The islands are volcanic stacks sitting at the edge of the continental shelf.[2] Mokohinau formed between 10 and 8.5 million years ago, as a part of the Coromandel Volcanic Zone, which has since moved southwards to form the modern Taupō Volcanic Zone.[4]
History
The islands were often visited seasonally by Māori for muttonbirding, harvesting the chicks of petrels for food and oil.[2] Today, the main attractions for the rare tourists are the very clear waters teeming with wildlife.[2]
Like many neighbouring Hauraki Gulf islands, the group is free of mammalian pests and being left to naturally regenerate.[5] The Mokohinau Islands are home to a number of New Zealand's smallest endangered species, such as the Mokohinau skink, the Mokohinau gecko, the robust skink and the Mokohinau stag beetle as well as a number of endangered plant species.[2]
Burgess Island is also the location of the Mokohinau Islands Lighthouse, one of the most distant lights from the mainland. The light was built in 1883 and was one of the last in the country to be fully automated in 1980.[6]
Climate
Mokohinau Island has a mild oceanic climate (Cfb) with mild, somewhat humid summers and mild winters, with rainfall spread throughout the months. Frost has never been recorded.
Climate data for Mokohinau Island Aws (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1972–1980, 1994–present)
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