Whakarua Moutere (North East Islands)

Whakarua Moutere (North East Islands) are a series of protected islands along the tip of the North Island which serve as sanctuary islands where species threatened on the mainland can recover. The islands are richly biodiverse, supporting flora such as the Poor Knights lily and the endangered Three Kings kaikomako and fauna such as the New Zealand storm petrel and the kakapo, a nocturnal parrot. One of the islands, Little Barrier, has been described as “the most intact [native] ecosystem in New Zealand.”