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Marlborough Sounds
Marlborough Sounds
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The Marlborough Sounds are an extensive network of sea-drowned
valleys at the northern end of the South Island of New Zealand. The
Marlborough Sounds were created by a combination of land subsidence
and rising sea levels.
According to Māori mythology, the sounds are the prows of the sunken
wakas of Aoraki. Covering some 4,000 km2 (1,500 sq mi) of sounds,
islands, and peninsulas, the Marlborough Sounds lie at the South
Island's north-easternmost point, between Tasman Bay in the west and
Cloudy Bay in the south-east. The almost fractal coastline has 1/5
of the length of New Zealand's coasts.
The steep, wooded hills and small quiet bays of the sounds are
sparsely populated, as access is difficult. |
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Many of the small settlements and isolated houses are only
accessible by boat. The main large port is Picton on the mainland,
at the head of Queen Charlotte Sound. It is at the northern terminus
of the South Island's main railway and state highway networks. The
main small-boat port, Waikawa, is one of New Zealand's largest and
provides a base for leisure sailors and vacationers.
The main sounds, other than Queen Charlotte Sound, are Pelorus Sound
and Kenepuru Sound. Tory Channel is a major arm of Queen Charlotte
Sound, and between them the Channel and the Sound isolate the hills
of Arapaoa Island from the mainland. Other major islands in the
sounds include D'Urville Island.
The Sounds are home to the entire breeding population of the rare
and vulnerable rough-faced shag (also known as the New Zealand king
cormorant) which nests on a small number of rocky islets there. The
Department of Conservation manages a total of over 50 reserves in
the area.
Getting
There
This tourist attraction
is well serviced by public transport including taxis, buses and
shuttle.
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