Taiaroa Head
Taiaroa Head is a headland at the end of the Otago Peninsula in New Zealand, overlooking the mouth of the Otago Harbour. It lies within the city limits of Dunedin. The nearest settlement, Otakou, lies three kilometres to the south.
The cape is home to a lighthouse, built in 1864, and a colony of over 100 northern royal albatrosses, which established itself in 1919[1] – the only such colony on an inhabited mainland. There is also the Royal Albatross Centre.
History
The headland is named for
Historically, several commercial whaling stations established on the peninsula and the number of whales in this area were heavily exploited.
Ruins of former coastal defences are located nearby, notably a restored Armstrong disappearing gun emplacement built in 1886 following a scare that New Zealand might be invaded by the Russians.
Wildlife
A small beach, Pilots Beach, is located just inside the harbour entrance to the south of the head, and many forms of marine life, such as
There may also be seen a number of
Royal albatross colony
The first albatross egg at the head was discovered in 1919, although it was not until 1938 that ornithologist
Notes
- ^ a b "Albatross colony marking 70 years". Otago Daily Times. 28 August 2008. Retrieved 30 August 2008.
- ^ a b "Taiaroa Head, OTAGO PENINSULA". New Zealand Historic Trust. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
- ^ "Nature within the city". The Hindu. 2001. Archived from the original on 25 January 2013. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
- ^ "Action Plan for Seabird Conservation in New Zealand" (PDF). New Zealand Department of Conservation. May 2000. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
References
- Dann, C. & ISBN 0-477-01438-0.
- ISBN 0-473-05591-0.
- Herd, J. & Griffiths, G. J. (1980). Discovering Dunedin. Dunedin, NZ: John McIndoe. ISBN 0-86868-030-3.
Further reading
- Leach, H. M.; Hamel, G. E. (1977). "The place of Taiaroa Head and other Classic Maori Sites in the Prehistory of East Otago". Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand. 8 (3): 239–251. .