Southland Plains
 |
Location of the Southland Plains |
The
Southland Plains is a general name given to several areas of low-lying land in the
South Island of
New Zealand, separated by the rise of the
Hokonui Hills in the north.
The plains can be divided into two broad areas. These two areas are separated by the uplands of the
Hokonui Hills, which lie to the west of Gore.
The northwestern area lies to the north of the city of
Invercargill, and is formed by several large rivers, the
Aparima, the
Oreti, and the
Makarewa. They stretch inland for over 45 kilometres from the coast of the
Foveaux Strait, and cover an area of close to 1500 km
2.
To the northeast of Invercargill, the plains of the
Mataura River and its tributary the
Waimea River stretch inland as far as the town of
Gore. At their southern extreme they become the
Awarua Plain, a large area of marshy land which stretches from near
Bluff to the foot of
the Catlins in the far east. Between them, the lowlands around the Awarua Plain and Mataura River cover a further 2000 km
2.
A further small area to the west, around the mouth of the
Waiau River, can calso be considered part of the plains.
The Southland Plains include some of New Zealand's most fertile farmland.
