Aotea Lagoon
A view from the north-east: Pipitea miniature railway station across the lagoon
A view from the north-east: Pipitea miniature railway station across the lagoon, State Highway 1 (now 59), North Island Main Trunk Railway and Porirua Harbour to the right.
Location of Aotea Lagoon
Location of Aotea Lagoon
Aotea Lagoon
LocationNorth Island
Coordinates41°7′12″S 174°51′25″E / 41.12000°S 174.85694°E / -41.12000; 174.85694
Typeartificial lagoon
Primary inflowsPorirua Harbour and stormwater drains
Primary outflowsPorirua Harbour
Basin countriesNew Zealand
Surface area5 ha (12 acres)[1]
Shore length1732 m (2,402 ft)
Surface elevationsea level
SettlementsPapakowhai[1]
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure.

Aotea Lagoon is an artificial lagoon surrounded by a 7-hectare (17-acre) public park in the Papakowhai suburb of Porirua, North Island, New Zealand. Aotea and two nearby lagoons were created when major transport links were realigned from the natural coastline to land reclaimed from Porirua Harbour.

Hydrology

The lagoon is 5 hectares (12 acres) of seawater, connected to Porirua Harbour by a culvert under the model windmill. Stormwater drains empty into the lagoon: two in the east bank and a third in the south-east. Swimming is prohibited because the lagoon's "... water body receives limited flushing and aeration ..." and "... little can be done to improve water quality without extensive engineering works."[1]

History

The North Island Main Trunk railway and State Highway 1 used to run round three bays between Porirua and Paremata. In the early 1960s, the railway was realigned to a causeway built between promontories at the mouth of Porirua Stream, Gear Homestead, present-day Thurso Grove and Brora Crescent. Cut off from the sea, the bays became lagoons.[2]

To realign the highway, inland of the railway, the lagoons were partly filled in with material from the Ministry of Works and Development's nearby earthworks. The Ministry, Porirua City Council, Project Employment Programme and local service clubs turned the area around the middle lagoon into a public aquatic park that opened as Aotea Lagoon in 1980. Originally leased from the Crown, the park was taken over by the City Council in 1994.[2]

In 2021, State Highway 1 running along the western edge of all three lagoons was redesignated State Highway 59.

Facilities

Plaque in the path giving the distance around Aotea Lagoon: 732 m (2,402 ft)

The park's centrepiece is a path around the lagoon. It also has lawns north, east and south-west of the lagoon, some with barbecues. Other facilities, clockwise from the north to south-west, are Butterfly Walkway Porirua, adventure and toddlers's playgrounds, splash pad, island reached by bridge, Pétanque court and a rose garden.[3]

The Lions Club run a ¼ scale ridable miniature railway with an 832-metre (2,730 ft) track. The train runs Sunday afternoon, weather and maintenance permitting, from a station south of the lagoon.[4]

Most people visit Aotea Lagoon for exercise or relaxation while children enjoy the playgrounds, riding bicycles and the train.[5]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Aotea Lagoon Management Plan (Report). Porirua City Council. 1994. p. 1, 7, 38, 40.
  2. 1 2 "Historic site: Aotea Lagoon". Porirua Library. Archived from the original on 2019-02-01. Retrieved 2023-08-14.
  3. ↑ "Aotea Lagoon". Porirua City. Porirua City Council. Retrieved 2023-08-14.
  4. ↑ Porirua City Council (2017-10-16). "It's full steam ahead for Aotea Lagoon's miniature train". Porirua City Council. Retrieved 2023-08-13.
  5. ↑ Jacobson, Christine (2009). Aotea Lagoon Visitor Monitoring 2009 (Report). Porirua City Council. p. 2.
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