White Island (Otago)
Māori: Ponuiahine or 'Pomuiahine' | |
---|---|
Geography | |
Coordinates | 45°56′01″S 170°29′55″E / 45.933561°S 170.498572°E |
Area | 1,600 m2 (17,000 sq ft) |
Length | 80 m (260 ft) |
Width | 30 m (100 ft) |
Highest elevation | 15 m (49 ft) |
Administration | |
Demographics | |
Population | 0 |
White Island is an island 2,500 metres (2,700 yd) off the coast of
Name
The island's Māori name is Ponuiahine - also given as 'Pomuiahine'. It has been translated, probably too literally, as 'The girl's great night', giving rise to witty suggestions as to why that might be. Goodall and Griffiths suggested it should be understood as 'Pou-nui-a-Hine, referring to a post being a memorial to some significant event involving Hine'. They observe 'Hine' can be a man's name but clearly this suggestion leaves open the original ribald speculations.[1] As a place for a lovers' tryst it seems unpromising.
Ragged Rock
White Island may be the 'Ragged Rock' where the Sydney
1826 sighting
On 1 May 1826 Thomas Shepherd, keeping a journal as he approached this coast as nurseryman to the first New Zealand Company's settlement expedition in the Rosanna, accompanied by the Lambton, said he 'saw two remarkable Sugar loaf Rocks in the sea near the shore about 100 feet (30 m) high'. A man was sent ashore and came back with a Māori man called Tatawa who 'said he belonged to Otago'. Shepherd later confirmed this was the part of the coast he was talking about.[3] There is a reef south of White Island where the sea may be seen breaking. Presumably in the 1820s it too rose well above the sea. By the time of Dunedin's settlement in 1848 there was only the single island visible.
See also
- Desert island
- List of islands of New Zealand
- Lists of islands