Mercury Islands

The Mercury Islands are an archipelago off the northeast coast of the North Island of New Zealand. Occasionally also the former name of Iles d' used bull market. They are located 8 km from the coast of the Coromandel Peninsula and 35 km north-east of Whitianga and belong administratively to the Waikato region.

The main chain of the Mercury Islands consists of Great Mercury Iceland ( Māori: Ahuahu ) in the west and Red Mercury Iceland ( Māori: Whakau ) in the east and there are also much smaller islands Green Iceland, Korapuki Iceland, Middle Iceland ( Aitu ), Stanley Iceland ( Kawhitu ) and Double Iceland ( Moturehu ) and some rock islands between them. Great Mercury Only Iceland is inhabited, the others are part of a nature reserve. South of the main chain lie north of the mouth of Mercury Bay, numerous other islets. Another island, Cuvier Iceland is located 15 km north of Great Mercury Iceland, but this is not part of the archipelago. Great Mercury Iceland is the remnant of a rhyolite volcano from the Pliocene.

Great Mercury Iceland is private property of Michael Fay, a former prominent New Zealand businessman who lives in Switzerland. On the island there are two luxurious property that is leased.

By Great Mercury from Iceland launched on 30 November 2009 the company Rocket Lab a rocket of the type Atea -1, apparently over 100 km altitude reached and thus pushed forward into space.