Motutapu Island (or simply Motutapu) is located in the Hauraki Gulf to the northeast of the city of Auckland, New Zealand. The island is part of the Hauraki Gulf Maritime Park. Its full name, rarely used, is Te Motutapu a Taikehu, "The sacred island of Taikehu", Taikehu having been a tohunga (tribal priest) of the Tainui iwi. A true-colour image showing Auckland city (left), the Hauraki Gulf (centre) and the Coromandel Peninsula (right). ... Auckland, in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest urban area in New Zealand. ... Tainui is a Maori Iwi Waka Confederation of New Zealand. ... Iwi (pronounced ee-wee) are the largest everyday social units in Māori society. ...

The island is linked by an artificial causeway to the much younger volcanic island cone of Rangitoto. Prior to the emergence of the volcano, the island had been extensively occupied by Maori for over 100 years. The eruption, some 700 years ago, destroyed their settlements, but there is circumstantial evidence that some of the residents escaped the destruction, presumably by waka (canoe). Of the many archaeological sites recorded, one shows human footprints preserved in solidified ash. A volcano is a geological landform (usually a mountain) where magma (rock of the Earths interior made molten or liquid by extremely high temperatures along with a reduction in pressure and/or the introduction of water or other volatiles) erupts through the surface of the planet. ... Rangitoto Island is a volcanic island in the Hauraki Gulf near Auckland, New Zealand. ... Te Puni, Māori Chief Māori is the name of the indigenous people of New Zealand, and their language. ... In the Maori language and New Zealand English, waka or Waaka are Maori watercraft, usually canoes. ...

The eruption provided a new layer of fertile soil, and settlements were soon re-established, although many of the archaeological sites found indicate that seabirds and shellfish were a more important part of the diet than anything provided by cultivated land. There are the remains of a number of important pa on the island. Pa, Maori word meaning a fortified village or redoubt, described at length in Maori Wars. ...

During World War II, the island was an important coastal defence position, and military tunnels and bunkers can still be viewed by visitors to the island. The causeway, which is actually quite broad, stems from that time to allow easier connection between Motutapu and Rangitoto. World War II was a truly global conflict with many facets: immense human suffering, fierce indoctrinations, and the use of new, extremely devastating weapons such as the atom bomb World War II, also known as the Second World War, was a mid-20th-century conflict that engulfed much of the... Rangitoto Island is a volcanic island in the Hauraki Gulf near Auckland, New Zealand. ...

External links

• NZ Geographic article
• Motutapu Restoration Trust