Moturoa (island)

This article is about the island off the coast of New Plymouth. For Moturoa / Rabbit Island in the Tasman Region, see Moturoa / Rabbit Island.

Moturoa

Moturoa Island

Motumahanga and Moturoa

Geography
Location| near Port Taranaki
Coordinates| 39°02′55″S 174°01′40″E﻿ / ﻿39.04861°S 174.02778°E﻿ / -39.04861; 174.02778
Archipelago| Sugar Loaf Islands
Length| 120 m (390 ft)
Width| 100 m (300 ft)
Highest elevation| 81 m (266 ft)
Administration

New Zealand

Demographics
Population| 0

Moturoa is a steeply sloped island off the coast of Taranaki, New Zealand. It is the easternmost and largest of the Sugar Loaf Islands, hence its name, which is Māori for "long island".[1] Moturoa is 120 metres long at its longest point, and around 100 metres wide. It is separated from the Taranaki coast of the North Island mainland by an 800-metre (2,600 ft) wide channel. The entrance to Port Taranaki lies just to the east.[2]

The island has lent its name to Moturoa, a suburb of New Plymouth, which lies on the mainland 1.5 kilometres to the southeast.

A cluster of smaller islands, of which Whareumu (Lion Rock) is the largest, lies some 60 metres off the island's southwest coast.

## Habitation[edit]

Moturoa is uninhabited, but it and several of the other Sugar Loaf Islands were hunting, fishing and gathering grounds and places of refuge for local inhabitants and the Taranaki and Te Āti Awa for hundreds of years.[3][4]

## Blasting Moturoa and Whareumu[edit]

In the early 20th century Moturoa and Whareumu were blasted with explosives in the hope to connect the islands to Mikotahi and the growing port at Moturoa on the mainland. After this was abandoned focus turned to mining Paritutu, west of New Plymouth.[5][6]

The appearance of the two islands was changed greatly as a result of this work.[7]

## See also[edit]

* Islands portal

* Desert island
* List of islands

## References[edit]

1. ^ "1000 Māori place names". New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage. 6 August 2019.
2. ^ Moturoa NZTopomap. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
3. ^ "Mikotahi | NZETC". nzetc.victoria.ac.nz. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
4. ^ "Richard (Dicky) Barrett and Wakaiwa Rawinia (Lavinia)". Barrett Honeyfield Tupuna / Ancestry: their lives, the times and their legacy. 16 July 2015. Retrieved 30 August 2019.
5. ^ ""Blasting Moturoa Island for rock"". Puke Ariki Museum Libraries Tourist Information Taranaki New Zealand. Retrieved 30 August 2019.
6. ^ "Port Taranaki – Peter Peryer". Retrieved 30 August 2019.
7. ^ "Moturoa Island". Puke Ariki Museum Libraries Tourist Information Taranaki New Zealand. Retrieved 30 August 2019.

* v
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New Plymouth District, New Zealand

Seat: New Plymouth Central

Populated places|

| North Ward|

* Ahititi
* Huirangi
* Lepperton
* Mimi
* Motunui
* Onaero
* Tikorangi
* Tongapōrutu
* Urenui
* Uruti
* Waitara

|

City Ward|

* Bell Block
* Blagdon
* Brooklands
* East End
* Ferndale
* Fitzroy
* Frankleigh Park
* Glen Avon
* Highlands Park
* Hillsborough
* Hurdon
* Lynmouth
* Mangorei
* Marfell
* Merrilands
* Moturoa
* New Plymouth Central
* Paraite
* Ridgewood
* Spotswood
* Strandon
* Vogeltown
* Waiwhakaiho
* Welbourn
* Westown
* Whalers Gate

South-West Ward|

* Egmont Village
* Hurworth
* Inglewood
* Kaimata
* Norfolk
* Ōkato
* Ōakura
* Omata
* Purangi
* Ratapiko
* Tataraimaka
* Waitoriki

Geographic features|

* Moturoa
* Sugar Loaf Islands
* North Taranaki Bight

Facilities and attractions|

* Bell Block Aerodrome
* Bertrand Road suspension bridge
* Festival of Lights
* G-TARanaki Guitar Festival
* Govett-Brewster Art Gallery
* Holy Trinity Church, New Plymouth
* McKee field
* McKee power station
* New Plymouth Airport
* New Plymouth Coastal Walkway
* New Plymouth Power Station
* Parininihi Marine Reserve
* Port Taranaki
* Public transport
* Puke Ariki
* Pukeiti
* Pukekura Park
* Sugar Loaf Islands Marine Reserve Area
* Taranaki Cathedral
* Te Henui Cemetery
* Te Rewa Rewa Bridge
* TSB Stadium
* Tapuae Marine Reserve
* Tūpare garden
* Wind Wand
* Yarrow Stadium

Government|

* District Council
* Mayor
* Regional Council

Organisations|

* Coastal Taranaki School
* Energy FM
* First Gas
* Francis Douglas Memorial College
* New Plymouth Boys' High School
* New Plymouth Girls' High School
* Radio Taranaki
* Sacred Heart Girls' College
* Spotswood College
* Taranaki Daily News
* Taranaki Herald
* Western Institute of Technology at Taranaki

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