Aotea Lagoon

Aotea Lagoon
Aotea Lagoon from the north-east in 2007
Aotea Lagoon
LocationPorirua
Coordinates41°07′11″S 174°51′25″E / 41.119707°S 174.856989°E / -41.119707; 174.856989
TypeLagoon
Primary inflowsOnepoto Arm, Te Awarua-o-Porirua Harbour and stormwater drains
Primary outflowsOnepoto Arm, Te Awarua-o-Porirua Harbour
Basin countriesNew Zealand[1]
Managing agencyPorirua City Council[2]
Surface area5 ha (12 acres)[3]
Shore length10.732 km (0.455 mi)[2]
Surface elevation0 m (0 ft)
Islands1
WebsiteOfficial website
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure.

Aotea Lagoon is an artificial lagoon surrounded by a public park in Porirua, New Zealand.

History

The North Island Main Trunk railway and State Highway 1 used to run around three bays between Porirua city centre and Papakōwhai. The bays were between the mouth of Porirua Stream, Gear Homestead, Thurso Grove and Brora Crescent. To realign the railway, a causeway was built across the bays between 1958 and 1961.[2] Largely isolated from the sea, the bays became lagoons. In the late 1960s, the lagoons were partly filled in by the Ministry of Works to realign State Highway 1 (renumbered 59 in 2021).[3][4]

The ministry had also been building state housing in Porirua, and was required to develop recreational reserves. In November 1973, the ministry offered Porirua City Council two options for the central lagoon. It could be filled in for playing fields or a park could be developed around it.[5] In August 1975, the council chose the park,[6] which would occupy 7 ha (17 acres).[7] The ministry and Project Employment Programme carried out the earthworks and landscaping respectively. The city's service clubs developed amenities,[2] while the council coordinated the project.[8]

Aotea Lagoon officially opened to the public in March 1980.[9] Originally leased from the Crown, it was given to the council in 1994.[2]

Hydrology

The central lagoon covers 5 ha (12 acres). A culvert connects the lagoon to the Onepoto Arm of Porirua Harbour,[3] which was renamed Te Awarua-o-Porirua Harbour in 2014.[10] The lagoon end of the culvert is below a model windmill, and the tide is regulated by gates.[11] Three stormwater drains also empty into the lagoon. A 2015 report on the Te Awarua-o-Porirua catchment described Aotea Lagoon as "... a heavily polluted, artificial saltwater lagoon ...". It noted that contact recreation in the lagoon, including swimming, is prohibited due to poor water quality.[3]

The windmill houses controls for the culvert gates.[8] It was presented to the city by Paremata Jaycee in 1981, according to its commemorative plaque.

There used to be a duck pond north-east of the lagoon, which had very poor water quality.[3] In the early 2020s, it was filled in, and an artificial stream was built in its place.[12]

Amenities

The park has three zones: lagoon, play and garden.[13] As of 2025, the first zone has a 732 m (2,402 ft) path around the lagoon,[2] a pétanque court and a bridge to an island. To the north-east, the play zone has adventure and toddlers's playgrounds, a memorial walkway for children, barbecues,[14] the stream, a pump track,[15] and a splash pad.[16] The garden zone, to the south-west, features a sculpture by Guy Ngan,[17] which was commissioned by Porirua Rotary.[18] All three zones also have lawns.[14]

A rideable miniature train runs around the lagoon on an 832 m (2,730 ft) track, which includes a tunnel. The railway operates Sunday afternoon weather permitting from a station south of the lagoon.[19] It was developed by Waitangirua Lions,[2] and was one of the original amenities when the park opened in 1980.[9]

Aotea Lagoon's amenities have changed over the years. The former amenities, mostly original according to an aerial photograph taken before the park opened,[20] are:

  • a pond with a bridge in the garden zone lawn (1980 – c. 2020),
  • a jetty opposite the main entrance to the garden zone (1980 – c. 2020),[21][22]
  • the duck pond (1980 – c. 2023),[12]
  • a rose garden in the garden zone (1980 – c. 2025),[17] developed by Porirua Rotary with Ngan's sculpture as its original centrepiece,[23]
  • a shade house or fernery next to the rose garden (c. 1982 – c. 2017),[24][21][25]
  • and a row boat concession (c. 1984 – 1989).[2]

Visitor survey

In 2009, Porirua City Council surveyed visitors to Aotea Lagoon. Most came to walk, for relaxation or exercise, and they lived nearby in Porirua or neighbouring Tawa. However, the playgrounds drew visitors from a wider area including Wellington and the Hutt Valley.[26]

Citations

  1. ^ Miller 2015, pp. 4, 8.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h PL 2017.
  3. ^ a b c d e Miller 2015, p. 8.
  4. ^ Walrond 2016.
  5. ^ KMN 1973.
  6. ^ KMN 1975.
  7. ^ PCC 1994, p. 1.
  8. ^ a b PCC 1994, p. 7.
  9. ^ a b KMN 1980.
  10. ^ LINZ 2014.
  11. ^ Barton 1997.
  12. ^ a b PCC 2023a.
  13. ^ PCC 2019.
  14. ^ a b PCC 2017b.
  15. ^ PCC 2023b.
  16. ^ Fallon 2017.
  17. ^ a b PCC 2025.
  18. ^ Jonathan 1980.
  19. ^ PCC 2017a.
  20. ^ LINZ 1979.
  21. ^ a b LINZ 2016.
  22. ^ LINZ 2020.
  23. ^ PCC 1994, p. 22.
  24. ^ LINZ 1982.
  25. ^ LINZ 2017.
  26. ^ Jacobson 2009.

References

  • "New Playing Fields or Acquatic [sic] Reserves?". Kapi-Mana News. Porirua. 6 November 1973. p. 23.
  • "Government Lifts Contribution to Lagoon Development". Kapi-Mana News. Porirua. 26 August 1975. Front page.
  • "Aerial Photograph (1979): Aotea Lagoon". Land Information New Zealand. 10 November 1979. Retrieved 13 July 2024 – via Retrolens.
  • "Opening of Aotea Lagoon Next Week". Kapi-Mana News. Porirua. 11 March 1980. p. 3.
  • Jonathan (11 March 1980). "Guy Ngan sculpture". Inside Column. Kapi-Mana News. Porirua. p. 3.
  • "Aerial Photograph (1982): Aotea Lagoon". Land Information New Zealand. 4 February 1982. Retrieved 14 July 2024 – via Retrolens.
  • Aotea Lagoon Management Plan (Report). Porirua City Council. December 1994.
  • Barton, Warren (27 September 1997). "Making a Good Impression". Weekend. The Dominion. Wellington. p. 17.
  • Jacobson, Christine (August 2009). Aotea Lagoon Visitor Monitoring 2009 (Report). Porirua City Council. p. 2. Archived from the original on 7 April 2017. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
  • "New Zealand Geographic Board Gazetteer: Porirua Harbour". Land Information New Zealand. 7 August 2014. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  • Miller, Sheryl (8 September 2015). Hydrology and Water Allocation in Te Awarua-o-Porirua Whaitua (PDF) (Report). Greater Wellington Regional Council. Retrieved 21 June 2025.
  • "Porirua 0.075m Urban Aerial Photos (2016): Aotea Lagoon". Land Information New Zealand. 2016. Retrieved 21 June 2025.
  • Walrond, Carl (1 March 2016). "Roads – Centralised road funding". Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 22 June 2025.
  • "Wellington 0.30m Rural Aerial Photos (2016–2017): Aotea Lagoon". Land Information New Zealand. 2017. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
  • "It's Full Steam Ahead for Aotea Lagoon's Miniature Train" (Press release). Porirua City Council. 16 October 2017. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
  • "Aotea Lagoon". Porirua City Council. December 2017. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
  • Fallon, Virginia (14 December 2017). "Merry Christmas Porirua: $910,000 Splash Pad Set to Open for Summer Holidays". Stuff. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
  • "Historic Site: Aotea Lagoon". Porirua Library. n.d. Archived from the original on 16 December 2017. Retrieved 22 June 2025.
  • "Aotea Lagoon Reserve". Porirua City Council. 2019. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
  • "Porirua 0.10m Urban Aerial Photos (2020): Aotea Lagoon". Land Information New Zealand. 2020. Retrieved 26 May 2024.
  • "Aotea Lagoon Project Nears Finish Line" (Press release). Porirua City Council. 6 June 2023. Retrieved 27 May 2024.
  • "Grab Your Wheels! New Pump Track Lands in Porirua" (Press release). Porirua City Council. 1 December 2023. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
  • "Aotea Lagoon Southern Area Re-Opens" (Press release). Poriua City Council. 19 June 2025. Retrieved 20 June 2025 – via Scoop.
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