West Head
Encyclopedia
West Head is the name of three separate headlands on New Zealand
's South Island
.
, at the entrance to Okains Bay on Banks Peninsula
., at the end of a peninsula on the northern shore of Queen Charlotte Sound
., a rocky headland at the entrance to Tory Channel
.
The third of these is the easternmost point of the South Island, and should not be confused with West Cape
, the westernmost point of the South Island. West Head marks the western side of the entrance to Tory Channel, and the corresponding East Head is located on Arapawa Island
.
West Head, at the entrance to Tory Channel, is recorded by Land Information New Zealand
as longitude 174.3154°E, and the easternmost tip is measured at 174.3157°E (174°18'57"E).
Cape Jackson
, LINZ longitude 174.3134°E, easternmost tip measured at 174.3150°E (174°18'54"E), is about 100 metres further west.
Both West Head and Cape Jackson are at the end of long, narrow and difficult-to-reach peninsulas in the Marlborough Sounds. For this reason third-place Cape Campbell
, LINZ longitude 174.2760°E, easternmost tip 174.2773°E (174°16'34") is sometimes mistakenly considered the easternmost point, but is about three kilometres further west.
Note that LINZ coordinates may refer to a prominent feature such as a hill top, while easternmost tips are measured on Wikimapia. There may also be discrepancies between coordinate systems used by different sources.
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...
's South Island
South Island
The South Island is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand, the other being the more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman Sea, to the south and east by the Pacific Ocean...
.
, at the entrance to Okains Bay on Banks Peninsula
Banks Peninsula
Banks Peninsula is a peninsula of volcanic origin on the east coast of the South Island of New Zealand. It has an area of approximately and encompasses two large harbours and many smaller bays and coves...
., at the end of a peninsula on the northern shore of 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...
., a rocky headland at the entrance to Tory Channel
Tory Channel
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...
.
The third of these is the easternmost point of the South Island, and should not be confused with West Cape
West Cape
West Cape is the westernmost point in the main chain of islands of New Zealand. It is located in the far southwest of the South Island, within Fiordland National Park, between Dusky Sound and Chalky Inlet....
, the westernmost point of the South Island. West Head marks the western side of the entrance to Tory Channel, and the corresponding East Head is located on 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...
.
Easternmost Point of South Island
West Head, at the entrance to Tory Channel, is the easternmost point of the South Island. However, two other distinct headlands have very similar longitudes, sometimes leading to confusion and erroneous claims.West Head, at the entrance to Tory Channel, is recorded by Land Information New Zealand
Land Information New Zealand
Land Information New Zealand is a New Zealand government agency. The current Chief Executive is Colin MacDonald and the current Minister of Land Information is Maurice Williamson.- Nature and scope of functions :...
as longitude 174.3154°E, and the easternmost tip is measured at 174.3157°E (174°18'57"E).
Cape Jackson
Cape Jackson, New Zealand
Cape Jackson is a peninsula in Marlborough, in the South Island of New Zealand. It lies between Queen Charlotte Sound and Cook Strait.Cape Jackson's history involves gold mining, sheep farming, and more recently carbon farming .Cape Jackson is privately owned...
, LINZ longitude 174.3134°E, easternmost tip measured at 174.3150°E (174°18'54"E), is about 100 metres further west.
Both West Head and Cape Jackson are at the end of long, narrow and difficult-to-reach peninsulas in the Marlborough Sounds. For this reason third-place 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....
, LINZ longitude 174.2760°E, easternmost tip 174.2773°E (174°16'34") is sometimes mistakenly considered the easternmost point, but is about three kilometres further west.
Note that LINZ coordinates may refer to a prominent feature such as a hill top, while easternmost tips are measured on Wikimapia. There may also be discrepancies between coordinate systems used by different sources.
External references
- West Head, from Land Information New Zealand.