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Mercury Islands

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Great Mercury (Ahuahu), Kawhitu or Stanley Island and Double Island (Moturehu) were purchased and taken as crown land in 1858–65. These included Whakakapua (7 acres) and Kowhaka (21 acres) being purchased in January 1865. Despite inhabiting Ahuahu, the Ngati Hei were not consulted about this
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when sea levels were over 100 metres lower than present day levels, the islands were hilly features surrounded by a vast coastal plain. Sea levels began to rise 7,000 years ago, after which the islands separated from the rest of New Zealand. When sea levels were lower, the
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Whakau is the easternmost of the Mercury Islands, and at 2.3 kilometres (1.4 mi) across is also the second-largest. The entire island is surrounded by reddish cliffs up to 100 metres (330 ft) high, prompting Captain
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as highly valuable Nature Reserves where public access prohibited. Ahuahu/Great Mercury Island is privately owned and public access is allowed (excluding residential sites and the planted pine forest). One lone island,
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Ahuahu / Great Mercury Island, 1872 ha, is the largest of Mercury Islands and the only one with permanent residents or public access. It is the remnants of a
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pests. The island remains open to the public to showcase conservation and provide an accessible pest-free island in the Mercury Island Group.
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and cats from the island. In 2016, it was declared pest free, making the entire Mercury Island Group free from introduced
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to give the island its European name on his exploration of the area in 1769. The island was briefly used by Count
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in November 2006. On 30 November 2009, Ahuahu/Great Mercury Island hosted the first successful launch of
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BirdLife International. (2012). Important Bird Areas factsheet: Small Mercury Islands. Downloaded from
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as a hiding spot during World War One during his attempted escape from New Zealand en route to the
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The main chain of the Mercury Islands consists of the large Great Mercury Island (also known as
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https://www.govt.nz/assets/Documents/OTS/Ngati-Hei/Ngati-Hei-Deed-of-Settlement-17-Aug-2017.pdf
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flowed east to the Pacific Ocean between Cuvier Island and Ahuahu/Great Mercury Island.
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because they provide nesting sites for up to 3000 breeding pairs of
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Taonga, New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage Te Manatu.
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A settler claimed to have bought Great Mercury Island in 1839.
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Michael Fox, "Private Funding Sways Conservation Decisions",
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The smaller islands in the group have been identified as an
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as having a legitimate claim to Great Mercury Island.
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National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research
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In 2014, Fay and Richwhite, in partnership with the
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Te Manatu Taonga Ministry of Culture and Heritage 732: 349:times, the island was the location of at least 20 1502: 330: 763: 761: 426: 248:inhabited the islands since the 14th century. 90:Location of the Mercury Islands in New Zealand 915: 740:"Pest-free islands jewel in Coromandel crown" 588: 796:"Island of daydreams on Auckland's doorstep" 598:; Emmitt, Joshua; Wallace, Roderick (2017). 758: 293: 287: 922: 908: 865:Geology – New Zealand's Geological History 502:"North-east peninsula and Mercury Islands" 318:Approximately 18,000 years ago during the 53: 41: 648: 823:"Geology of Red Mercury Island (Whakau)" 820: 309: 269: 654: 77: 1503: 565: 563: 59:Topographic map of the Mercury Islands 903: 526: 524: 522: 495: 493: 1521:Important Bird Areas of New Zealand 1290:Cathedral Cove / Te Whanganui-A-Hei 560: 292:) to the west, Red Mercury Island ( 13: 774:Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand 499: 14: 1567: 857: 767: 519: 490: 384:stayed on the island during U2's 258:A 2017 settlement recognized the 447: 274:A true-colour image acquired by 240:The Ngāti Karaua (a hapu of the 76: 69: 1531:Volcanic islands of New Zealand 869:An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand 840: 814: 788: 314:Dive map of the Mercury Islands 1556:Islands of the Mercury Islands 1536:Private islands of New Zealand 1244:Motueka Island / Pigeon Island 1234:Mahurangi Island / Goat Island 719: 701: 684:"Review: Great Mercury Island" 676: 605:Records of the Auckland Museum 535: 478:List of islands of New Zealand 265: 1: 770:"Red Mercury Island (Whakau)" 662:. The Bush Press. p. 5. 483: 331:Ahuahu / Great Mercury Island 165:Great Mercury Island (Ahuahu) 660:Kauri Gum and the Gumdiggers 7: 1406:Whitianga Festival of Speed 821:Hayward, B.W.; Moore, P.R. 471: 466:Mercury Islands tusked wētā 427:Whakau / Red Mercury Island 216:off the northeast coast of 169:Red Mercury Island (Whakau) 47:View of the Mercury Islands 16:Island group in New Zealand 10: 1572: 1516:Thames-Coromandel District 1339:Facilities and attractions 931:Thames-Coromandel District 409:Department of Conservation 300:Department of Conservation 235: 18: 1440: 1414: 1338: 1272: 1216: 1182: 1156: 1149: 1078: 1002: 961: 954: 941: 195: 190: 177:Kawhitu or Stanley Island 160: 152: 140: 103: 98: 64: 52: 40: 33: 1448:The Mercury Bay Informer 962:Coromandel-Colville Ward 881:Global Volcanism Program 173:Double Island (Moturehu) 19:Not to be confused with 886:Smithsonian Institution 848:http://www.birdlife.org 360:The island is owned by 1391:Thames School of Mines 1386:Thames railway station 1346:Coromandel Forest Park 713:The New Zealand Herald 618:10.32912/RAM.2018.52.3 458:BirdLife International 315: 294: 288: 283: 1551:Pleistocene volcanoes 1351:Driving Creek Railway 828:. Auckland University 313: 305:Repanga/Cuvier Island 273: 212:are a group of seven 181:Ātiu or Middle Island 1511:Volcanoes of Waikato 1396:Whangamata Beach Hop 729:, 9 June 2014, p. 2. 320:Last Glacial Maximum 280:Coromandel Peninsula 226:Coromandel Peninsula 1483: /  1401:Whitianga Aerodrome 1273:Geographic features 1183:Tairua-Pauanui C.B. 715:. 30 November 2009. 688:Condé Nast Traveler 454:Important Bird Area 147:South Pacific Ocean 121: /  30: 1546:Pliocene volcanoes 1526:Islands of Waikato 1487:36.583°S 175.917°E 1458:Thames High School 1356:Hauraki Rail Trail 1330:Whangapoua Harbour 316: 284: 125:36.583°S 175.917°E 28: 1541:Miocene volcanoes 1466: 1465: 1366:Pauanui Aerodrome 1310:Kauaeranga Valley 1249:Motukawao Islands 1212: 1211: 1208: 1207: 876:"Mercury Islands" 802:. 29 January 2002 727:The Dominion Post 656:Hayward, Bruce W. 571:"Estuary origins" 547:dl.hauraki.iwi.nz 462:Pycroft's petrels 438:Felix von Luckner 206: 205: 1563: 1498: 1497: 1495: 1494: 1493: 1492:-36.583; 175.917 1488: 1484: 1481: 1480: 1479: 1476: 1432:Regional Council 1422:District Council 1381:Thames Aerodrome 1295:Colville Channel 1264:Whanganui Island 1224:Aldermen Islands 1154: 1153: 1003:Mercury Bay Ward 959: 958: 955:Populated places 924: 917: 910: 901: 900: 896: 894: 892: 851: 844: 838: 837: 835: 833: 827: 818: 812: 811: 809: 807: 792: 786: 785: 783: 781: 765: 756: 755: 753: 751: 736: 730: 723: 717: 716: 705: 699: 698: 696: 694: 680: 674: 673: 652: 646: 645: 592: 586: 585: 583: 581: 567: 558: 557: 555: 553: 539: 533: 528: 517: 516: 514: 512: 497: 442:Kermadec Islands 297: 291: 143: 136: 135: 133: 132: 131: 130:-36.583; 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Index

Mercury Island

Topographic map of the Mercury Islands
Map showing location of the Mercury Islands
36°35′S 175°55′E / 36.583°S 175.917°E / -36.583; 175.917
South Pacific Ocean
Great Mercury Island (Ahuahu)
Red Mercury Island (Whakau)
Double Island (Moturehu)
Kawhitu or Stanley Island
Ātiu or Middle Island
Korapuki Island
New Zealand
islands
New Zealand
North Island
Coromandel Peninsula
Whitianga
Ngāti Whanaunga
Ngāti Hei
Ngāti Hei

NASA
Coromandel Peninsula
Department of Conservation
Repanga/Cuvier Island

Last Glacial Maximum
Opitonui River
Pliocene

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