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FIND HOTELS ON THE CHATHAM ISLANDS
GENERAL INFO
The Chatham Islands are a group of around forty small islands and islets situated 860 km east of New Zealand’s south Island. The island group, which is an outlying territory of New Zealand, has a population of six hundred and fifty people who live on just two inhabited islands, Chatham Island and Pitt Island, where they make a living from fishing, farming, forestry and tourism.
The two islands are seperated by the twenty five kilometer wide, Pitt Strait, which takes just twenty minutes to traverse by plane or two hours by boat. The largest island of the group is Chatham Island, where the island group’s main settlement of Waitangi is situated.
The islands are renowned for their varied plant and bird life, their strong Maori culture and heritage, their stunning landscapes and their many nature reserves and ancient marae sites.
In the Maori language Chatham Island is known as Rekohu and Pitt Island is known as Rangiauria.
The uninhabited islands of the group are designated nature reserves which are home to some of the last remaining refuges of endemic Chatham Islands' bird and animal species. These islands are highly protected and visitors are only allowed by way of a special permit.
The predominant religion of the Chatham Islands is Christianity.
The currency of the Chatham Islands is the New Zealand Dollar.
The official language of the Chatham Islands is English.
The Chatham Islands are located on time zone UTC + 12.45.
There is radio,TV, internet and satelite telephone access on the Chatham Islands, but NO mobile phone reception.
LOCAL TRAVEL
The islands of Chatham Island and Pitt Island have no pubic transport, although car hire is available to visitors.
Both islands are served by way of a small airfields, both of which accept flights from the New Zealand based airline, Air Chathams, which runs an on demand charter service.
Tuuta Airport serves Chatham Island and receives flights from Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch in New Zealand and private flights from Pitt Island.
Pitt Island Airport also receives chartered flights from New Zealand and Chatham Island.
There is a small wharf located at Port Waitangi on Chatham Island and a much smaller wharf located at Flowerpot Bay on Pitt Island. There are anchorages for private yachts and other visiting vessels at both the islands' wharfs.
The islands are served by the freighter Rangatira, which travels to the islands from New Zealand every three months. These three monthly visitss cause much excitement and activity within the islands.
WAITANGI
Waitangi is the island group's largest settlement and situated on Chatham Island. The town has a population of around three hundred people. The town is served by the Tuuta Airport, Waitangi Port, a hotel which doubles as the town’s local bar, a bank, some cafes and shops, the nine hole Chatham Island Golf Course, a church, a museum and an art gallery.
The town overlooks Waitangi Bay , pictured below, which is situated on part of the twenty kilometer wide Petre Bay.
LOCAL ATTRACTIONS
Despite the islands size, there are many activities for visitors to enjoy, including beach combing, hiking, fishing, hunting, jet ski-ing, island cruises, mountain biking, snorkeling, sea kayaking, bird watching, horse riding and guided tours of the islands.
On Chatham Island there are also shark cage diving.
Owing to the islands small size and population the islands are ideal for those that just want to zone out and be at one with the islands' nature and beautiful surroundings.
CHATHAM ISLAND
Chatham island covers an area of 920 square kilometers. The island is served by just four hotels, four churches and a small school.
The island boasts a stunning coastline and an interior with several lakes, rivers, hills and swampland.
The island has several beautiful, sandy beaches and some quaint coastal villages situated at Port Hutt, Hanson Bay, Owenga and Kaingoroa.
The island has several important nature and archaelogical reserves, including the Henga Scenic Reserve, the Taia Historic Bush Reserve and the J.M Barker Historical Reserve.
The island also boasts some stunning basalt columns, the 160 square kilometer Te Whanga Lagoon, Nunuku’s Cave and the ancient Kopinga Marae site.
At Okawa Point on Hanson Bay there is a colony of the rare and critically endangered Chatham Shag and Pitt Shag, two unusual, endemic bird species.
PITT ISLAND
Pitt Island covers an area of 7.7 square kilometers and has a population of just under forty people.
The island is charecterised by its rugged coastline and hilly interior.
The island is served by the Pitt Island Airport, which is nothing more than an airstrip really, and a boat wharf at Flowerpot Bay, which can accommodate visiting yachts. There is no public transport on the island with locals using either quad bikes, 4x4s, bicycles or horses to get around.
The island’s Kahuitara Point is the first inhabited place on earth to observe every new day, making the island a popular tourist destination for New Year’s Eve celebrations.
The island is served by a small school, a church and the island's only hotel the Flowerpot Lodge.
The island is home to several important nature and archealogical sites, a large colony of feral Merino sheep and several colonies of sea birds.
WEATHER / NATURAL PHENOMENA
The Chatham Islands experience temperatures of between 6 – 10 degrees during the Winter months of April through to November and temperatures of between 15 – 24 degrees during the Summer months of November to April.
The islands lie along the area known as the Roaring Forties, which gives the islands some very windy conditions, particularly during the Winter months, and quite high, all year round, rainfall.
The islands have also been known to suffer from the after effects of earthquakes and tsunamis which have been triggered elsewhere in the Pacific.
CRIME
Crime is low on the Chatham Islands, with little or no instances of serious crime or threat of terrorism.
Chatham Island is served by just one police officer and one visiting judiciary service.
The telephone number for the local police station on Chatham Island is 3050 334 and the emergency number for the police is 3050 111.
HEALTH
Chatham Island is served by a small hospital manned by one doctor and two nurses.
The hospital offers morning out-patient services five days a week. The hospital has three beds for in-patient use and is served by a radiology department and a pharmacy.
Dental services are provided by visiting dentists on a three monthly rota.
Serious medical cases are airlifted to New Zealand, so it is advisable to take out a good medical travel insurance before visiting either of the islands.
Chatham Island Hospital, Waitangi. Tel - (63) 3050035.
FOREIGN CONSULATES
There are no foreign consulates located on either of the Chatham Islands. Visitors requiring consular help should contact their relevant embassy or consulate located in New Zealand.
VISA INFO
Nationals of New Zealand, Australia and the United Kingdom do not require visas to enter the Chatham Islands, nor do nationals of any country with a visa waiver agreement with New Zealand. To check out which countries have these visa waiver agreements please visit - immigration.govt.nz/VisaFreeCountries.
Evidence of accommodation and onward travel is required when arriving at either Chatham or Pitt Island and all accommodation must be booked in advance.
PUBLIC HOLIDAYS
January 1 – New Year’s Day.
January 2 – Day after New Year.
February 6 – Waitangi Day.
Good Friday.
Easter Monday.
April 25 – Anzac Day.
First Monday in June – Queen’s Birthday (Elisabeth II).
Last Monday in October – Labour Day.
November 30 - Provincial Anniversary.
December 25 – Christmas Day.
December 26 – Boxing Day.
INFORMATIONAL LINKS
For the official Chatham Islands tourist website visit - www.discoverthechathamislands.co.nz
For the Chatham Islands tourist website visit - www.chathams.co.nz
For the Hotel Chatham’s website visit - www.hotelchatham.co.nz
For the Pitt Island Hotel website - www.flowerpotlodge.co.nz
For the Air Chathams website visit - www.airchathams.co.nz
For the governmental website visit - www.cic.govt.nz
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Images courtesy of Ville Miettingen and VK2cz, wikimedia commons.
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