Kawau Island, New Zealand
Mansion House in March, 1967
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| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 36°25′24″S 174°50′50″E / 36.4232163°S 174.8472404°E |
| Length | 8 km (5 mi) |
| Width | 5 km (3.1 mi) |
| Administration | |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 70 |
Kawau Island is an island in the Hauraki Gulf, close to the north-eastern coast of the North Island of New Zealand. At its closest point it lies 1.4 km (0.87 mi) off the coast of the North Auckland Peninsula, just south of Tawharanui Peninsula, and about 8 km (5.0 mi) by sea journey from Sandspit Wharf, and shelters Kawau Bay to the north-east of Warkworth. It is 40 km (25 mi) north of Auckland. Mansion House in the Kawau Island Historic Reserve is an important historic tourist attraction. Almost every property on the Island relies on direct access to the sea. There are only two short roads serving settlements at Schoolhouse Bay and South Cove, and most people have private wharves for access to their front door steps.
The island is named after the Māori word for the shag (cormorant) bird.
A regular ferry service operates to the island from Sandspit Wharf on the mainland, as do water taxi services.
The island is 8 by 5 km (5.0 by 3.1 mi) at its longest axes, and is almost bisected by the long inlet of Bon Accord Harbour which is geologically a "drowned valley". The sheltered location of the bay has made it a favourite stop for yachts for more than a century.
Coordinates: 36°25′24″S 174°50′50″E / 36.4232163°S 174.8472404°E
Kawau, though providing little arable land, was well-favoured by Māori for its beautiful surrounding waters, with battles over the island common from the 17th century on.
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