The Simmonds Islands are a small group of uninhabited islands in the

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 ...

of the Northland Region of New Zealand. The islands lie about 1 km north of Granville Point, at the southern end of

Henderson Bay Henderson Bay is a bay on the Aupouri Peninsula, near the very top of the North Island in New Zealand. It is on the eastern side of the peninsula next to the Pacific Ocean and 7 km off New Zealand State Highway 1, 66 km south of Cape R ...

. The group consists of two main islands - "Motu Puruhi" (west) and "Terakautuhaka Island" (east) - in close proximity, plus a few sea stacks. Simmonds Islands from Henderson Bay, Northland, New Zealand

Simmonds Islands from Henderson Bay, Northland, New Zealand

Flora, fauna, and geology

The islands are managed as a reserve by the

Department of Conservation An environmental ministry is a national or subnational government agency politically responsible for the environment and/or natural resources. Various other names are commonly used to identify such agencies, such as Ministry of the Environment ...

, and is a 'no landing zone'. The islands are home to a variety of sea and shore birds, including the

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, a ...

which, until discovered breeding here in 1990, was thought to breed only on the Poor Knights Islands. Numerous

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 + ...

s 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 "boulder beach", and described the "Anapuhipuhi

Blowhole Blowhole may refer to: * Blowhole (anatomy), the hole at the top of a whale's or other cetacean's head *Blowhole (geology), a hole at the inland end of a sea cave **Kiama Blowhole in Kiama, Australia **The Blow Hole, a marine passage between Minst ...

" - to the south-east of the easternmost main islet (now named "Terakautuhaka Island") as "produc(ing) a spray rising 40 to 45 feet" (12 to 14m). A subsequent research paper in 1968 described a geological survey of the islands, noting that the islands consist mostly of argillite and basalt.

References

External links

Topographical map showing the Simmonds Islands

A 1975 botanical survey of the Simmonds Islands
{{coord, 34.75563, S, 173.15620, E, region:NZ_type:isle, display=title Islands of the Northland Region Far North District Uninhabited islands of New Zealand

Flora, fauna, and geology

See also

References

External links