Motueka Island, also known by the name Pigeon Island, is an island off the coast of the Coromandel Peninsula in New Zealand.

Motueka Island (Pigeon Island)

Native name: Te Kuraetanga o taku Ihu
Motueka Island seen from the Coromandel Peninsula, adjacent to Poikeke Island to the left
Geography
Location	Coromandel Peninsula
Coordinates	36°49′08″S 175°48′04″E
Adjacent to	Pacific Ocean
Area	68 m2 (730 sq ft)
Length	475 m (1558 ft)
Width	205 m (673 ft)
Highest elevation	66 m (217 ft)
Administration
New Zealand

Geography

The island is located 1.5 kilometres north-east of Cathedral Cove,[1] to the east of Mercury Bay. It is tidally linked to Poikeke Island, a smaller island located to the west.[2] The island reaches a height of 66 metres.[1] Motueka Island is within the Te Whanganui-A-Hei (Cathedral Cove) Marine Reserve.[2]

Motueka Island is an eroded Miocene era lava dome, composed of flow-banded rhyolite.[2]

Biodiversity

The island is primarily forested by native New Zealand flora, including kohekohe, karaka, māhoe, whārangi, tawāpou, pūriri and parapara. The summit area is a plateau, forested by large pōhutukawa trees.[2]

The island is a nesting place for Pterodroma gouldi (ōi / the grey-faced petrel). Several hundred birds nest on the island, despite the presence of Norway rats.[2]

History

The island is historically significant to Ngāti Hei, who are the mana whenua iwi for Mouteka Island.[2] It was given the traditional name Te Kuraetanga o taku Ihu, named by the pprangatira]] Hei, who likened the island to his tā moko.[2] During the early European colonial period, the island gained the name Pigeon Island.[2]

References

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[de] Motueka Island