Kawau Island is in the Hauraki Gulf, close to the north-eastern coast of the North Island of New Zealand. It is named after the Māori word for the shag. At its closest point it lies off the coast of the Northland Peninsula, just south of Tāwharanui Peninsula, and about by sea journey from Sandspit Wharf, and shelters Kawau Bay to the north-east of Warkworth. It is north of Auckland.
Almost every property on the island relies on direct access to the sea. There are only two short roads serving settlements at Schoolhouse Bay and South Cove, and most residents have private wharves for access to their front door steps. A regular ferry service operates to the island from Sandspit Wharf on the mainland, as do water taxi services. For more than a century, the sheltered location of the bay has made it a favourite stopping place for yachts.
Approximately 17,000 years ago, during the Last Glacial Maximum, when sea levels were over 100 metres lower than at present, Kawau Island was connected to the North Island, and surrounded by a vast coastal plain where the Hauraki Gulf exists today. Sea levels began to rise 7,000 years ago, after which Kawau became an island, separated from the rest of New Zealand.
History
Kawau, though providing little arable land, was well-favoured by Māori for its beautiful surrounding waters, with battles over the island common from the 17th century on. Miners from Falmouth, Cornwall were brought over for the operation. After it was discovered that unsmelted ore was a fire hazard for ships, smelters from Wales were employed to run an ore-smelting operation on the island. The ruins of the mine's pumphouse are registered as a Category I heritage structure.
In 1968, the island was annexed by Rodney County.
The island is home to kiwis and two-thirds of the entire population of North Island weka. Among the animals that Grey introduced were five species of wallabies, as well as kookaburras. As at 2002, Kawau Island was home to the largest island population of North Island weka.
Demographics
Statistics New Zealand describes Kawau Island as a rural settlement which covers and includes Motuora, Moturekareka Island, Motuketekete Island, Takangaroa Island and Rabbit Island, all of which are uninhabited. It had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km<sup>2</sup>. The area is part of the larger Gulf Islands statistical area.