The Sugar Loaf Islands are a collection of five small uninhabited islands and several sea stacks near Port Taranaki, Taranaki, New Zealand. Ngā Motu was one of the first areas inhabited by descendants of Te Whiti o Rongomai, and the islands and reefs were all named by Ngāti Te Whiti. The largest, Moturoa Island, covers approximately. Motumahanga is the island furthest from shore, at approximately. The Sugar Loaf Islands Marine Protected Area was established in 1991 to protect the area from oil exploration. This strengthened the protection that had been in place since the formation of a marine park in 1986. The island group was given its English name in 1770 by James Cook because the reminded him of the way sugar was stored in heaps in Europe. In 2013 New Plymouth district councillors unanimously agreed to gift the Sugar Loaf Islands Marine Protected Area back to the New Zealand Government for Treaty settlement negotiations with Taranaki and Te Atiawa iwi.
Islands
The Sugar Loaf Islands can be divided into inner and outer island groups. The inner islands comprise Mataora, Pararaki and Motuotamatea. Mataora connects to the mainland at low tides as a tombolo, as does Motuotamatea on very low. Pararaki is separated from Mataora by a 20 meter wide channel. The outer islands comprise Motumahanga and Moturoa. Several small rock outcrops are included in the island group. Waikaranga, and Tokatapu are several hundred meters offshore. Close to Moturoa lie Whareumu, a vegetated stack and two barren rocks, and Tokomapuna.
Mikotahi
Mikotahi was formerly a half tide island. A historic pā, And an explosives magazine. In 1865 the Alpha well was drilled near Mikotahi. This was the first oil well in what is now the Commonwealth and one of the first in the world. The earth works to reclaim land for the New Plymouth Power Station reduced the island's size and permanently connected it to the mainland. There is a trig site on what remains to this day, Mikotahi had a neighbouring stack that was connected to mainland at the base of Paritutu. The people from Moturoa called it Fishing Rock. With caves, rockpools and surrounding beaches it was mostly destroyed from excavations for the power stationcooling water inlet and land reclamation for the site.
Blasting Moturoa Island and Wharemu (Lion Rock) for rock.
In the early 20th century Moturoa and Whareumu were blasted with explosives in the hope to connect the islands to Mikotahi and the growing port at Moturoa. After this was abandoned focus turned to mining Paritutu. The appearance of the two Islands was changed greatly as a result of this work.
Human Habitation
Mataora, Motu-o-Tamatea, Moturoa Island and Mikotahi were hunting, fishing and gathering grounds and places of refuge for local inhabitants and the Taranaki and Te Āti Awa for hundreds of years.
Marine protected area
In 1986, an area encompassing the Sugar Loaf Islands was protected as a marine park. Concern over oil exploration led to strengthening of the protection, through the enacting of the Sugar Loaf Islands Marine Park Act in 1991. An area of, including of land, encompassing the islands and surrounding seabed and ocean spanning from Port Taranaki in the north to Herekawe Stream in the south, was protected from commercial, recreational fishing and mining. The act deemed Moturoa Island, Motumahanga, Waikaranga, and Whareumu as sanctuary areas, with the remaining area a conservation park. Reef heron, Little blue penguin, New Zealand Fur Seal, and Orca are monitored species. The islands are on migration routes for oceanic birds and cetaceans. In 2008, the 1404 ha Tapuae Marine Reserve was established adjacent to the Sugar Loaf Island Marine Protected Area.
Geology
The Sugar Loaf Islands, along with onshore pinnacles such as Paritutu, represent the oldest volcanic activity on the Taranaki peninsula. Dating between 1.7 and 1.74 million years of age, the islands are believed to be the remains of a ring fracture or feeders to eroded volcanic vents, and are composed of a porphyritichornblendeandesite. Volcanic activity in Taranaki subsequently shifted to Kaitake, then migrated southeast to Pouakai and the current centre of activity, Taranaki. The Sugar Loaf Islands are the type locality of taranakite, a phosphate mineral that forms from the reaction of bird guano with the rocks comprising the islands. This was the first new mineral species to be discovered in New Zealand.
