Ruapuke Island
Overview map.
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| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 46°47′S 168°30′E / 46.783°S 168.500°E |
| Area | 16 km2 (6.2 sq mi) |
| Highest elevation | 64 m (210 ft) |
| Administration | |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 0 |
Ruapuke Island is one of the southernmost islands in New Zealand's main chain of islands. It lies 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) to the southeast of Bluff and 32 kilometres (20 mi) northeast of Oban on Stewart Island/Rakiura. It was named "Bench Island" upon its European discovery by Captain James Cook in 1770, but has rarely been known by any other name than its Māori name, which means "two hills". The island covers an area of about 16 km2 (6 sq mi). It guards the eastern end of Foveaux Strait.
The island formerly had a Māori population of 200. Notable Māori inhabitants included Kai Tahu chief Tūhawaiki and John Topi Patuki, MLC. A mission station was established on the island in 1843 by the Rev Johan Wohlers, but it too is long gone.
The island was the site of several shipwrecks during the latter half of the 19th century, though most were without the loss of life. One exception was the collision of the cutters "Annie" and "Deveron" during a storm in April 1894, which resulted in the loss of two lives. The island and its surrounding rocks and reefs are still a hazard to the fishing vessels which ply Foveaux Strait, itself a notoriously dangerous stretch of water.
Sheep were farmed on the island for some time, though it is now uninhabited, and privately owned by descendants of Tūhawaiki. The island is notable for its bird life, and it is a breeding site for the endangered yellow-eyed penguin. Cetaceans such as southern right whales may be spotted around the island during migration seasons.
The centre of the island is flat with a height of 41 m (135 ft), and there are hummocks on its north, south and west ends. The island is covered mainly with stunted trees, but also has open scrub land and some low-lying marshland. The island's major geographic features include three large bays, the largest of which is Henrietta Bay, in the southwest, named for the brig "Elizabeth Henrietta" which ran aground there in February 1824. The other bays are Lagoon Bay (in the west) and Caroline Bay (in the north west). The small Waitokariro Lagoon lies immediately inland from Henrietta Bay. The three bays are separated by two large peninsulas, and two more peninsulas extend at the northern and southern ends of the island, culminating in North Head and South Head respectively. One of these peninsulas, that between Lagoon and Caroline Bays, is a tombolo. North Head is a cliffy promontory rising to a hummock, 62 m (203 ft) high. Close to the westernmost point, on the peninsula separating Lagoon Bay and Henrietta Bay, the island reaches its highest point, 64 m (210 ft) above sea level. It is these two hummocks which give the island its name.
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Wikipedia