Cape Colville facts for kids
Cape Colville is the northernmost tip of the Coromandel Peninsula in New Zealand's North Island. It's like the "top" of this land area! This cape is about 85 kilometers north of Thames. It's also about 70 kilometers northeast of the big city of Auckland, which is across the Hauraki Gulf.
Right next to Cape Colville are two small settlements. You'll find Port Jackson immediately to the west and Fletcher Bay to the east.
North of Cape Colville is a larger island called Great Barrier Island. A 20-kilometer wide stretch of water, known as the Colville Channel, separates them. A tiny island called Channel Island sits right in the middle of this channel.
Exploring Port Jackson
Port Jackson Bay, which is just south of Cape Colville, has been a home for people for a very long time. People have lived here since at least the 1400s!
Back in 1901, there was a special mill at Port Jackson. This mill used water power to process flax, which is a plant used to make strong fibers. At that time, about 12 people lived there. Today, you can find a campsite there, which is a great spot for visitors!
You might also see some interesting wildlife. The New Zealand dotterel is a special bird that likes to breed in this area. However, there's also a plant called boneseed that grows here. It's considered a weed because it can take over and harm the native plants.
To help the environment, people worked on restoring the sand dunes from 2009 to 2011. They planted a type of grass called spinifex to help stabilize the dunes. In 2014, the area experienced a lot of flooding.
