Urupukapuka Island
| Urupukapuka Island | ||
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| Waters | Bay of Islands , Pacific Ocean | |
| Geographical location | 35 ° 12 '55 " S , 174 ° 13' 49" E | |
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| length | 2.8 km | |
| width | 1.9 km | |
| surface | 2.93 km² | |
Urupukapuka Island is an island in the Bay of Islands in New Zealand . It is located about 7.3 km from Paihia . Administratively it belongs to the Far North District .
history
Urupukapuka Island was inhabited by the Ngare Raumati , one of the oldest Iwi in the region. In 1839 a whaling captain claimed to have bought 150 acres of the island from Rewa, a chief of the Ngāpuhi , for a horse worth 150 pounds sterling . However, Rewa denied the claim, which only referred to the horse as a deposit and not as the entire purchase price. In the late 1800s, two Europeans leased grazing land on the island, began clearing the island and building a fence.
In 1927 the Otehei Bay was the base for the fishing expeditions of the US author Zane Gray , and later a fishing resort was built here.
An archaeological trail with information boards reveals many of the sites from the time of the Maori settlement. The island has numerous sandy beaches. Especially on the east coast is a diving area because of its reefs . The Indico and Paradise Bay are protected anchorages and are used for water sports.
Flora and fauna
There is a colony of cormorants on the island. Numerous Pohutukawa trees grow on the coast . Maori plover , oystercatcher , stilt and paradise kasarka breed on the island.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Urupukapuka Iceland Archaeological Walk
- ↑ Whangarei tribes: Urupukapuka Iceland
- ↑ Urupukapuka Iceland Archaeological Walk
- ↑ History of Urupukapuka . Otehei Bay Holdings Limited , archived from the original on July 24, 2013 ; accessed on February 10, 2016 (English, original website no longer available).