Lying some 1,000km north east of New Zealand, and surrounding the four main islands in the
Kermadec group, this is New Zealands largest marine reserve, created in November 1990. It extends
12 nautical miles from the cliffs and boulder beaches of the variuos islands and rocks, out to the edge
of the territorial sea. The marine environment arround the Kermadecs provides important links between
the temperate waters of mainland New Zealand and tropical waters. The marine reserve extends from
the shallows inhabited by the rare spotted black grouper to the deeper areas of the Kermadec Trench
(3000m +), making it represenative of the local marine ecosystems.
Corals do occuraround these islands but do not form reefs, as elsewhere in the Pacific. Raoul Island,
the only island with water, was visited and settled by early Polynesian VOYAGERS. It became a
whaling center for the southwest Pacific in the early 19th century, and a succession of european
settlers have attempted to live there.
There are several protected archaelogical and historic sites on
the island. Good photography.
