Moutohora Island
| Moutohora Island, Whale Island | |
|---|---|
| Moutohorā (Māori) | |
Moutohora Island seen from the south.
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| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 353 m (1,158 ft) |
| Prominence | 353 m (1,158 ft) |
| Coordinates | 37°51′S 176°59′E / 37.850°S 176.983°E |
| Geography | |
| Location | Bay of Plenty, North Island, New Zealand |
| Geology | |
| Mountain type | Complex volcano |
| Last eruption | |
Moutohora Island or Whale Island (Moutohorā in Māori) is a small uninhabited island located off the Bay of Plenty coast of New Zealand's North Island, about 9 kilometres (5.6 mi) north of the town of Whakatane. The 1.43 km2 (0.55 sq mi) island is a remnant of a complex volcano which has eroded, leaving two peaks. This is still an area of volcanic activity and there are hot springs on the island in Sulphur Valley, McEwans Bay, and Sulphur Bay.
The Māori name, Moutohorā, is a contracted form of Motutohorā, meaning "Whale Island" or "Captured Whale". The spelling with the macron is increasingly used in English, although the official name of the island currently omits it. The island's name is also commonly spelt "Motuhora". Tohora is maori name for southern right whales.
Numerous archaeological sites of both Māori and European origin have been recorded, including an extensive pa (fortified earthworks) site on Pa Hill and a number of house terraces and garden sites, middens (food refuse dumps), stone tool manufacture areas and stone walls. After permanent Maori occupation ceased in the early nineteenth century, Ngāti Awa and Tūhoe continued to visit the island for sea food and muttonbirds and to collect stones for hāngi (underground ovens).
The first European occupation came in the 1830s with an unsuccessful attempt to establish a shore-based whaling station. The venture failed without a single whale being captured. Forty years later came attempts to make money from sulphur. It was extracted and sold to a refinery in Auckland over a number of years but was of poor quality, and the venture was abandoned in 1895. The next phase of industrial activity came in 1915, when quarrying provided rock for the construction of the Whakatane harbour wall. A total of 26,000 tonnes (25,589 long tons; 28,660 short tons) of rock was removed over five years.
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