Poikeke Island
 Poikeke Island seen from the Coromandel Peninsula, to the left of Motueka Island (Pigeon Island) | |
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| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Coromandel Peninsula |
| Coordinates | 36°29′28″S 175°28′30″E / 36.4912°S 175.47492°E |
| Adjacent to | Pacific Ocean |
| Administration | |
New Zealand | |
Poikeke Island is an island off the coast of the Coromandel Peninsula in New Zealand.
Geography
The island is located approximately 900 metres north-east of Cathedral Cove, to the east of Mercury Bay. It is tidally linked to Motueka Island (Pigeon Island), a larger island located to the east.[1] Poikeke and Motueka islands are remnants of an eroded Miocene era lava dome, composed of flow-banded rhyolite.[1]
Biodiversity
The island is primarily forested by native New Zealand broadleaf forest. The island's plateau is dominated by tawāpou, with abundant houpara also seen here.[1] The sooty shearwater is known to nest on the island.[1]
History
The island is historically significant to Ngāti Hei, who are the mana whenua iwi for Poikeke Island.[1] During pre-European history, the island was occupied as a fortified pā, and the top of the island may have been levelled during this time.[1] Captain James Cook landed on the island on 15 November 1769, when it was still actively being used as a pā.[1]
The origin of the name Poikeke Island is unknown.[2]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g Cameron, Ewen K.; Bellingham, Peter J.; Taylor, Graeme A.; Tennyson, Alan J. D.; Davis, Joseph J. (2022). "Vegetation, vascular flora, and fauna of Motueka and Poikeke Islands, eastern Coromandel Peninsula, northeast New Zealand". Records of the Auckland Museum. 56: 39–62. doi:10.32912/RAM.2022.56.3. ISSN 1174-9202. JSTOR 48687532. Wikidata Q113953864.
- ^ "Poikeke Island". New Zealand Gazetteer. Land Information New Zealand. Retrieved 15 September 2022.