Bay of Plenty facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bay of Plenty |
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The Bay of Plenty seen from Whakatāne. The Whakatane River (foreground) is one of eight major rivers that empty into the bay.
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| Coordinates | 37°40′S 177°00′E / 37.667°S 177.000°E |
| Native name | Te Moana-a-Toi (Māori) |
| Etymology | Named by James Cook for an abundance of resources; Māori name in honour of Toi-te-huatahi |
| River sources | Raukokore River, Kereu River, Haparapara River, Motu River, Hawai River, Waioeka River, Waiotahe River, Whakatane River, Rangitaiki River, Tarawera River, Kaituna River, Wairoa River, Wainui River, Aongatete River, Otahu River, Wentworth River, Wharekawa River |
| Ocean/sea sources | Pacific Ocean |
| Basin countries | New Zealand |
| Islands | Mayor Island / Tūhua, Mōtītī Island, Motunau / Plate Island, Moutohora Island, Te Paepae o Aotea, Whakaari / White Island |
| Sections/sub-basins | Whangamatā Harbour, Tauranga Harbour, Ōhiwa Harbour |
| Settlements | Whangamatā, Waihi Beach, Tauranga, Whakatāne, Ōpōtiki |
The Bay of Plenty (which in Māori is called Te Moana-a-Toi) is a large curve in the coastline along the northern part of New Zealand's North Island. It stretches about 260 kilometers (160 miles) from the Coromandel Peninsula in the west to Cape Runaway in the east.
The Māori name Te Moana-a-Toi means "the Sea of Toi." It is named after Toi, an important ancestor from early Māori history. The name 'Bay of Plenty' was given by James Cook in 1769. He saw lots of food supplies in the Māori villages there. This was very different from what he had seen earlier in Poverty Bay, where food was scarce.
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What is the Bay of Plenty like?
The Bay of Plenty has about 259 kilometers (161 miles) of open coastline. This coastline is used for many things, like business, fun activities, and cultural events. The western part of the coast, from Waihi Beach to Opape, has sandy beaches. The eastern part, from Opape to Cape Runaway, has rocky shores.
Harbours and Rivers
There are large harbours in important towns like Tauranga, Whakatāne, and Ōhiwa. Many rivers flow into the bay from inland areas. These include the Wairoa, Kaituna, Tarawera, Rangitaiki, Whakatane, Waioeka, Motu, and Raukokore rivers.
Islands in the Bay
The Bay of Plenty has several islands. One of the most notable is Whakaari / White Island. This island is an active volcano. It is New Zealand's most active cone volcano. It has been forming from continuous volcanic activity for the past 150,000 years. The closest towns on the mainland are Whakatāne and Tauranga.
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Whakaari / White Island has been releasing volcanic gas almost continuously since James Cook first saw it in 1769. It erupted many times between 1975 and 2000. This was the longest eruption period ever recorded. It also erupted in 2012, 2016, and 2019. The 2019 eruption was a very serious event. It caused many people to be hurt or lose their lives, especially tourists who were exploring the island.
Whakaari / White Island is roughly circular, about 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) wide. It rises to a height of 321 meters (1,053 feet) above sea level. The island you see is actually just the top of a much larger underwater volcano. This volcano rises up to 1,600 meters (5,200 feet) from the seafloor. In the past, sulfur was mined on the island. In 1914, ten miners died when part of the crater wall collapsed.
Climate of the Bay of Plenty
The Bay of Plenty has a mild, oceanic climate. This means it has warm, humid summers and mild winters.
History of the Bay of Plenty
According to Māori stories, the Bay of Plenty was where several migration canoes landed. These canoes brought the first Māori settlers to New Zealand. Some of these famous canoes include the Mātaatua, Nukutere, Tākitimu, Arawa, and Tainui. Many Māori tribes today still live in their traditional homelands in this region. These tribes include Te Whānau-ā-Apanui, Te Whakatōhea, Ngāi Tai, Ngāi Tūhoe, Ngāti Awa, Ngāti Tūwharetoa ki Kawerau, Te Arawa, Ngāi Te Rangi, Ngāti Ranginui, and Ngāti Pūkenga. The Māori name for the bay, Te Moana-a-Toi, comes from Toi, an ancestor of the Mātaatua tribes. Many of the town and city names we use today also come from early Māori settlements.
European Contact and Early Conflicts
The first time Europeans were recorded visiting the Bay of Plenty was when James Cook sailed through in 1769. He noted the rich food supplies, which was a big contrast to Poverty Bay. After Cook, there isn't much information about European contact until the missionary Samuel Marsden arrived in the Tauranga area in 1814. In the 1800s, whaling stations also operated in the bay.
During the 1820s and 1830s, northern Māori tribes, like Ngā Puhi, fought local Māori tribes in the Bay of Plenty. This was part of what was known as the Musket Wars. However, by the 1830s and 1840s, Māori and Europeans started trading more. Few Europeans settled in the area at this time, but missionary work increased. In 1853, New Zealand was divided into provinces, and the Bay of Plenty became part of Auckland Province.
New Zealand Wars and Land Changes
Conflict returned to the Bay of Plenty in the 1860s during the New Zealand Wars. Tribes in Tauranga supported the Waikato tribes in their fight against the government. In response, British and government-allied Māori forces attacked the Tauranga tribes. A famous battle happened at Gate Pā in 1864. More conflict arose in 1865 when a German missionary, Carl Völkner, and an interpreter, James Fulloon, were killed by local Māori. This led to the government taking large areas of land from several Bay of Plenty Māori tribes.
Taking Māori land meant that local tribes lost important resources. It also provided land for more European settlers. The government set up forts in places like Tauranga, Whakatāne, and Ōpōtiki. European settlers arrived throughout the late 1800s. They started settlements in Katikati, Te Puke, and the Rangitaiki area.
Economic Growth
At first, settlements in the region struggled. The climate was not good for sheep farming, and it was hard to get around because there were no good roads. The population even started to shrink by the end of the century. But settlers found success with dairy farming. Dairy factories opened across the Bay of Plenty in the early 1900s. Butter and cheese production brought wealth to the region. Later, timber became a major export in the 1950s, and then kiwifruit became very important too.
Recent Events
On October 5, 2011, a ship called the MV Rena hit the Astrolabe Reef in the bay. This caused a large oil spill. It was described as New Zealand's worst environmental disaster.
A volcanic eruption happened on Whakaari / White Island on December 9, 2019. This was a very serious event. It caused many people to be hurt or lose their lives. Forty-seven people were on the island when it erupted.
