Chatham Islands: See
Scenery ranges from sandy beaches to swampland, lakes and rivers to ocean vistas, and from the cliffs to the hills. The landscape is made up of fern, pasture and forest.
Situated far from other land, the Chathams have several animal and plant species found in the wild nowhere else in the world, and some of the world's most rare and endangered birds, plants and insects.
There are 388 plant species, of which 47 are endemic, and the islands make up its own floristic province within the Antarctic Floristic Kingdom. Myosotidium hortensia (Chatham Islands forget-me-not), Olearea traversiorum (Chatham Island tree daisy), Astelia chathamica (Chatham Islands kakaha) and rautini (Chatham Island Christmas tree) are some examples.
You can see many different seabird species here, many of which are threatened. Particularly rare birds are the Magenta petrel (the world's rarest seabird), the Chatham albatross, breeding only on the tiny islet of The Pyramid south of Pitt Island, and the shore plover. Other endemic birds are the black robin, Chatham oystercatcher, Chatham gerygone, Chatham pigeon, Chatham parakeet, Chatham snipe, Chatham shag and Pitt shag.
Marine mammals you can see on the beaches and in the waters around the islands are sea lions and different species of seals and whales.
1 Basalt columns (get a key from Hotel Chathams to open the gate). These are one of the many natural wonders of Rekohu. Formed by a process of cooling with salt water, these hexagonal columns of basalt are spectacular, as is the location and scenery around them. (updated Feb 2018)
2 J.M. Barker (Hapupu) National Historic Reserve. Spiritually and culturally important to Moriori, it holds the last known concentration of momori-rakau, or tree carvings, done by the ancestral Moriori. There are many opinions about why these carvings were made. One of only two National Historic Scenic Reserves in the country. Only accessible with concessionaire guides from either Hotel Chathams or Awarakau Farmstays. (updated Oct 2019)
3 Nunuku's Cave. Legend has it that this cave, which contains authentic and ancient rock carvings, was the home of the legendary Nunuku, the Moriori chief who outlawed killing among his people. The pacifist law lasted for hundreds of years, even in the face of unwanted aggression. (updated Feb 2018) …