Geography
The Bay of Plenty region covers 12,200 km² of land and 9,500 km² of coastal marine area. The region extends along the eastern coast of the North Island, from the base of the Coromandel Peninsula in the west to Cape Runaway in the east. It extends 12 nautical miles from the mainland coastline, and also extends from the coastlines of several islands in the bay, notably Mayor Island/Tuhua, Motiti Island, Whale Island and the active volcano of Whakaari/White Island. The region extends inland to the sparsely populated forest lands around Rotorua and Murupara.
The geographical bay is defined by 259 km of open coastline used for economic, recreational and cultural purposes. The coastline from Waihi Beach in the west to Opape is defined as sandy coast, while the coast from Opape to Cape Runaway is rocky shore. Sizeable harbours are located at Tauranga, Whakatane and Ohiwa. Major estuaries include Maketu, Little Waihi, Whakatane, Waiotahi and Waioeka/Otara. Eight major rivers empty into the bay from inland catchments, including the Wairoa, Kaituna, Tarawera, Rangitaiki, Whakatane, Waioeka, Motu and Raukokore rivers. The region has more than 200 km² of lakes, known as the Lakes of Rotorua.
Much of the central part of the region lies within the Taupo Volcanic Zone, which extends from the centre of the North Island northwards to Whakaari/White Island. Volcanic mountains and lakes, geothermal areas and geological fault lines all dot the landscape. The geothermal region around Rotorua is a major tourist site, while many hot springs in the region are used as swimming areas. The geothermal field near Kawerau is the site of a geothermal power plant that will reportedly meet up to one third of residential and industrial electricity demand in the Eastern Bay of Plenty. Whakaari/White Island, the site of a former sulfur-mining operation, is an active volcanic island popular with tourists. The eruption of Mount Tarawera in 1886 and the 1987 Edgecumbe earthquake were two disasters related to geological activity in the volcanic plateau.
Prominent mountains in the region include Mount Maunganui, Mount Tarawera and Mount Edgecumbe/Putauaki, which also have cultural significance to local Māori. The Kaimai and Mamaku mountain ranges lie at the western border of the region. Swamp land was formerly concentrated around a number of rivers in the region, but much of this was dredged in the early part of the 20th century to increase land for settlement and other uses. Large native and foreign (planted) forest areas are found in the inland parts of the region. The Kaingaroa Forest is the world's largest planted forest, comprising Radiata Pine mainly used for timber.
| # | Towns with more than 1,000 people | 2010 | 2010 (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tauranga | 121,500 | 44% | |
| 2 | Rotorua | 56,200 | 20% | |
| 3 | Whakatane | 18,700 | 6.7% | |
| 4 | kawerau | 6,920 | 2.4% | |
| 5 | Te Puke | 6,700 | 2.3% | |
| 6 | Opotiki | 4,170 | 1.5% | |
| 7 | Katikati | 3,570 | 1.3% | |
| 8 | Omokoroa | 2,500 | 0.9% | |
| 9 | Waihi Beach | 1,900 | 0.7% | |
| 10 | Edgecumbe | 1,860 | 0.7% | |
| 11 | Ohope Beach | 1,810 | 0.7% | |
| 12 | Murupara | 1,400 | 0.5% | |
| Total Population | 227,230 | 82% |
Read more about this topic: Bay Of Plenty Region
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—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)