Te Hāpua / Sutherland Sound facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Te Hāpua / Sutherland Sound
Te Hāpua / Sutherland Sound Location in New Zealand
Location	Tasman Sea
Coordinates	44°44′S 167°34′E / 44.73°S 167.57°E / -44.73; 167.57
Native name	Te Hāpua Error {{native name checker}}: parameter value is malformed (help)
River sources	Light River, Dark River
Basin countries	New Zealand
Max. length	10 km (6.2 mi)
Max. width	1 km (0.62 mi)

Te Hāpua / Sutherland Sound is a fiord of the South Island of New Zealand. It is the smallest of the fiords that make up the coast of Fiordland, and the only one with limited sea access (owing to a large sandbar at the entrance to its narrower section). It is the second most northerly of the fiords, 22 kilometres (14 miles) southwest of Milford Sound and eight kilometres (five miles) northeast of Hāwea / Bligh Sound. The fiord is ten kilometres (six miles) in length and the Light River and the Dark River flow into the eastern end.

History and naming

The fiord was named Sutherland Sound after explorer Donald Sutherland who visited the fiord in 1883. In October 2019, the name of the fiord was officially changed to Te Hāpua / Sutherland Sound.