Aotea Lagoon

Coordinates: 41°7′12″S 174°51′25″E / 41.12000°S 174.85694°E / -41.12000; 174.85694
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Aotea Lagoon
Te Awarua-o-Porirua Harbour and stormwater drains
Primary outflowsTe Awarua-o-Porirua Harbour
Basin countriesNew Zealand
Surface area5 ha (12 acres)
Shore length10.732 km (0.455 mi)
Surface elevation0 m (0 ft)
Islands1
SettlementsPapakōwhai
WebsiteOfficial website Edit this at Wikidata
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure.

Aotea Lagoon is an artificial

public park
in the Papakōwhai suburb of Porirua, New Zealand.

History

The

State Highway 1
used to run around three bays from Porirua city centre through Papakōwhai. The bays were between the mouth of Porirua Stream and promontories at Gear Homestead, Thurso Grove and Brora Crescent. In 1958–1961, the construction of a causeway, to realign the railway, cut the bays off from the sea turning them into lagoons.[1]

To realign the state highway, the lagoons were partly filled in from the

Ministry of Works and Development's
nearby earthworks. The ministry also had to develop reserves for recreation, so it shaped a public park around the central lagoon,[1] on a site totaling 7.1 ha (18 acres).[2] Then the Project Employment Programme landscaped the park and local service clubs built amenities,[1] while Poriua City Council co-ordinated the work.[2]

Aotea Lagoon opened to the public in March 1980.[3] Originally leased from the Crown, the park was given to the city council in 1994.[1] In 2021, the state highway alongside the lagoons was renumbered 59.[4]

Hydrology

The lagoon covers 5 ha (12 acres). It is connected to Porirua Harbour,[2] renamed

Te Awarua-o-Porirua Harbour in 2014,[5]
by a culvert.[2] The tidal flow is regulated by gates at the lagoon end of the culvert beneath the model windmill.[6] Built by Paremata Jaycee, the windmill houses controls for the gates. Stormwater enters the lagoon in three places.[2] Poor water quality means contact recreation, including swimming, is prohibited.[7]

Amenities

The park has three zones: lagoon, play and garden.[7] As of 2024, the first zone has a 732 m (2,402 ft) path around the lagoon,[1] a bridge to an island and a Pétanque court. To the north-east, the play zone has adventure and toddlers's playgrounds,[8] a pump track,[9] a splash pad,[10] and the Butterfly Walkway.[8] The garden zone, to the south-west, includes a rose garden developed by Porirua Rotary.[1] All three zones also have

lawns.[8]

A rideable miniature train runs around the park on an 832 m (2,730 ft) track.[11] Built by

Lions,[1]
the railway operates Sunday afternoon, weather permitting, from a station south of the lagoon.[11]

In 2009, the city council surveyed visitors to Aotea Lagoon. Most people visited the park to relax, play or walk, and they lived nearby in Porirua or neighbouring Tawa. However, the playgrounds drew people from a wider area including Wellington and the Hutt Valley.[12]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g "Historic Site: Aotea Lagoon". Porirua Library. n.d. Archived from the original on 1 February 2019. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d e Aotea Lagoon Management Plan (Report). Porirua City Council. December 1994. pp. 1, 3, 7, 24.
  3. ^ "Opening of Aotea Lagoon Next Week". Kapi-Mana News. Porirua. 11 March 1980. p. 3.
  4. ^ "The Country's Newest State Highway Number Is Here" (Press release). Waka Kotahi New Zealand Transport Agency. 7 December 2021. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
  5. ^ "New Zealand Geographic Board Gazetteer: Poriua Harbour". Toitū Te Whenua Land Information New Zealand. 7 August 2014. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  6. ^ Barton, Warren (27 September 1997). "Making a Good Impression". Weekend. The Dominion. Wellington. p. 17.
  7. ^ a b "Aotea Lagoon Reserve". Porirua City Council. n.d. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
  8. ^ a b c "Aotea Lagoon". Porirua City Council. n.d. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
  9. ^ "Grab Your Wheels! New Pump Track Lands in Porirua" (Press release). Porirua City Council. 1 December 2023. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
  10. ^ Fallon, Virginia (14 December 2017). "Merry Christmas Porirua: $910,000 Splash Pad Set to Open for Summer Holidays". Stuff. New Zealand. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
  11. ^ a b "It's Full Steam Ahead for Aotea Lagoon's Miniature Train" (Press release). Porirua City Council. 16 October 2017. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
  12. ^ Jacobson, Christine (August 2009). Aotea Lagoon Visitor Monitoring 2009 (Report). Porirua City Council. pp. 2, 7, 15, 16. Archived from the original on 7 April 2017. Retrieved 25 March 2023.

External links

Official website Edit this at Wikidata

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