Motuihe Island

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Location of Motuihe Island in the Hauraki Gulf.

Motuihe Island lies between Motutapu and Waiheke islands in the Hauraki Gulf of New Zealand, close to the Auckland area. The island is about 179 ha big, of which around 18 ha are remnants of coastal forest. The island is a DOC-controlled (and Motuihe Trust-administered) Recreation Reserve, and is a popular spot for day trips, either by the use of 30-minute ferry trips available from Auckland or by private boat. The island is especially known for its beautiful beaches.^[1]^[2]

The name comes from Te Motu-a-Ihenga, meaning 'Ihenga's Island' in Māori.^[3]

1 Conservation
2 History
3 References
4 External links

[edit] Conservation

The island's trust organises an active programme of pest eradication, which has managed to free the island of its introduced mammalian predators and rabbits, as well as is slowly replanting sections of the island with native trees. The conservation programme has also reintroduced native species like the North Island Saddleback (Tieke) bird.^[4]

The Trust maintains a small conservation presence on the island, and usually has a number of volunteers working at the local tree nursery or in other conservation programmes.

In early 2008, rat footprints were found in a tracking tunnel (a device to check for the presence of certain animals) on the island. This set of a substantial effort by the trust and the DOC to catch the rodent, which was feared to be part of a larger infestation. The Norwegian rat was eventually trapped by a special hunting dog, allowing plans to release native Kākāriki parrots to continue as planned^[5] in May 2008, when 31 were brought by helicopter from Little Barrier Island, where there is a relatively large population. About 230 people attended the release.^[6]

[edit] History

The beach on the northern side of the narrow western neck, separated from the southern beach by about 30 m.

The small island has had a colourful human history. Starting out as a Māori settlement place, at least two pā fortification sites are known on the island. The locals are said to have grown gourds and taro. Very soon after arrival of the Europeans in the area however, in 1839, the island was purchased, and in the 1840s farming was begun. Groves of Norfolk pines and olive trees are remnants of this time.^[3]

Erected in 1873, a quarantine station was built in the western section of the island, first to be used in 1874 for scarlet fever arriving on an inbound ship and operating for almost 50 years, slowly growing in size. In the First World War, the station was used as an internment camp whose most famous prisoner was Count Felix von Luckner and his crew of the commerce raider SMS Seeadler. Luckner organised an escape from the island in 1917, took over a scow and sailed to the Kermadec Islands where he was recaptured (and escaped again),^[3] though not before becoming something of an odd type of hero in the eyes of many New Zealanders, for the fact that his numerous and daring wartime escapades had killed only a single person.

With the outbreak of World War II, the buildings were to become a naval training base, HMNZS Tamaki and a number of newer buildings were added. The base remained a navy training ground until 1963, when its functions were moved to the North Shore mainlaind.^[3]