 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Elaine Bay" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(February 2014) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Elaine Bay is a bay located inPelorus Sound / Te Hoiere, within theMarlborough Sounds at the north end of theSouth Island ofNew Zealand. Elaine Bay is in the Tawhitinui Reach (a branch of the main section of Pelorus Sound / Te Hoiere), which includes other bays such asTennyson Inlet, Fitzroy Bay and Hallum Cove. The bay is accessed by the Elaine Bay Road, which connects with the Croisilles-French Pass Road at the top of the ridge.
There is aDepartment of ConservationCampsite situated right on the water's edge.[1] The beach in Elaine Bay is mostly rocky, with some small patches ofgravel. Despite this, it is popular for swimming, as it has multiplewharfs and a swimming platform. All of these structures are maintained by Elaine Bay Aquaculture. There are also a couple of walking tracks: the Piwakawaka Track, which is an easy hour and a half return and goes around to the next bay which has a beach; and the Archer Track, which is 4 hours return and connects Elaine Bay toPenzance Bay via a wide track. There are also sea kayaks available for hire within the bay.[2]
Elaine Bay is fed by a number of streams which creates a very rich ecosystem.Schools of fish such asherrings,kahawai andmackerel are found in great numbers. There are also a large number of birds, includingcormorants (known as shags) andweka.This diversity of wildlife, typical of theMarlborough Sounds, provides a rich fishing environment.[citation needed]There is also aboat ramp,moorings and small dock.[citation needed]
Elaine Bay hosts a small fishing andaquaculture port. Many smaller fishing vessels and large mussel boats regularly dock at the port. The main product isgreen lipped mussels, for which Pelorus Sound / Te Hoiere and its main portHavelock are famous. Many of the surrounding bays contain mussel farms, which are a large employer for the region.There is also a smallforestry industry in Elaine Bay. Since the 1970s, areas of Pelorus have a planted in exoticpine forest for timber. The Archer Track goes through some of this logging forest.
The bay is accessed by the Elaine Bay Road, which is off Croisilles-French Pass Road. This road connects toState Highway 6, and the turn off is just north ofRai Valley. The road is paved all the way through to Elaine Bay, because of the trucks regularly accessing the Port.
Apart from a few permanent residents, the settlement at Elaine Bay consists mostly ofbaches, small holiday homes.