Little Barrier Island
| Maori: Te Hauturu-o-Toi Nickname: Hauturu |
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|---|---|
 View from the mainland |
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| Geography | |
| Location | Hauraki Gulf, Auckland Region |
| Area | 28 km2 (10.8 sq mi) |
| Length | 7.5 km (4.66 mi) |
| Width | 5.5 km (3.42 mi) |
| Highest elevation | 722 m (2,369 ft) |
| Highest point | Mount Hauturu |
| Country | |
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New Zealand
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| Demographics | |
| Population | No permanent inhabitants |
| Additional information | |
| Wildlife sanctuary | |
Little Barrier Island or Hauturu[1] (officially Te Hauturu-o-Toi[2]) lies off the northeastern coast of New Zealand's North Island. It is 80 kilometres (50 mi) to the north of Auckland. The island is separated from the mainland to the west by Jellicoe Channel, and from the larger Great Barrier Island to the east by Cradock Channel. The two aptly named islands shelter the Hauraki Gulf from many of the storms of the Pacific Ocean. It is a nature sanctuary, and has been described as "the most intact [native] ecosystem in New Zealand".[3]
The Maori name means "the resting place of lingering breezes".[1] Along with its larger neighbour Great Barrier, it was given its English name by Captain James Cook on 23 November 1769.[citation needed]
Contents |
[edit] Geography
The island is an extinct andesitic volcanic cone, roughly circular in shape about 6 km (3.7 mi) across, with an area of 28 km² (11 miles²). It erupted from 1 million to 3 million years ago, and is most closely related to two volcanoes over 120 km (75 mi) to the northwest, near Whangarei.[4] The island is steeply sloping, and deeply dissected by ravines radiating from a central range peaking at 722 m (2,369 ft) Mount Hauturu.[5] Titoki Point is the only area of flat land on the island.
[edit] Environment
As one of New Zealand's premier native wildlife sanctuaries, it has been described as a "botanical paradise". Almost complete, dense and unbroken bush and tree cover shelter numerous rare or endangered animal species.[1] The total number of species of native plants is thought to range around 400, and the island is said to shelter more endangered birds than any other island in New Zealand.[3] The island has been identified as an Important Bird Area by BirdLife International because it is a nesting site for vulnerable Cook's and Parkinson's Petrels .[6]
[edit] History
Māori occupied the island for centuries prior to the first European visits. The initial occupation was by descendants of Toi te Huatahi, followed by Tainui who were then conquered by the Ngāti Wai. In 1894 the island was acquired through Act of Parliament, and from 1897, there has always been a caretaker or ranger resident on the island.[1]
Access is heavily restricted for conservation reasons, and the island is uninhabited except for rotational conservation staff, scientists and rangers under the authority of the DOC. Electricity for their needs, until 2005 provided by a diesel generator linked to a battery bank, has since been replaced by twenty 175-watt solar panels, with the generator remaining solely for backup. Over the expected 20-year life-span, the system is expected to generate fuel savings sufficient to replace its purchase costs.[3]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d "The Hauraki Gulf Marine Park, Part 2". Inset to The New Zealand Herald: pp. 15. 3 March 2010.
- ^ "Islands and bays renamed in Maori". stuff.co.nz. 2011 [last update]. http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/5106860/Islands-and-bays-renamed-in-Maori. Retrieved 7 June 2011. "Te Hauturu-o-Toi"
- ^ a b c "New Zealand Energy Quarterly, March 2010". 16 June 2010. http://www.med.govt.nz/upload/72957/NZEQ_Mar_2010.pdf. Retrieved 8 July 2010.
- ^ Lindsay, Jan M.; Tim J. Worthington, Ian E. M. Smith, and Philippa M. Black (June 1999). "Geology, petrology, and petrogenesis of Little Barrier Island, Hauraki Gulf, New Zealand". New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics 42 (2): 155–168. doi:10.1080/00288306.1999.9514837. http://www.rsnz.org/publish/nzjgg/1999/11.pdf. Retrieved 2007-12-03.[dead link]
- ^ Topo50 map AY33 - Hauturu / Little Barrier Island, Land Information New Zealand. Retrieved 6 March 2010.
- ^ BirdLife International. (2012). Important Bird Areas factsheet: Little Barrier Island. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 2012-02-03.
[edit] External links
- Department of Conservation - Little Barrier Island (Hauturu) Nature Reserve
- Cultural Heritage of the Gulf (brief history on page 5)
Coordinates: 36°11′57″S 175°04′53″E / 36.1990923°S 175.0814295°E
