Awarua Plains

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

Awarua Plain (top), Tiwai Point (centre) and Bluff (lower left) viewed from the International Space Station in 2008.

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

Awarua Radio

Awarua Radio (callsign VLB or ZLB) was New Zealand's main receiving and transmitting coast radio station providing worldwide radiotelegraph and voice communications with ships at sea. Some facilities were built by Telefunken of Germany. It was operated from 18 December 1913 by the New Zealand Post Office (to 31 March 1986) then by NZPO successor corporation Telecom New Zealand until the station closed on 30 August 1991.^[5]

The site was selected following an expedition in 1911 led by Mr J Orchiston, head of the New Zealand Telegraph Department, Captain Gard'ner of the New Zealand Artillery and representatives of Australian Wireless, seeking 'an extensive area of flat lands [producing] the best results'.^[4]

References

↑ "Place Name Detail: Awarua Plains". New Zealand Geographic Placenames Database. Land Information New Zealand. Retrieved 2009-11-27.
↑ NZ space link seen as a showcase for satellite imaging by NZPA, retrieved from Yahoo News website on 2011-02-15
↑ Unwin Radar on Venture Southland website, retrieved 2011-04-12
1 2 The Otago Daily Times, 1911-04-03, republished in 'Tea party in the Antarctic' on Otago Daily Times website, 2011-04-03
↑ Awarua Radio VLB - ZLB

Mataura River

Source: Eyre Mountains—Flows into: Foveaux Strait

Administrative areas	Southland Region

Towns and settlements (upstream to downstream)	Fairlight Athol Garston Mandeville Gore Mataura Wyndham

Major tributaries (upstream to downstream by confluence)	Waikaia River Waikaka River Mokoreta River

Other features (upstream to downstream)	Awarua Plains Toetoes Bay

Longest New Zealand rivers	1: Waikato 2: Clutha 3: Whanganui 4: Taieri 5: Rangitikei 6: Mataura 7: Waiau (Southland) 8: Clarence 9: Waitaki 10: Oreti

Suburbs and localities in Invercargill, Southland, New Zealand

Major settlements	Invercargill (seat) Bluff Clifton Lorneville Otatara Waikiwi

Invercargill suburbs	Appleby Ascot Avenal Georgetown Gladstone Glengarry Grasmere Hargest Hawthorndale Heidelberg Kew Kingswell Newfield Prestonville Richmond Rockdale Rosedale Strathern Waihopai Waverley Windsor

Localities	Awarua Plains Greenhills Kennington Mill Road Motu Rimu Myross Bush Ocean Beach Omaui Oreti Beach Sandy Point Seaward Bush Taramoa Tisbury Tiwai Point West Plains Waimatua Woodend

Coordinates: 46°31′41″S 168°28′54″E / 46.5281°S 168.4816°E / -46.5281; 168.4816

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