Quail Island, New Zealand

Template: Infobox Island / Maintenance / surface missing template: Infobox Island / Maintenance / height missing

Quail Iceland ( Māori, Ōtamahua, sometimes Te Kawakawa ) is a small uninhabited island in the south of the bay in front of Lyttelton near Christchurch on the South Island of New Zealand.

It was given its English name of Captain My Smith, who here 1842 domestic quail ( Quail English ) observed. These, however, were already extinct in 1875. In the language of Māori means' Ōtamahua ' as' a space where children collect eggs of seabirds " ' Te Kawakawa ' refers to the pepper trees on the island.

History

Although the island was apparently not permanently inhabited by Māori, it was often visited to collect mussels, New Zealand Flax and bird eggs. On King Billy Iceland, a promontory of Quail Iceland, they won stone for the manufacture of tools.

The Europeans used it in 1851 briefly agricultural, after which it was in 1875 a quarantine station in 1907, it served as a hospital during the influenza epidemic, then it was from 1907 to 1925 a small leper colony.

Replicas of dog kennels, which were used in the early 20th century to the training of dogs on Antarctic expeditions, and a replica of a cabin for the lepers were built by students of the Cathedral College, the quarantine barracks have been restored and rebuilt closer to the coast. The island was made ​​in 1975 as a recreation area under protection and has some safe bathing coasts, toilets and shelters. A ferry runs to the island, and also access to private watercraft is allowed.

The Ōtamahua / Quail Iceland Ecological Restoration Trust and the Department of Conservation are working to rid the island of introduced species, they repopulate with plants and finally to settle the local wildlife again.

Swell

• Uninhabited Island
• Island (New Zealand)
• Island (Australia and Oceania)
• Island ( Pacific Ocean )
• Canterbury ( region )