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Story: East Coast region

Poverty Bay flats

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Poverty Bay flats

The extent of the Poverty Bay flats, the principal alluvial plain in the region, is shown in this picture, which looks from the vicinity of Ormond south-east towards the city of Gisborne and Tūranganui-a-Kiwa / Poverty Bay itself – both can be seen in the distance. The Waipāoa River, which has created the flood plain, can be seen at middle left. The even and low elevation makes the whole plain vulnerable to flooding.

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by Ang Wickham

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How to cite this page

Monty Soutar, East Coast region – Geology and landscape, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/33272/poverty-bay-flats (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Monty Soutar, published 23 August 2011, updated 1 March 2015.