Tonga Island is a small (0.15 km2) island in Tasman Bay / Te Tai-o-Aorere, off the northern coast of the South Island of New Zealand.[1] It lies within the Abel Tasman National Park, about 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) off Onetahuti Beach.[2] The island has a flourishing fur seal colony,[3][4] and is surrounded by the Tonga Island Marine Reserve, which was inaugurated in 1993.
 Tonga Island from water taxi | |
  Tonga Island .svg)  Tonga Island | |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Tasman Bay / Te Tai-o-Aorere, New Zealand |
| Coordinates | 40°53′25″S 173°04′02″E / 40.89028°S 173.06722°E |
| Total islands | 1 |
| Area | 0.15 km2 (0.058 sq mi) |
| Length | 0.5 km (0.31 mi) |
| Width | 0.5 km (0.31 mi) |
| Highest elevation | 83 m (272 ft) |
| Administration | |
The island is accessible by water taxi or kayak and visible from the Abel Tasman Coast Track.[5]
The first peoples named the place after a small island in their east Polynesian homeland.[6]
See also
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References
edit- ^ "Tonga Island, Tasman - NZ Topo Map". NZ Topo Map. Land Information New Zealand. Retrieved 22 December 2015.
- ^ Hoiberg, Dale H., ed. (2010). "Abel Tasman National Park". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. I: A-ak Bayes (15th ed.). Chicago, IL: Encyclopædia Britannica Inc. pp. 25. ISBN 978-1-59339-837-8.
- ^ "Tonga Island Marine Reserve". Department of Conservation NZ. Retrieved 22 December 2015.
- ^ Nelson Marlborough Conservancy (2012). "Abel Tasman National Park" (PDF). New Zealand Department of Conservation. Retrieved 18 November 2013.
- ^ "Tonga Island Marine Reserve" (PDF). Department of Conservation NZ. Retrieved 22 December 2015.
- ^ Simpson, Philip (2018). Down the Bay: a natural and cultural history of Abel Tasman National Park. Nelson: Potton & Burton. p. 18. ISBN 9780947503932.
External links
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40°53′S 173°04′E / 40.883°S 173.067°E
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