Coal Island (New Zealand)

Coal Island

Native name: Te Puka Hereka
Coal Island / Te Puka-Hereka on RHS & Steep-To Island LHS - From North
Coal Island Location in New Zealand
Geography
Location	Fiordland
Coordinates	46°7′S 166°38′E
Area	11.63 km^2 (4.49 sq mi)[1]
Highest elevation	251 m (823 ft)
Administration
New Zealand
Demographics
Population	0

Coal Island is an island in Fiordland, at the southwest of New Zealand's South Island.^[2] It lies in the entrance to Rakituma / Preservation Inlet, between Puysegur Point and Gulches Head.^[3] Its Māori name is Te Puka-Hereka Island, which translates as "The Tied Anchor".

The island is part of Fiordland National Park and is an important conservation site.^[4] It was declared pest-free in 2005 and is one of only nine islands in the area that is completely free of introduced mammalian pests.^[1][5] Since 2005, endangered endemic birds such as the Haast kiwi (totoaka) and the Yellowhead (mohua) have been released on the island.^[4][6]

See also

• Desert island
• List of islands

References

1. "Project implementation: Fiordland Island restoration programme". Department of Conservation. Retrieved 13 October 2017.
2. "Coal Island, Southland - NZ Topo Map". NZ Topo Map. Land Information New Zealand. Retrieved 13 October 2017.
3. "Coal Island". Retrieved 22 April 2017.
4. "Coal Island Trust". South West New Zealand Endangered Species Charitable Trust. Retrieved 13 October 2017.
5. "FCT Newsletter 'Jigsaw'" (PDF). Fiordland Conservation Trust. August 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 February 2018. Retrieved 16 October 2017.
6. Edmonds, Hannah (2015). "Robin and mohua translocation to Coal Island Report". www.doc.govt.nz. Archived from the original on 22 March 2021. Retrieved 22 March 2021.

External links

• Radio NZ interview about how Coal Island became predator free