Manapouri

Manapouri
Manapouri Township: Westernmost Town in New Zealand
Manapouri Township
Mararoa Drive

Manapouri is a small town in Southland / Fiordland, in the southwest corner of the South Island, in New Zealand. Located at the edge of the Fiordland National Park, on the eastern shore of Lake Manapouri, close to its outflow into the Waiau River, tourist boat services are based in the town.

Manapouri Township is a 20 minutes drive from Te Anau. It is the gateway to both Doubtful Sound and Dusky Sound and the starting point for many local walking tracks. It is a popular tourist destination, particularly during the summer months. The massive Manapouri Hydroelectric Power Station is located on West Arm of Lake Manapouri, with most of the electricity generated serving the Tiwai Point Aluminium Smelter. Manapouri Township is the westernmost municipality in New Zealand.

Facilities

Commercial services include a petrol station/garage, art gallery, cafes, shops, two restaurant and bars as well as overnight hotel, motel and motor camp accommodations. There are several tourist boat excursions based in Manapouri to service the Fiordland Sounds to fishing charters and boat hire. An excursion originating at Pearl Harbour takes tourists across Lake Manapouri to view the underground hydroelectric facility.

Walkways

Day Walks are the Circle Track, the Hope Arm Track, the Shallow Bay portion of the Kepler Track and the Frasers Beach Reserve walkways.

Cycleways

Supply Bay Road and the Rainbow Reach area are reasonably cycle-friendly. The Manapouri-Te Anau Cycle trail is currently still under negotiation between the Department of Conservation and the Fiordland Trails Trust.

Kayaking

The Eastern end of Lake Manapouri is possibly the best waterway in New Zealand for Kayak Exploration with 20 Islands and many Coves, Beaches, Lagoons, Waterfalls, Huts, Portages and Channels with in a days return paddled from the Manapouri Township.

Monuments

At the intersection of State Highway 95 and Hillside Road is a monument to the Save Manapouri Campaign which marks the first mass environmental movement in New Zealand History.

A natural monument, in the form of Monument Hill, lies across the lake from the township. This sharply pointed landmark beneath the Hunter Mountains to the west on Manapouri township is a prized destination for adventurous trampers.

Climate

Manapouri has an oceanic climate (Cfb) under the Köppen climate classification with mild summers and cool to cold winters.

Climate data for Manapouri (1981−2010)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °C (°F) 20.8
(69.4)		 20.6
(69.1)		 18.2
(64.8)		 14.9
(58.8)		 11.6
(52.9)		 8.4
(47.1)		 8.1
(46.6)		 10.0
(50)		 12.7
(54.9)		 14.9
(58.8)		 16.5
(61.7)		 18.9
(66)		 14.6
(58.3)
Daily mean °C (°F) 14.7
(58.5)		 14.3
(57.7)		 12.1
(53.8)		 9.4
(48.9)		 7.0
(44.6)		 4.3
(39.7)		 3.8
(38.8)		 5.1
(41.2)		 7.4
(45.3)		 9.2
(48.6)		 10.7
(51.3)		 13.0
(55.4)		 9.2
(48.6)
Average low °C (°F) 8.5
(47.3)		 8.0
(46.4)		 6.1
(43)		 4.0
(39.2)		 2.3
(36.1)		 0.3
(32.5)		 −0.7
(30.7)		 0.2
(32.4)		 2.1
(35.8)		 3.6
(38.5)		 4.9
(40.8)		 7.0
(44.6)		 3.9
(39)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 85.4
(3.362)		 84.3
(3.319)		 86.5
(3.406)		 90.0
(3.543)		 100.9
(3.972)		 101.8
(4.008)		 82.0
(3.228)		 93.9
(3.697)		 100.0
(3.937)		 107.7
(4.24)		 91.1
(3.587)		 105.1
(4.138)		 1,128.6
(44.433)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) 9.1 7.9 9.7 10.5 11.6 12.9 10.4 11.8 12.4 12.2 10.3 11.9 130.6
Average relative humidity (%) 78.5 83.6 85.3 88.9 90.8 91.4 91.4 91.4 85.4 82.6 76.4 76.3 85.2
Source: NIWA Climate Data[1]

Gallery

Coordinates: 45°34′S 167°36′E / 45.567°S 167.600°E / -45.567; 167.600

References

  1. ↑ "Climate Data and Activities". NIWA. Retrieved October 19, 2013.

External links

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