Portland Island (New Zealand) facts for kids
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Native name:
Waikawa
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| Geography | |
| Location | Hawke's Bay Region |
| Coordinates | 39°17′S 177°52′E / 39.283°S 177.867°E |
| Area | 1.4–3.0 km2 (0.54–1.16 sq mi) |
| Length | 3.26 km (2.026 mi) |
| Width | 0.65 - 0.98 km (-0.20505249343832 mi) |
| Highest elevation | 106 m (348 ft) |
| Administration | |
Portland Island, also known as Waikawa, is a small island in New Zealand. It sits just off the southern tip of the Māhia Peninsula on the North Island. The island is mainly used for sheep farming.
About Portland Island
Portland Island is a neat place because its size changes! This happens because of the tides. The island has a shelf of rocks around its eastern, northern, and western sides.
How the Island Changes Size
When the tide is low, more of the rocky shelf is exposed. This makes the island seem bigger, growing up to 3 square kilometers (about 1.2 square miles). But when the tide is high, the water covers these rocks. Then, the island shrinks down to only 1.4 square kilometers (about 0.5 square miles).
This changing size makes it tricky to get to the island by boat. Even though it's only about one kilometer (0.6 miles) from the mainland, the tides can make landing difficult.
