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Simmonds Islands
The Simmonds Islands are a small group of uninhabited islands in the Far North District of the Northland Region of New Zealand. The islands lie about 1 km north of Granville Point, at the southern end of Henderson Bay. The group consists of two main islands - "Motu Puruhi" (west) and "Terakautuhaka Island" (east) - in close proximity, plus a few sea stacks. Flora, fauna, and geology The islands are managed as a reserve by the Department of Conservation, and is a 'no landing zone'. The islands are home to a variety of sea and shore birds, including the Buller's shearwater which, until discovered breeding here in 1990, was thought to breed only on the Poor Knights Islands. Numerous shore skinks can also be found on the islands. A 1966 research paper described the islands (and their flora and fauna) in detail. At this time the western and eastern main islands were named "Rat Islet" and "Kowhai Islet", respectively. The paper noted that they are separated only by a "bould ...
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Far North District
The Far North District is the northernmost territorial authority district of New Zealand, consisting of the northern part of the Northland Peninsula in the North Island. It stretches from North Cape and Cape Reinga / Te Rerenga Wairua in the north, down to the Bay of Islands, the Hokianga and the town of Kaikohe. The Far North District Council is based in Kaikohe, and has nine ward councillors representing three wards: Te Hiku (in the north), Kaikohe/Hokianga (in the west), Bay of Islands/Whangaroa (in the east). The council is led by the current mayor of Far North, Moko Tepania, who entered the role in 2022. Geography The Far North District is the largest of three territorial authorities making up the Northland Region. The district stretches from the capes and bays at the northern tip of the Aupouri Peninsula past Ninety Mile Beach to the main body of the Northland Peninsula, where it encompasses the Parengarenga Harbour, Whangaroa Harbour and Bay of Islands (on the e ...
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Shore Skink
''Oligosoma smithi'', commonly known as the shore skink, short-tailed skink, Smith's ground skink,Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). ''The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles''. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. . (''Oligosoma smithi'', p. 246). Smith's moco,Gray, 1845. and Smith's skink, is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae (skinks) that is native to New Zealand. Description ''Oligosoma smithi'' is small species of skink, growing to a snout-to-vent length (SVL) of . It is well camouflaged, and may be found in a range of colours, sometimes almost black. Distribution and habitat The species is native to the northern half of the North Island of New Zealand. It is always found near the shoreline and prefers open areas such as around driftwood at the high tide mark. Behavior ''Oligosoma smithi'' is diurnal (active during the day) and spends most of its time hunting or basking in the sun. It eats insects and probably anything tha ...
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Desert Island
A desert island, deserted island, or uninhabited island, is an island, islet or atoll that is not permanently populated by humans. Uninhabited islands are often depicted in films or stories about shipwrecked people, and are also used as stereotypes for the idea of "paradise". Some uninhabited islands are protected as nature reserves, and some are privately owned. Devon Island in Canada's far north is the largest uninhabited island in the world. Small coral atolls or islands usually have no source of fresh water, but occasionally a freshwater lens can be reached with a well. Terminology Uninhabited islands are sometimes also called "deserted islands" or "desert islands". In the latter, the adjective '' desert'' connotes not desert climate conditions, but rather "desolate and sparsely occupied or unoccupied". The word ''desert'' has been "formerly applied more widely to any wild, uninhabited region, including forest-land", and it is this archaic meaning that appears in the p ...
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List Of Islands
This is a list of the lists of islands in the world grouped by country, by continent, by body of water A body of water or waterbody (often spelled water body) is any significant accumulation of water on the surface of Earth or another planet. The term most often refers to oceans, seas, and lakes, but it includes smaller pools of water such a ..., and by other classifications. For rank-order lists, see the other lists of islands below. Lists of islands by country Africa Antarctica Asia Europe North America Oceania South America Lists of islands by continent Lists of islands by body of water By ocean: By other bodies of water: List of ancient islands Other lists of islands External links Island Superlatives {{DEFAULTSORT:List Of Islands * ...
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List Of Islands Of New Zealand
New Zealand consists of more than six hundred islands, mainly remnants of a larger land mass now beneath the sea. New Zealand is the seventh-largest island nation on earth, and the third-largest located entirely in the Southern Hemisphere. The following is a list of islands of New Zealand. The two largest islands – where most of the human population lives – have names in both English and in the Māori language. They are the North Island or ''Te Ika-a-Māui'' and the South Island or ''Te Waipounamu''. Various Māori iwi sometimes use other names, with some preferring to call the South Island ''Te Waka o Aoraki''. The two islands are separated by Cook Strait. In general practice, the term ''mainland'' refers to the North Island and South Island. However, the South Island alone is sometimes called "the mainland" – especially by its residents, as a nickname – because it is the larger of the two main islands. To the south of the South Island, Stewart Island / Rakiura is t ...
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Basalt
Basalt (; ) is an aphanite, aphanitic (fine-grained) extrusive igneous rock formed from the rapid cooling of low-viscosity lava rich in magnesium and iron (mafic lava) exposed at or very near the planetary surface, surface of a terrestrial planet, rocky planet or natural satellite, moon. More than 90% of all volcanic rock on Earth is basalt. Rapid-cooling, fine-grained basalt is chemically equivalent to slow-cooling, coarse-grained gabbro. The eruption of basalt lava is observed by geologists at about 20 volcanoes per year. Basalt is also an important rock type on other planetary bodies in the Solar System. For example, the bulk of the plains of volcanism on Venus, Venus, which cover ~80% of the surface, are basaltic; the lunar mare, lunar maria are plains of flood-basaltic lava flows; and basalt is a common rock on the surface of Mars. Molten basalt lava has a low viscosity due to its relatively low silica content (between 45% and 52%), resulting in rapidly moving lava flo ...
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Argillite
:''"Argillite" may also refer to Argillite, Kentucky.'' Argillite () is a fine-grained sedimentary rock composed predominantly of indurated clay particles. Argillaceous rocks are basically lithified muds and oozes. They contain variable amounts of silt-sized particles. The argillites grade into shale when the fissile layering typical of shale is developed. Another name for poorly lithified argillites is ''mudstone''. These rocks, although variable in composition, are typically high in aluminium and silica with variable alkali and alkaline earth cations. The term ''pelitic'' or ''pelite'' is often applied to these sediments and rocks. Metamorphism of argillites produces slate, phyllite, and pelitic schist. Belt Supergroup The Belt Supergroup, an assemblage of rocks of late Precambrian (Mesoproterozoic) age, includes thick sequences of argillite, as well as other metamorphosed or semi-metamorphosed mudstones.Schieber, J. 1990. Significance of styles of epicontinental shale sedime ...
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Blowhole (geology)
In geology, a blowhole or marine geyser is formed as sea caves grow landwards and upwards into vertical shafts and expose themselves towards the surface, which can result in hydraulic compression of sea water that is released through a port from the top of the blowhole. The geometry of the cave and blowhole along with tide levels and swell conditions determine the height of the spray. Mechanics Blowholes are likely to occur in areas where there are crevices, such as lava tubes, in rock along the coast. These areas are often located along fault lines and on islands. As powerful waves hit the coast, water rushes into these crevices and bursts out in a high pressured release. It is often accompanied by a loud noise and wide spray, and for this reason, blowholes are often sites of tourism. Marine erosion on rocky coastlines produce blowholes that are found throughout the world. They are found at intersecting faults and on the windward sides of a coastline where they receive highe ...
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Poor Knights Islands
The Poor Knights Islands (Māori: ''Tawhiti Rahi)'' are a group of islands off the east coast of the Northland Region of the North Island of New Zealand. They lie to the northeast of Whangarei, and offshore halfway between Bream Head and Cape Brett. Uninhabited since the 1820s, they are a nature reserve and popular underwater diving spot, with boat tours typically departing from Tutukaka. The Poor Knights Islands Marine Reserve surrounds the island. Beaglehole (1955) comments that the origin of the island name is not clear, and speculates that the name could be related to the Poor Knights of Windsor, or that the islands were named for their resemblance to Poor Knight's Pudding, a bread-based dish topped with egg and fried, popular at the time of discovery by Europeans. Description The chain consists of two large islands (Tawhiti Rahi, the larger at , and Aorangi () to the south), and several smaller islands. Aorangaia and Archway Island lie to the southwest of Aor ...
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Northland Region
The Northland Region ( mi, Te Tai Tokerau) is the northernmost of New Zealand's 16 local government regions. New Zealanders sometimes refer to it as the Winterless North because of its mild climate all throughout the year. The main population centre is the city of Whangārei, and the largest town is Kerikeri. At the 2018 New Zealand census, Northland recorded a population growth spurt of 18.1% since the previous 2013 census, placing it as the fastest growing region in New Zealand, ahead of other strong growth regions such as the Bay of Plenty (2nd with 15%) and Waikato (3rd with 13.5%). Geography The Northland Region occupies the northern 80% (265 km) of the 330 km Northland Peninsula, the southernmost part of which is in the Auckland Region. Stretching from a line at which the peninsula narrows to a width of just 15 km a little north of the town of Wellsford, Northland Region extends north to the tip of the Northland Peninsula, covering an area of 13,940&nb ...
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Buller's Shearwater
Buller's shearwater (''Ardenna bulleri'') is a Pacific species of seabird in the family Procellariidae; it is also known as the grey-backed shearwater or New Zealand shearwater. A member of the black-billed wedge-tailed ''Thyellodroma'' group, among the larger shearwaters of the genus ''Ardenna'', it forms a superspecies with the wedge-tailed shearwater (''A. pacificus''). Description Adults birds are in length, with a wingspan, and have been recorded to weigh . The upperside of Buller's shearwater is bluish grey. A blackish stripe runs from the tertiary remiges to the primary wing coverts. The primary remiges are blackish, also; the two black areas do not meet at the hand, however; the area between them is a rather light grey, and under bright light may appear almost white. With the bird facing upwards, the pattern gives the impression of a broken black "M", with light grey interspersing areas.Carboneras (1992) The underside is bright white; on the head the upperside's gre ...
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Department Of Conservation (New Zealand)
The Department of Conservation (DOC; Māori: ''Te Papa Atawhai'') is the public service department of New Zealand charged with the conservation of New Zealand's natural and historical heritage. An advisory body, the New Zealand Conservation Authority (NZCA) is provided to advise DOC and its ministers. In addition there are 15 conservation boards for different areas around the country that provide for interaction between DOC and the public. Function Overview The department was formed on 1 April 1987, as one of several reforms of the public service, when the ''Conservation Act 1987'' was passed to integrate some functions of the Department of Lands and Survey, the Forest Service and the Wildlife Service. This act also set out the majority of the department's responsibilities and roles. As a consequence of Conservation Act all Crown land in New Zealand designated for conservation and protection became managed by the Department of Conservation. This is about 30% of New Z ...
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