Riverton or Aparima is a small town 30 kilometres west of Invercargill via State Highway 99 on the Southern Scenic Route. It is situated on the south-eastern shorelines of the Jacobs River Estuary being formed by the Aparima and Pourakino Rivers, which leads through a narrow outflow channel into Foveaux Strait. The main part of the town is on flat land and the northern end of Oreti Beach but South Riverton is built on the hills between the eastern shore of the estuary and Taramea Bay.
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. It forms a sizeable area of Southland region and encompasses its two principal settlements the city of Invercargill and the town of Gore. The Southland Plains include some of New Zealand's most fertile farmland.
Te Waewae Bay is the westernmost of three large bays lying on the Foveaux Strait coast of Southland, New Zealand, the others being Oreti Beach and Toetoes Bay. Twenty-seven kilometres in length, the western end of the bay is mountainous, with the southern terminus of the Southern Alps and Fiordland National Park.
Toetoes Bay is the easternmost of three large bays lying on the Foveaux Strait coast of Southland, New Zealand, the others being Te Waewae Bay and Oreti Beach. The 190 km Mataura River drains to sea at Toetoes Bay, first passing through the Toetoes Harbour estuary. Thirty kilometres in length, the bay is the southern end of the Awarua Plain, an area of swampy land stretching inland for about fifteen kilometres. The eastern end of the bay is close to Slope Point, the South Island's southernmost point, and the western end of the Catlins.
Oreti Beach is the central bay of three lying on the Foveaux Strait coast of Southland, New Zealand, the others being Te Waewae Bay and Toetoes Bay. Twenty-six kilometres in length, the bay lies between the town of Riverton and the outflow of the Aparima River in the northwest, and the estuary of the Oreti River in the southeast.
The Oreti River is one of the main rivers of Southland, New Zealand, and is 170 kilometres (110 mi) long. The river has been identified as an Important Bird Area by BirdLife International because, for much of its length, it supports breeding colonies of black-billed gulls.
The Aparima River, earlier known as Jacob's River, is one of the southward-flowing braided rivers of Southland, New Zealand.
Waiau River is the largest river in the Southland Region of New Zealand. It is the outflow of Lake Te Anau, flowing from it into Lake Manapouri 10 kilometres (6 mi) to the south, and from there flows south for 70 kilometres (43 mi) before reaching the Foveaux Strait 8 kilometres (5 mi) south of Tuatapere. It also takes water from Lake Monowai.
Colac Bay/Oraka is a small township situated on the bay of the same name facing Foveaux Strait, and located on the Southern Scenic Route, 10 minutes from Riverton, New Zealand. Surrounding areas include Longwood, Tihaka, Waipango, Round Hill, Wakapatu, Ruahine, Pahia and Orepuki.
Kapuka South is a locality in the Southland Region of New Zealand's South Island. It is situated on Toetoes Bay and Waituna Lagoon. Kapuka and Ashers are to the north on the Southern Scenic Route.
The Awarua Wetland is a peatland area of 20,000 hectares in the Southland Region of New Zealand. The site, which was initially an area of about 3,556 hectares, was designated as having international significance under the Ramsar Convention in 1976, using the name Waituna Wetlands Scientific Reserve.
Stewart Island is the third-largest island of New Zealand. It lies 30 kilometres (19 mi) south of the South Island, across the Foveaux Strait. Its permanent population is 381 people as of the 2013 census, most of whom live in the settlement of Oban on the eastern side of the island.
The Awarua River is a short river that flows from the Waiuna Lagoon into Big Bay, also known as Awarua Bay, an embayment at the northern end of Fiordland in New Zealand. The river's mouth is at the northern end of Three Mile Beach, the Big Bay beach. One of the rivers that feeds Waiuna Lagoon is the Dry Awarua River.
Big Bay, also known as Awarua Bay, is a deep indentation in the southwestern coast of New Zealand's South Island, 40 kilometres north of Milford Sound and immediately to the north of Martins Bay. The bay is eight kilometres in width, and extends eight kilometres into the South Island, making an almost square indentation in the island's coastline. Its northern end is Awarua Point. Immediately beyond Long Reef, the rocky point at the southern end, is the mouth of the Hollyford River and Martins Bay. Big Bay has a sandy beach named Three Mile Beach. The Awarua River enters the bay at the northern end of the beach.
The Waituna Lagoon is on the southern coastline of the South Island of New Zealand. It forms part of the Awarua Wetland, a Ramsar site that was established in 1976.
Southland is New Zealand's southernmost region. It consists mainly of the southwestern portion of the South Island and Stewart Island / Rakiura. It includes Southland District, Gore District and the city of Invercargill. The region covers over 3.1 million hectares and spans over 3,400 km of coast.
Bluff Harbour is a harbour and lagoon in the South Island, New Zealand town of Bluff. The main port facilities are located close to the entrance of a large natural inlet which includes a large, low-lying eastern arm, Awarua Bay, immediately to the east of the promontory which gives the town and harbour its name.
