Motukawanui Island
Encyclopedia
Motukawanui Island is an island
in the Bay of Islands
of New Zealand
, and is located approximately four kilometres northeast from Matauri Bay
. It is the largest island amongst the Cavalli Islands
group and has an area of 3.40 square kilometres.
are already giving protection to a variety of young native trees.
The shores of Motukawanui are endowed with a great variety of marine life. Papatara Bay is a safe anchorage in most weather conditions and although most of the coastline is rugged, there are some pleasant sand and shingle beaches around the island.
s and mustelids.
Island
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
in the Bay of Islands
Bay of Islands
The Bay of Islands is an area in the Northland Region of the North Island of New Zealand. Located 60 km north-west of Whangarei, it is close to the northern tip of the country....
of 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...
, and is located approximately four kilometres northeast from Matauri Bay
Matauri Bay
Matauri Bay is a bay in New Zealand, situated 30 km north of Kerikeri, in Whangaroa county, just north of the Bay of Islands. It has over a kilometre of beautiful white sand and crystal clear water...
. It is the largest island amongst the Cavalli Islands
Cavalli Islands
The Cavalli Islands are a small group of islands in Whangaroa on Northland's East Coast in northern New Zealand. They lie to the east of Matauri Bay on the mainland....
group and has an area of 3.40 square kilometres.
History
The island had a large Maori population when Captain Cook visited the island group in 1769. The large number of pits and terrace sites, middens and cultivations all suggest a substantial population existed on the island.Geography
The highest point of the island reaches an altitude of 177 metres. Parts of the island was farmed up until 1974 and the pastoral grassland is now being left to generate into native vegetation and many stands of Kanuka and ManukaLeptospermum scoparium
Leptospermum scoparium is a shrub or small tree native to New Zealand and southeast Australia. Evidence suggests that L. scoparium originated in Australia before the onset of the Miocene aridity and dispersed relatively recently from Eastern Australia to New Zealand. It is likely that on arrival...
are already giving protection to a variety of young native trees.
The shores of Motukawanui are endowed with a great variety of marine life. Papatara Bay is a safe anchorage in most weather conditions and although most of the coastline is rugged, there are some pleasant sand and shingle beaches around the island.
Wildlife
Motukawanui Island is a flourishing breeding ground for the North Island Brown Kiwi since the island was cleared of predators namely possumPossum
A possum is any of about 70 small to medium-sized arboreal marsupial species native to Australia, New Guinea, and Sulawesi .Possums are quadrupedal diprotodont marsupials with long tails...
s and mustelids.