Brothers Island tuatara (Sphenodon guntheri) on Somes Island

he looks quite angry, but is actually just in the middle of a yawn. Aw bless!

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February 14th 2008
In the middle of the Wellington Harbour sits Somes Island, also known by its Maori name of Matiu. In former times it was used as a quarantine island, not just for lepers and other diseased immigrants but also for farm animals. Before the arrival of Europeans the island's strategic position in the harbour made it attractive to warring Maori. Today Somes is an island sanctuary for native wildlife. M ... read more

Oceania » New Zealand » North Island » Wellington

The Polynesian Maori reached New Zealand in about A.D. 800. In 1840, their chieftains entered into a compact with Britain, the Treaty of Waitangi, in which they ceded sovereignty to Queen Victoria while retaining territorial rights. In that same year... ... read more

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