Title: CAVALLI ISLANDS TRIP, NEW YEAR 1978-1979 Introduction and Acknowledgements
Abstract: Following the success of the 1977 Hen Island camp, a group of Field Club oldies formed the Offshore Island Research Group, with the aim of organising annual field trips to the offshore islands. The first trip was to the Cavalli Islands during the New Year period of 1978-1979. On December 28th, a party of sixteen left Whangaroa in a heavily laden launch towing two dinghys. We spent ten gloriously fine days camped around the old homestead in Papatara Bay (Fig. 1) on the largest of the Cavalli Islands, Motukawanui, and returned to Whangaroa late on Sunday January 7th. The party consisted of Dave Court, Anne and Roger Grace, Glenys and Bruce Hayward and Kathryn (9 months), Rod Hitchmough, Phil Millener, Phil Moore, Jon Nicholson, Gillian Puch, Gael and Ross Ramsay, Lin Roberts, Richard Willan and Anthony Wright. We enjoyed the company of Dick Anderson (Wildlife Service) and John Gardiner (Chief Ranger, Bay of Islands Maritime and Historic Park) for three days late in the trip. Party members studied the islands' archaeology, birds, botany, geology, insects, lichens, lizards, rats and marine ecology. The results of many of these studies follow. The trip was notable for the long period of calm sunny weather, enforced noon siestas, sunburnt bodies, crayfish dinners, the consumption of 55 tanks of air, 340 litres of petrol, 570 litres of mainland water, 200 onions, and the 34 candles on Roger's birthday cake. The Cavalli Islands are situated off the coast of Northland between the Bay of Islands and Whangaroa, some 2-4km out from Matauri Bay. The largest island, Motukawanui, is in the centre of the group (Fig. 2). It is 4km long, 2km wide, rises to 177m high at the trig and covers an area of 310 hectares. Around this main island are a further 33 formally named islands, rocks and reefs and many more unnamed ones, of which we have informally named seven for reference (Fig. 3). South of Motukawanui is a group of southern islands which includes Motukawaiti or Step Island (second largest island at 37.5 hectares), as well as Algal Rocks, Kahangaro, Kahangaroiti Rocks, Motuhuia, Motukahakaha, Piraunui, Tarawera, Whatupuke and Whatupukeiti Rocks. One to two kilometres east of Motukawanui are the eastern islands of Motuharakeke, Te Anaputa, Te Anaputaiti and numerous rocks. Off the north tip of Motukawanui are the northern islands of
Publication Year: 1979
Publication Date: 1979-01-01
Language: en
Type: article
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Cited By Count: 3
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