Tiwai Point

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title: "Tiwai Point" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["headlands-of-the-southland-region", "spits-of-new-zealand", "important-bird-areas-of-new-zealand", "bluff,-new-zealand", "foveaux-strait", "invercargill"] topic_path: "geography/new-zealand" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiwai_Point" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

|New Zealand |label = Tiwai Point |lat = -46.598034 |long = 168.364105 |position = right |width = 220 |float = right |caption = ::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/48/awarua_nasa.JPG" caption="Bluff]] (lower left) viewed from the [[International Space Station]] in 2008"] ::

Tiwai Point lies at the entrance to Bluff Harbour on the southern coast of the South Island of New Zealand. A spit which extends from the western end of the Awarua Plain, it lies between Awarua Bay to the north and Foveaux Strait to the south. It is known for the Tiwai Point Aluminium Smelter, one of the largest industrial facilities in New Zealand.{{cite web |first= Brian|last= Easton|date= 3 March 2009|accessdate= 25 August 2011|url= http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/economy/4 |title= Economy – Secondary production|work=Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand |publisher= Ministry for Culture and Heritage / Te Manatu- Taonga }}

Demographics

Tiwai Point is part of the Woodend-Greenhills statistical area.

Tiwai Rocks Important Bird Area

The rocks at the tip of Tiwai Point have been identified as an Important Bird Area by BirdLife International because they are home to a breeding colony of Foveaux shags.

Foveaux looper moth

Tiwai Point is one of the two remaining locations where the critically endangered Foveaux looper moth lives. A. frivola is at high risk of extinction, and has already disappeared from one of its three known localities. Its main population exists on an area at Tiwai Point of less than 25 m2 of coastal vegetation.

Archaeological site

In 1968 archaeological excavations were carried out before construction of the Tiwai Point Aluminium Smelter. Led by Stuart Park the excavation team came from the Otago Anthropological Society, the University of Otago Anthropology Department, the Southland Museum and Comalco. The site revealed Māori pre-European middens and evidence of extensive adze and tool manufacturing. Eleven tonnes of artefacts and material were retrieved from the 14th century site including adzes, hammer-stones and sinkers made from local argillite.

Causeway accident

In 1980, a vehicle with 10 people failed to take a turn on the Tiwai Point causeway, crashing through a barrier and falling into the water. Seven people died, including five who were never recovered.

Climate

|metric first=y |single line=y |collapsed = Y |location = Tiwai Point (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1970–present) | Jan record high C = 30.2 | Feb record high C = 32.1 | Mar record high C = 28.9 | Apr record high C = 24.2 | May record high C = 21.9 | Jun record high C = 21.9 | Jul record high C = 20.2 | Aug record high C = 20.0 | Sep record high C = 23.8 | Oct record high C = 23.7 | Nov record high C = 27.9 | Dec record high C = 29.0 | year record high C = 32.1 | Jan avg record high C = 26.0 | Feb avg record high C = 25.4 | Mar avg record high C = 23.7 | Apr avg record high C = 20.9 | May avg record high C = 17.6 | Jun avg record high C = 14.5 | Jul avg record high C = 14.0 | Aug avg record high C = 15.7 | Sep avg record high C = 19.0 | Oct avg record high C = 20.6 | Nov avg record high C = 22.3 | Dec avg record high C = 24.8 | year avg record high C = 27.7 |Jan high C = 18.0 |Feb high C = 18.0 |Mar high C = 16.8 |Apr high C = 14.8 |May high C = 12.5 |Jun high C = 10.3 |Jul high C = 9.9 |Aug high C = 11.0 |Sep high C = 12.7 |Oct high C = 13.8 |Nov high C = 15.1 |Dec high C = 17.0 | year high C = |Jan mean C = 14.5 |Feb mean C = 14.5 |Mar mean C = 13.2 |Apr mean C = 11.3 |May mean C = 9.2 |Jun mean C = 7.1 |Jul mean C = 6.4 |Aug mean C = 7.4 |Sep mean C = 9.0 |Oct mean C = 10.3 |Nov mean C = 11.6 |Dec mean C = 13.4 | year mean C = |Jan low C = 10.9 |Feb low C = 10.9 |Mar low C = 9.6 |Apr low C = 7.9 |May low C = 6.0 |Jun low C = 3.8 |Jul low C = 2.9 |Aug low C = 3.8 |Sep low C = 5.3 |Oct low C = 6.9 |Nov low C = 8.2 |Dec low C = 9.9 | year low C = | Jan avg record low C = 6.1 | Feb avg record low C = 6.0 | Mar avg record low C = 4.5 | Apr avg record low C = 2.4 | May avg record low C = 0.6 | Jun avg record low C = -1.2 | Jul avg record low C = -2.1 | Aug avg record low C = -1.1 | Sep avg record low C = 0.3 | Oct avg record low C = 1.8 | Nov avg record low C = 3.4 | Dec avg record low C = 5.0 | year avg record low C = -2.6 |Jan record low C = 3.2 |Feb record low C = 2.0 |Mar record low C = 2.3 |Apr record low C = -0.5 |May record low C = -2.3 |Jun record low C = -4.3 |Jul record low C = -5.2 |Aug record low C = -3.1 |Sep record low C = -2.2 |Oct record low C = -0.8 |Nov record low C = -0.6 |Dec record low C = 0.4 |year record low C = -5.2 |rain colour = green |Jan rain mm = 98.8 |Feb rain mm = 80.4 |Mar rain mm = 89.8 |Apr rain mm = 86.0 |May rain mm = 98.4 |Jun rain mm = 93.4 |Jul rain mm = 87.9 |Aug rain mm = 76.8 |Sep rain mm = 85.5 |Oct rain mm = 99.4 |Nov rain mm = 90.5 |Dec rain mm = 86.8 |year rain mm = |source 1 = NIWA |url = http://cliflo.niwa.co.nz |title = CliFlo – National Climate Database : Tiwai Point Ews |publisher = NIWA |access-date = 19 May 2024}}{{cite web |url = https://cliflo.niwa.co.nz/ |title = CliFlo -The National Climate Database (Agent number: 5823) |publisher = NIWA |access-date = 20 Jul 2024}}

References

References

  1. {{NZ census place summary 2018. woodend-greenhills-. Woodend-Greenhills
  2. BirdLife International. (2012). Important Bird Areas factsheet: Tiwai Rocks. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 5 February 2012.
  3. Patrick, Brian. (2014). "Ecology and conservation of the rare moth ''Asaphodes frivola'' Meyrick". Weta.
  4. Patrick, Brian. (20 March 2018). "The remuremu looper moth – Asaphodes frivola".
  5. (5 December 1968). "'Rescue' at Tiwai Point". Press.
  6. Gillies, K. (Jul 1995). "Industry at Tiwai Point". New Zealand Historic Places.
  7. (29 March 2025). "Secrets of Māori artefacts unlocked decades after archaeological find".
  8. Jamieson, Debbie. (26 July 2010). "30 years since Tiwai tragedy". [[Stuff (website).

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headlands-of-the-southland-regionspits-of-new-zealandimportant-bird-areas-of-new-zealandbluff,-new-zealandfoveaux-straitinvercargill