The island was named after the
survey shipHMS Chatham which was the first European ship to locate the island in 1791.[2] It covers an area of 920 km2 (355 sq mi).[3]
Chatham Island lies 650 km (404 mi) south-east of
Cape Turnagain, the nearest point of mainland New Zealand to the island.
Geography
The geography of the roughly T-shaped island is dominated by three features: two bays and a lagoon. More than half of the west coast of Chatham is taken up by the deep indentation of Petre Bay. The island's main settlement of
Waitangi is located in a small indentation in
Petre Bay's southern coast. Other significant settlements are
Kaingaroa on the northeast promontory, and
Owenga on the south side of Hanson Bay.
On the east coast is the even larger
Hanson Bay, which stretches for the entire length of the island (35 kilometres (22 mi)).[5]
Much of the area between the bays is taken up by the large
Te Whanga Lagoon, which drains to the sea to the east, into the southern half of Hanson Bay. This lagoon covers about 160 square kilometres (62 sq mi),[6] and drains several small rivers that rise in the hills at the south end of the island. The next largest lakes are
Rangitahi and
Huro, respectively northeast and southwest of Te Whanga.[7] The central and north part of Chatham Island are mostly flat, with altitudes ranging from a few metres on the northeast and centre to 50 m on the northwest, but with a few scattered hillocks.[7] The south part is higher, generally sloping down towards north and west; about half of it is over 150 m above sea level. The south coast of the island is mostly cliffs 100 m high or more. The highest point of the island (299 m) lies close to its southernmost point.[7]
Chatham Island hosts the only known breeding population of the
endemic and critically endangered
magenta petrel or tāiko (Pterodroma magentae). The seabird was thought to be extinct until 1978, and had a population of under 200 in 2017.[8]
In popular culture
Chatham Island (or "Isle") is featured in the first and in the final chapter of Cloud Atlas, the 2004 novel by
David Mitchell. The novel was adapted
for screen in 2012.[9]
^"Chatham Island tāiko". New Zealand Department of Conservation.
Archived from the original on 19 June 2017. The indicated year is based on the change in the specified population in the preceding archived webpage.