Motuora facts for kids
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Māori: Motuora
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Location of Hauraki Gulf on New Zealand's North Island
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| Geography | |
| Location | Hauraki Gulf |
| Coordinates | 36°30′20″S 174°47′35″E / 36.50556°S 174.79306°E |
| Area | 80 ha (200 acres) |
| Length | 2 km (1.2 mi) |
| Width | 0.5 km (0.31 mi) |
| Highest elevation | 67 m (220 ft) |
| Administration | |
Motuora is a special island in New Zealand. It is an 80-hectare (about 200-acre) nature reserve located in the western Hauraki Gulf. This beautiful island is off the north-eastern coast of New Zealand's North Island. Motuora is about 6.2 kilometers (3.9 miles) southwest of Kawau Island. It is also 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) east of Mahurangi Heads. The island sits about 35 kilometers (22 miles) north of the big city of Auckland.
Motuora's Past: From Farms to Forests
Motuora Island does not have people living on it permanently today. However, it has a long history of human activity. For much of the 1900s, the island was used for farming. During this time, most of the natural coastal forest was cut down. Only small patches of trees remained along the cliffs.
In 1965, the New Zealand government bought the island. They wanted to protect it as a recreation reserve. A big project to restore the island's natural environment began in 1990. Many volunteers helped with this important work. The Motuora Restoration Society (MRS) was created in 1995. This group now works with the Department of Conservation (DOC) to manage the island.
Restoring Motuora's Environment
A lot of native plants have been planted on Motuora Island. The goal is to bring back the original forest cover. Luckily, harmful animals like rats or stoats never made their homes on the island. This makes Motuora a safe place for native wildlife.
Many native animals have been brought back to the island. This is part of the plan to restore the ecosystem. These animals include amazing insects like wetapunga. Several types of lizards have also been reintroduced. These include shore skinks, common geckos, Pacific geckos, and Duvaucel's geckos.
Bird Life on Motuora
Motuora Island is home to a small group of Australasian gannets. These seabirds come to the island to breed and raise their young. Efforts are also being made to bring back other seabirds. Chicks of Common diving petrel and Pycroft's petrel have been moved to the island. The hope is that they will start new breeding groups there. Grey-faced petrels already nest on the island.
Since 1999, North Island brown kiwi chicks have been brought to Motuora. This is part of the Department of Conservation's "Operation Nest Egg." This program uses islands like Motuora as safe "kiwi creche" sites. Young kiwi birds can grow up safely on the island. Later, they are moved to areas on the mainland where they can live without predators.
