Kawau Island
| Kawau Island | ||
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| Waters | Hauraki Gulf | |
| Geographical location | 36 ° 25 ′ 0 ″ S , 174 ° 51 ′ 0 ″ E | |
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| length | 7.3 km | |
| width | 5.6 km | |
| surface | 20.5 km² | |
| Highest elevation | Gray Heights 182 m |
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| Residents | 70 3.4 inhabitants / km² |
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| main place | Kawau Island | |
Kawau Island is an island in the Hauraki Gulf near the northeast coast of the North Island of New Zealand .
geography
The island is 50 km north of Auckland and 1400 meters off the coast of the Northland Peninsula , specifically Tawharanui Peninsula and protects Kawau Bay in the northeast of Warkworth . It is 8 km long, 5 km wide and has an area of 2.05 km². It is almost divided into two parts by Bon Accord Harbor, geologically speaking a sunken valley. Two smaller such valleys, North Cove and South Cove cut north and south of it from the west side of the island. The island is 1475 m away from the mainland of the northern Tawharanui Peninsula .
Challenger Island is about 200 m off the south coast .
history
Kawau is said to have been the base for Māori in the early 18th century who raided the surrounding areas by sea. It also served the Māori as a base for fishing.
In the first years of European ownership, manganese and copper were mined until the island was bought by Sir George Gray, then governor of New Zealand, in 1862 as a private retreat. He expanded the mine manager's house, built in 1845, into what is known as the "Mansion House". Today it belongs to the "Kawau Island Historic Reserve" and is administered by the Department of Conservation . He converted the surrounding land into a botanical and zoological garden with introduced plants and animals. This 10% of the island is publicly owned, including the old copper mine, which is believed to have been the site of the first mining of metallic raw materials in New Zealand in 1844.
use
The island has a small number of permanent residents and numerous vacation rentals and is a popular destination for boat trips in the Hauraki Gulf. The island is largely forested and private property.
nature
Kiwis and two-thirds of the total population of the North Island Weka live on the island . Five species of kangaroos have been introduced to the island , including the parmawallaby , which was rediscovered here in 1965 after being believed to be extinct for decades. Four of the species have developed viable populations and are causing considerable damage to native vegetation, which in turn affects the habitat of kiwis and other native animals. The kangaroos destroy the seedlings and prevent the emergence of a new generation of native trees. The usual undergrowth is missing because of the browsing by the kangaroos and the soil is partially exposed. Possums , also introduced by Gray, destroy many mature native trees. As a result, much of the biodiversity has been lost and the number of birds has decreased due to the loss of both food resources and habitat. Even the surrounding maritime space was severely affected by the soil that was washed away from the bare ground.
Web links
- Kawau Island . KIRRA - Kawau Island,accessed January 11, 2016.
Individual evidence
- ^ Rodent Invasion Project - Kawau . Department of Statistics, The University of Auckland , archived from the original on February 19, 2013 ; accessed on January 11, 2016 (English, original website no longer available).