Mayor Island / Tuhua

Mayor Iceland ( Tuhua Māori ) is an island in the Bay of Plenty in the North Island of New Zealand. It has an area of ​​13 km ² and is located 35 kilometers north of Tauranga. In approximately 25 kilometers away is Waihi Beach. The island rises on the coast at quite steep and reaches a height of 355 meters.

Mayor Iceland is a shield volcano that has erupted over the past 130,000 years at least every 3000 years. There were several different eruption types are detected. There are numerous thermal springs and two small crater lakes, Green Lake and Black Lake. These lakes lie in two overlapping calderas that formed by explosive eruptions about 36,000 and 6,340 years ago. Subsequent eruptions formed inside the caldera lava domes and lava flows. The last eruption is estimated to be 500 to 1000 years back.

The island has a special meaning for Māori, since obsidian occurs. This volcanic glass was estimated as the material for cutting tools. The Māori call Obsidian " Tuhua " and brought the name on the island. James Cook named the island " Mayor Iceland " when he sighted on November 3, 1769. The name was in honor of the Lord Mayor's Day, which was a few days later to take place in London.

The marine area of ​​the Bay of Plenty around the island is popular with anglers, there are marlin, mako sharks and swordfish caught. However, the island and its coastal waters themselves are a marine reserve, which is used for scuba diving.

Mayor Iceland is a sanctuary today. A few cottages are located on the Opo Bay on the south coast of the island. There are several hiking trails around the island. The island was inhabited until 1901 by Māori. Several spots former Pā, fortified settlements Māori are known. The 2001 census identified three permanent residents after it was uninhabited in 1996 and in 1991 had 12 inhabitants.