Hen and Chicken Islands
Encyclopedia
The Hen and Chickens Islands (usually simply known as the Hen and Chickens) lie to the east of the North Auckland Peninsula
North Auckland Peninsula
The North Auckland Peninsula, frequently referred to simply as the Northland Peninsula, is located in the far north of the North Island of New Zealand. The peninsula is easily confused with, though not the same as Northland Region, which occupies the top 80% of the peninsula...

 off the coast of northern New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

. They are located 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) to the east of Bream Head
Bream Head
Bream Head is a promontory on the east coast of Northland in the North Island of New Zealand. Located at the end of a 30 kilometre-long peninsula, the head juts into the Pacific Ocean to the southeast of Whangarei...

 and 40 kilometres (24.9 mi) southeast of Whangarei
Whangarei
Whangarei, pronounced , is the northernmost city in New Zealand and the regional capital of Northland Region. Although commonly classified as a city, it is officially part of the Whangarei District, administered by the Whangarei District Council a local body created in 1989 to administer both the...

.

These islands were named by Captain James Cook
James Cook
Captain James Cook, FRS, RN was a British explorer, navigator and cartographer who ultimately rose to the rank of captain in the Royal Navy...

, who first sighted them in 1769. It has been suggested that the name was inspired by an old name for the star cluster usually known as the Pleiades (and called Matariki by the Māori).

Originally owned by the Māori Ngā Puhi iwi
Iwi
In New Zealand society, iwi form the largest everyday social units in Māori culture. The word iwi means "'peoples' or 'nations'. In "the work of European writers which treat iwi and hapū as parts of a hierarchical structure", it has been used to mean "tribe" , or confederation of tribes,...

, they were sold to the New Zealand Government in 1883. The islands were made a scenic reserve in 1908 owing to the rarity of their flora and fauna, and became a wildlife refuge in 1953. Hen Island had actually passed from Māori hands a few years earlier, being bought by Thomas Outhwaite
Outhwaite Family, Auckland
The Outhwaite family were early settlers in Auckland and were an important family in the first eighty five years of the city's existence. Their influence still continues, especially in respect of two areas of land in central Auckland which are now Outhwaite Park and the site of St Peter's College,...

 in 1872. It was bequeathed to the nation by his daughter Isa Outhwaite
Outhwaite Family, Auckland
The Outhwaite family were early settlers in Auckland and were an important family in the first eighty five years of the city's existence. Their influence still continues, especially in respect of two areas of land in central Auckland which are now Outhwaite Park and the site of St Peter's College,...

 in 1927, and it too was named as a scenic reserve.

The islands are noted for their bird life, with colonies of shearwater
Shearwater
Shearwaters are medium-sized long-winged seabirds. There are more than 30 species of shearwaters, a few larger ones in the genus Calonectris and many smaller species in the genus Puffinus...

s and petrel
Petrel
Petrels are tube-nosed seabirds in the bird order Procellariiformes. The common name does not indicate relationship beyond that point, as "petrels" occur in three of the four families within that group...

, and also forest birds which are now scarce or extinct on the mainland.

In June 1940, the Mail Liner RMS Niagara
RMS Niagara
RMS Niagara was an ocean liner launched on 17 August 1912 and owned by the Union Steam Ship Company. She was nicknamed "the Titanic of the Pacific", but after the sinking of the real RMS Titanic this was dropped in favour of "Queen of the Pacific"...

sank off the islands after hitting a mine. Most of the cargo, which included gold bullion, was later salvaged.

Hen Island

Hen Island, or Taranga lies separate from the rest of the chain, lying 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) to the southwest. It is the largest island by some considerable margin, totalling 4.7 km² (2 sq mi). Long and thin, it has a length of 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) and an average width of under 1000 metres (1,094 yd). A remnant of a 4 million year old volcano, the island is dominated by a rocky ridge reaching to about 140 metres (459 ft) at its highest point, called The Pinnacles.

Sail rock, a stack, rises from the ocean 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) to the south of Hen Island. It is a prominent navigational point for yacht
Yacht
A yacht is a recreational boat or ship. The term originated from the Dutch Jacht meaning "hunt". It was originally defined as a light fast sailing vessel used by the Dutch navy to pursue pirates and other transgressors around and into the shallow waters of the Low Countries...

s.

The Chicken Islands

The Chicken Islands, or Marotiri consists of a chain of five small islands running northwest to southeast to the north of Hen Island. The chain consists of Wareware and Muriwhenua Islands (together forming the North West Chicken), Mauitaha (also known as West Chicken), Lady Alice Island (also known as Big Chicken or Motu Muka), Whatupuke (also known as Middle Chicken), and Coppermine Island (also known as Eastern Chicken).

Muriwhenua and Wareware Islands (Northwestern Chickens)

These two are small rocky islands covering 30000 square metres (35,879.7 sq yd) or 3 hectares (7.4 acre).

Lady Alice Island (Big Chicken or Motu Muka)

This island is named after Lady Alice Fergusson (wife of Sir Charles Fergusson, Governor General of New Zealand, 1924 – 1930), and is the largest of the five chickens. It is of particular significance because of its flora and fauna. The island covers 1.4 km² (0.540543022029549 sq mi) and is surrounded by rocky reefs. It was occupied by Māori until the 1820s, and was used as a base for fishermen in the 1890s. Cattle were introduced at about this time, but were removed in the 1920s.

Whatupuke (Middle Chicken)

Formerly known as Whakahau, this island is composed of a large eastern section and a peninsula to the southwest. The coast of this peninsula forms one of the chain's main land features, a 300 metres (328 yd) wide bay (Starfish Bay). The island covers 1 km² (0.386102158592535 sq mi), and is steep, rising to 234 metres (768 ft).

Coppermine Island (Eastern Chicken)

Coppermine island covers an area of 750000 square metres (896,992.5 sq yd) or 75 hectares (185.3 acre). It is composed of two sections joined by a short isthmus. As the name suggests, there are copper deposits on the island, but attempts at mining them in 1849 and 1898 proved unprofitable.

West Chicken (Mauitaha)

This 200000 square metres (239,198 sq yd) or 20 hectares (49.4 acre). scrub-covered rock lies 1 kilometre (0.621372736649807 mi) to the south of Muriwhenua. It is a rugged island, rising to 125 metres (410 ft).

The New Zealand Department of Conservation and the Ngati Wai iwi have entered into partnership to set up a sanctuary for the New Zealand native rat, the kiore on the islands Mauitaha and Araara. A spokesman for Ngati Wai said the kiore heritage will be protected as the movement of the kiore through the Pacific paralleled the migration of the New Zealand Maori. A spokesman for the Department of Conservation said the Department's policy change from eradication would assist scientific research.

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