Tiritiri Matangi Island
Template: Infobox Island / Maintenance / height missing
Tiritiri Matangi ( Maori for " wind roars over" or " and the wind standing " ) is an island off the coast of the North Island of New Zealand. It is located in the Hauraki Gulf, 4 km off the coast of Whangaparaoa Peninsula and about 30 km northeast of Auckland. The approximately 220 -acre island is an open vehicle accessible nature reserve under management of the Department of Conservation (DOC) and a home for New Zealand's most endangered plants and animals.
History
Tiritiri Matangi was first settled by the Kawerau A Maki tribe of Māori. Thanks to the built of this strain Pā the island got its name. Parts of the housing estates and scattered remnants of buildings can still be seen today. Later the Ngati - Paoa tribe settled on the island and built his own Papakuara - Pa. This was destroyed by conflict between the two tribes in the 17th century. The Europeans discovered Tiritiri Matangi in 1850 for themselves. The island was used for agriculture until 1970 and since then has been under the administration of DOC.
Flora and Fauna
Tiritiri Matangi was originally almost everywhere covered with mixed Pohutukawa trees and dense forest in the valleys with Kohekohe and Taraire forests. The centuries of Maori settlement, followed by European agriculture, transformed the landscape in a grassland island with only few small patches of forest. With the clearing of forests disappeared many domestic and rare birds. Only the very resistant species such as tui, fantail, gray jacket White-eye, Maorigerygone, Maori Glockenhonigfresser and South Crake remained on the island.
With the help of thousands of volunteers around 300,000 native trees have been replanted 1984-2005. This led to an accelerated natural regeneration of coastal forests, which in turn are home for 11 endangered native birds today. Rare species such as Südinseltakahe, kokako, semi- bird, parakeet, North Iceland Robin, White head, Zwergkiwi, New Zealand duck, Farnsteiger, Hihi and tomtit are now back on the island resident, some after targeted settlement.
The Tuatara - " New Zealand's living dinosaur " - 2003 was again exposed on the island.
Tourism
Tiritiri Matangi has a variety wonderful and well -maintained hiking trails and breathtaking views of the Hauraki Gulf. The in southeast 20.5 m high lighthouse directs ships through the Gulf since 1865 and is still in operation. The original lighthouse building was replaced in 1920 by the still existing buildings.