Native name: Ka Tū-waewae-o-Tū | |
|---|---|
 Secretary Island's eastern end | |
 Map of Secretary Island | |
  Secretary Island Location of Secretary Island in relationship to the South Island   Secretary Island Secretary Island (South Island) | |
| Geography | |
| Location | Fiordland |
| Coordinates | 45°15′S 166°55′E / 45.250°S 166.917°E |
| Area | 81.4 km2 (31.4 sq mi) |
| Highest elevation | 1,196 m (3924 ft) |
| Highest point | Mount Grono |
| Administration | |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 0 |
Secretary Island (Māori: Ka Tū-waewae-o-Tū[1]) is an island in southwestern New Zealand, lying entirely within Fiordland National Park. Roughly triangular in shape, it lies between Doubtful Sound / Patea in the south and Te Awa-o-Tū / Thompson Sound in the north, with its west coast facing the Tasman Sea. To the east of the island, Pendulo Reach connects Te Awa-o-Tū / Thompson Sound with Doubtful Sound / Patea. Steeply sloped, the entirely bush-clad island rises to a chain of several peaks higher than 1000 metres. The highest of these is the 1,196-metre (3,924 ft) Mount Grono, the highest peak in the main New Zealand chain not located in the North or South Island. The island also contains three lakes. The largest, Secretary Lake, over 600 metres (2,000 ft) long, is located beneath Mount Grono at an altitude of 550 metres (1,800 ft).[2]
The island is uninhabited, and covers 81.4 km2 (31 sq mi) of predominantly steep terrain almost entirely covered in dense native beech-podocarp forest, including plants such as mistletoes and mountain lancewood, which have been decimated elsewhere by the browsing of possums.[3]
Its isolation and size make Secretary Island one of the most important islands in New Zealand for the conservation efforts of vulnerable native species. The island was never inhabited by possums or rodents, and by 2007, deer and stoat were eradicated as well, making it the largest completely pest-free island in New Zealand.[4]
With the removal of deer, the complete native ecosystem is thriving, with plants from ground covers through to trees supporting a healthy population of native animals from insects and spiders to native birds. Transferred populations of endangered birds in particular have been recovering thanks to the absence of rats and mice.[3]
- ^ "Secretary Island". NZ Gazetteer. LINZ. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
- ^ "Secretary Island, Southland – NZ Topo Map". NZ Topo Map. Land Information New Zealand. Retrieved 8 November 2016.
- ^ a b "Where is Secretary Island and why is it so special". Department of Conservation. Retrieved 8 November 2016.
- ^ "Project implementation: Fiordland Islands restoration programme". Department of Conservation. Retrieved 10 November 2016.