Cheeseman Island
Encyclopedia
Cheeseman Island is a 7.6 ha (18.8 acre) rocky volcanic island in the southwest Pacific Ocean
(located at 30°32′12"S 178°34′05"W). It is named after T. F. Cheeseman of the Auckland Museum - who was on board the NZ Government steamer 'Stella' when it visited the island in 1887. It neighbours Curtis Island to the east and lies about 20 km (12.4 mi) south of Macauley Island
. They are part of the Kermadec Islands
, a straggling outlying island group of New Zealand
. The Kermadec Islands lie halfway between the North Island
of New Zealand and Tonga
at approximately the latitude of the Gold Coast, Queensland
.
Cyperus ustulatus, while the surrounding slopes are dominated by a mix of Parietaria debilis
and iceplant. Seabirds breeding on the island include the Kermadec
and Black-winged Petrel
s, Kermadec Little Shearwater
and Sooty Tern
.
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
(located at 30°32′12"S 178°34′05"W). It is named after T. F. Cheeseman of the Auckland Museum - who was on board the NZ Government steamer 'Stella' when it visited the island in 1887. It neighbours Curtis Island to the east and lies about 20 km (12.4 mi) south of Macauley Island
Macauley Island
Macauley Island is a volcanic island in New Zealand's Kermadec Islands, approximately halfway between New Zealand's North Island and Tonga in the southwest Pacific Ocean....
. They are part of the Kermadec Islands
Kermadec Islands
The Kermadec Islands are a subtropical island arc in the South Pacific Ocean northeast of New Zealand's North Island, and a similar distance southwest of Tonga...
, a straggling outlying island group of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. The Kermadec Islands lie halfway between the North Island
North Island
The North Island is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the much less populous South Island by Cook Strait. The island is in area, making it the world's 14th-largest island...
of New Zealand and Tonga
Tonga
Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga , is a state and an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, comprising 176 islands scattered over of ocean in the South Pacific...
at approximately the latitude of the Gold Coast, Queensland
Gold Coast, Queensland
Gold Coast is a coastal city of Australia located in South East Queensland, 94km south of the state capital Brisbane. With a population approximately 540,000 in 2010, it is the second most populous city in the state, the sixth most populous city in the country, and also the most populous...
.
Flora and fauna
Apart from a short stretch of its west coast, the island is bordered by cliffs, making access from the sea difficult. It is rugged and rocky, with little woody vegetation. Between the two high points of the island is a central valley where the vegetation is dominated by the sedgeCyperaceae
Cyperaceae are a family of monocotyledonous graminoid flowering plants known as sedges, which superficially resemble grasses or rushes. The family is large, with some 5,500 species described in about 109 genera. These species are widely distributed, with the centers of diversity for the group...
Cyperus ustulatus, while the surrounding slopes are dominated by a mix of Parietaria debilis
Parietaria debilis
Parietaria debilis, commonly known as Pellitory or Native Pellitory, is a herb native to Australia and New Zealand.-Description:It grows as an annual herb from 7 to 40 centimetres in height, with green or white flowers...
and iceplant. Seabirds breeding on the island include the Kermadec
Kermadec Petrel
The Kermadec Petrel is a species of seabird in the Procellariidae family.-Distribution:It is found in Australia, Chile, Japan, Mexico, Micronesia, New Zealand, Norfolk Island, Pitcairn, and the United States....
and Black-winged Petrel
Black-winged Petrel
The Black-winged Petrel is a species of seabird in the Procellariidae family.It is found in Australia, French Polynesia, Japan, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Norfolk Island, and the United States.-References:...
s, Kermadec Little Shearwater
Little Shearwater
The Little Shearwater is a small shearwater in the seabird family Procellariidae.mtDNA cytochrome b sequence data indicates that the former North Atlantic Little Shearwater group is closer to Audubon's Shearwater , and myrtae being closer to the Newell's and possibly Townsend's Shearwater...
and Sooty Tern
Sooty Tern
The Sooty Tern, Onychoprion fuscatus , is a seabird of the tern family . It is a bird of the tropical oceans, breeding on islands throughout the equatorial zone. Colloquially, it is known as the Wideawake Tern or just wideawake...
.