Area 86 ha (210 acres) | Population 0 | |
Location Foveaux Strait, Southland Region | ||
Raratoka Island (also known as Centre Island) is a small island 86 hectares (210 acres) in Foveaux Strait off the coast of Stewart Island / Rakiura, New Zealand. It is located 25 kilometres (16 mi) north of Stewart island's northernmost point, Black Rock Point, and 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) southwest of the Southland town of Riverton on the South Island mainland. Several small reefs surround the island, notably Escape Reefs, 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) to the east, and Hapuka Rock, 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) to the southwest.
Map of Centre Island, New Zealand
The island was named by Māori after the Island of Rarotonga, and is the Southern Māori form of the same word, meaning "beneath the south" or "south wind".
Raratoka Island is used as an island sanctuary, with the Department of Conservation releasing 15 captive bred birds in 2006 after eradicating the population of Polynesian rats. The island contains a lighthouse and a small airstrip.