast of Foveaux Strait. This stretch of coast includes the peninsula of Tiwai Point, Awarua Bay, the Waituna Lagoon, and Toetoes Bay. The Mataura River is the major river responsible for the presence of the Awarua Plain; along with the Oreti River, it is a remnant of the rivers from the Ice Ages that formed the Southland Plains (Murihiku). In addition, several small streams enter Foveaux Strait along this stretch of coast, mainly via Awarua Bay and Waituna Lagoon.

Radio facilities

The Awarua Plain is suitable for radio facilities, due to low distant skylines, high ground conductivity and distance from sources of radio interference^[2][3]. An expedition seeking 'an extensive area of flat lands [producing] the best results' first scouted the area for radio purposes in 1911^[4]. Radio-related facilities here are:

• Unwin Radar of La Trobe University
• Awarua Tracking Station of the European Space Agency
• (historically) Awarua Radio, a coast radio station of the New Zealand Post Office

References