Tory Channel
Encyclopedia
Tory Channel is one of the drowned valleys that form the Marlborough Sounds
in New Zealand
.
Tory Channel is named after the "Tory", a pioneer ship that brought British colonists to Wellington in 1840. It lies to the south of Arapawa Island
, separating it from the mainland. At its western end it joins the larger Queen Charlotte Sound
, which it meets halfway along the latter's length. Its eastern end meets Cook Strait close to the latter's narrowest point.
Tory Channel forms a substantial part of the ferry
route between Wellington and Picton
. Erosion attributed to the ferries, particularly the new faster ones (now discontinued), has resulted in speed restrictions.
One of the two candidates for the easternmost point in the South Island (along with Cape Campbell
) lies at the entrance of Tory Channel. It is called West Head.
and access to the electricity network.
Marlborough Sounds
The Marlborough Sounds are an extensive network of sea-drowned valleys created by a combination of land subsidence and rising sea levels at the north of the South Island of New Zealand...
in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
.
Tory Channel is named after the "Tory", a pioneer ship that brought British colonists to Wellington in 1840. It lies to the south of Arapawa Island
Arapawa Island
Arapawa Island is a small island located in the Marlborough Sounds, at the north east tip of the South Island of New Zealand.The island has a land area of...
, separating it from the mainland. At its western end it joins the larger Queen Charlotte Sound
Queen Charlotte Sound, New Zealand
Queen Charlotte Sound is the easternmost of the main sounds of the Marlborough Sounds, in New Zealand's South Island. It is, like the other sounds, a drowned river valley , and like the majority of its neighbours it runs southwest to northeast before joining Cook Strait.The town of Picton, the...
, which it meets halfway along the latter's length. Its eastern end meets Cook Strait close to the latter's narrowest point.
Tory Channel forms a substantial part of the ferry
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
route between Wellington and Picton
Picton, New Zealand
Picton is a town in the Marlborough region of New Zealand. It is close to the head of Queen Charlotte Sound near the north-east corner of the South Island. The population was 2928 in the 2006 Census, a decrease of 72 from 2001...
. Erosion attributed to the ferries, particularly the new faster ones (now discontinued), has resulted in speed restrictions.
One of the two candidates for the easternmost point in the South Island (along with Cape Campbell
Cape Campbell
Cape Campbell , Te Karaka in Māori language, is located in Marlborough, New Zealand, on the northeastern coast of the South Island. It lies at the southern end of Clifford Bay, 15 km northeast of Ward, and 42 km southeast of Blenheim....
) lies at the entrance of Tory Channel. It is called West Head.
Tidal power
Energy Pacifica has applied for resource consent to install up to ten underwater tidal stream turbine, each able to produce up to 1.2 MW, near the Cook Strait entrance to Tory Channel. They claim Tory Channel has tidal flows of 3.6 metres per second with good bathymetryBathymetry
Bathymetry is the study of underwater depth of lake or ocean floors. In other words, bathymetry is the underwater equivalent to hypsometry. The name comes from Greek βαθύς , "deep", and μέτρον , "measure"...
and access to the electricity network.