| Motu Hawere (Māori) | |
|---|---|
Goat Island, being close to the shore, is a magnet for divers. |
|
| Geography | |
| Location | Auckland Region |
| Area | 1 ha (2.5 acres) |
| Country | |
Goat Island (officially Te Hawere-a-Maki[1]) is a tiny island (approximately 1 hectare / 2.5 acres) in New Zealand located close to the North Island coast, north of Auckland, northeast of Warkworth, and directly west of Little Barrier Island.[2] It is within Cape Rodney-Okakari Point Marine Reserve, New Zealand's first marine reserve.
Known for centuries as Motu Hawere by the indigenous Māori, the island is spiritually significant to the local tangata whenua iwi, Ngati Manuhiri, because their ancestral waka (canoe), Moe Karaka, is said to have landed nearby.. The name goat island came about as many offshore islands had goats placed on them in the event of shipwrecks, and the goats would provide a source of food for the sailors. There is however, no record of goats ever being situated on this island, however the name has stuck.
As well as being in a marine reserve, Goat Island is a scenic reserve and a scientific reserve.[3] The University of Auckland has a research facility at Goat Island known as the Leigh Marine Laboratory headed by Professor John Montgomery. This will form the base for the University’s new South Pacific Centre for Marine Science (SPCMS). Then Prime Minister Helen Clark launched the national and international campaign to raise funds for the SPCMS at Leigh on 21 June 2008.
Takangaroa is another island in the same area which used to be known as Goat Island.