Resolution Island, New Zealand

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For other Resolution Islands, see Resolution Island

Location of Resolution Island

Resolution Island is the largest (uninhabited) island in Fiordland, in the southwest of New Zealand. It is the country's fifth largest island. Resolution Island is separated from the mainland of the South Island by Dusky Sound and Breaksea Sound.

The island is roughly rectangular, with the exception of a long narrow peninsula on the west coast known as Five Fingers Peninsula. It covers a total of 208 km².

The island was chosen in 2004 to be one of New Zealand's offshore reserves, which are cleared of introduced species to protect native species. This follows a much earlier episode, in 1894, when the Department of Lands and Survey appointed Richard Henry as curator of the island, which was stocked with species such as Kakapo and Kiwi that were threatened by mustelids on the mainland. This early attempt as using the island for conservation management failed when stoats reached the island in 1900.

The island is named after Capt. James Cook's ship Resolution which landed here on Dusky Sound during Cook's Second Voyage in March, 1773.

[edit] References

Hill, Susanne; & Hill, John. (1987). Richard Henry of Resolution Island. John McIndoe: Dunedin. ISBN 0-86868-094-X
Wilson, Kerry-Jayne. (2004). Flight of the Huia. Canterbury University Press: Christchurch. ISBN 0-908812-52-3