List of fiords of New Zealand

The fiords of New Zealand are all located in the southwest of the South Island, in a mountainous area known as Fiordland. The spelling 'fiord' is used in New Zealand rather than 'fjord', although all the maritime fiords use the word Sound in their name instead.

The Marlborough Sounds, a series of deep indentations in the coastline at the northern tip of the South Island, are in fact drowned river valleys, or rias. The deeply indented coastlines of Northland and Auckland also host many rias, such as the Hokianga and Waitemata Harbours.

New Zealand has fifteen named maritime fiords, listed here from northernmost to southernmost.[1]

Name Location Length Area
Milford Sound 44°38′0″S 167°53′0″E / 44.63333°S 167.88333°E / -44.63333; 167.88333 17.5 km 24 km²
Sutherland Sound44°46′22″S 167°37′14″E / 44.77278°S 167.62056°E / -44.77278; 167.6205610 km 11 km²
Bligh Sound44°47′4″S 167°30′28″E / 44.78444°S 167.50778°E / -44.78444; 167.5077818 km21.5 km²
George Sound 44°52′36″S 167°21′48″E / 44.87667°S 167.36333°E / -44.87667; 167.36333 (George Sound) 20.5 km31 km²
Caswell Sound45°1′6.6″S 167°10′55.56″E / 45.018500°S 167.1821000°E / -45.018500; 167.182100015 km18.5 km²
Charles Sound45°5′0″S 167°6′49″E / 45.08333°S 167.11361°E / -45.08333; 167.1136114 km16 km²
Nancy Sound45°8′44.5″S 167°4′23″E / 45.145694°S 167.07306°E / -45.145694; 167.07306 15 km 14 km²
Thompson Sound45°13′27″S 166°58′16″E / 45.22417°S 166.97111°E / -45.22417; 166.97111 18 km 28 km²
Bradshaw Sound45°17′0″S 167°6′3″E / 45.28333°S 167.10083°E / -45.28333; 167.10083 18.5 km 25 km²
Doubtful Sound45°22′57″S 167°5′28″E / 45.38250°S 167.09111°E / -45.38250; 167.0911140 km (to head of Hall Arm)86 km²
Dagg Sound45°23′51″S 166°48′47″E / 45.39750°S 166.81306°E / -45.39750; 166.8130614 km16 km²
Breaksea Sound45°32′52″S 166°52′22″E / 45.54778°S 166.87278°E / -45.54778; 166.8727830.5 km50 km²
Dusky Sound45°45′35″S 166°37′36″E / 45.75972°S 166.62667°E / -45.75972; 166.6266740 km
Chalky Inlet46°0′54″S 166°34′50.52″E / 46.01500°S 166.5807000°E / -46.01500; 166.5807000
Preservation Inlet46°4′46.56″S 166°41′14.28″E / 46.0796000°S 166.6873000°E / -46.0796000; 166.6873000

Thompson Sound separates Secretary Island from the mainland and connects with Doubtful Sound and Bradshaw Sound at its inland end. The mouth of Bradshaw Sound is on Doubtful Sound approximately 12 km from the Tasman Sea.

Freshwater fiords

A number of lakes in the Fiordland and Otago regions also fill glacial valleys. Lake Te Anau has three western arms which are fiords (and are named so). Lake McKerrow to the north of Milford Sound is a fiord with a silted-up mouth. Lake Wakatipu fills a large glacial valley, as do lakes Hakapoua, Poteriteri, Monowai and Hauroko in the far south of Fiordland. Lake Manapouri has fiords as its West, North and South arms.

References

  1. Distance measured down centreline of fiord from coastline to head of longest arm of fiord.
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