Tasman Bay facts for kids

Location of Tasman Bay

Tasman Bay is a large bay at the north of New Zealand's South Island. It is in the shape of a V. It is in the middle of the island's northern coast. It is 120 km long and 70 km wide. It is a part of the coast of the Tasman Sea, on the western side of the Cook Strait. At the western side of the bay, the land around has dense vegetation. The separation point between the Tasman Bay and the next bay, Golden Bay, is in the west. It is a part of the Abel Tasman National Park. On the east side, the bay is bounded by valleys of the Marlborough Sounds.

The coast of Tasman Bay in Motueka

A few rivers enter the sea at this point. Some of them are Waimea River, Riwaka, the Motueka and Serpentine River. Tasman Bay contains the rare rock formation known as the Boulder Bank.

The land around the centre of the bay is cultivated. It is well known for its crops like apples, kiwifruit, olives, grapes and hops. Tasman bay produced Tobacco there in the middle of the twentieth century. Now there is a Tobacco museum in Motueka. This is also the most populated part of the South Island's north coast. Several towns and the city of Nelson are there. Other large towns are Motueka, Riwaka and Richmond.