Motutapu Island - Auckland

http://www.viewauckland.co.nz/motutapu_island_auckland_index.html

What looks like a peaceful haven has had more than its fair share of excitement.

Motutapu Island has witnessed eruptions, aggressive farming, countless visitors, and animals introduced from far-flung lands.

When Rangitoto Island emerged from the sea 600-odd years ago—blasting lava and ash—Maori frantically paddled away from the adjacent Motutapu Island.

They’d been living on this island for generations. In fact, it was one of the earliest Maori settlement sites in New Zealand.

For Motutaupo’s iwi, Rangitoto’s eruption had its pros and cons. It destroyed their villages and gardens, but it also made the soil much more fertile and it wasn’t difficult to resettle there soon