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The full name of Rangitoto Island is Nga Rangi-i-totongia-a Tama-te-kapua ('the days of the bleeding of Tama-te-kapua'). Tama-te-kapua was the captain of the Arawa canoe and was badly wounded on the island.
There are daily ferry trips to the island from Auckland but staying overnight is prohibited. Thirty years ago, there were houses perched on the island's edge in a ring, but as these became uninhabited they were removed. A day trip allows a good walk to the summit, with stunning views of the harbour and city.
There are no streams on the island so plants grow using only rainfall, yet the island is tree covered and also offers the chance to view some more unusual plants such as the kidney fern [1]. It has a large forest of naturally cross-bred pohutukawa and rata trees. Introduced brushtail possums and wallabies were eradicated in the late 20th century.
It is linked by a causeway to the much older, non-volcanic island of Motutapu, where it is possible to view the archeological remains of a civilisation caught in Rangitoto's eruptions.
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