Chatham Island ( ; Moriori: , 'Misty Sun'; ) is the largest island of the Chatham Islands group, in the south Pacific Ocean off the eastern coast of New Zealand's South Island. It is said to be "halfway between the equator and the pole, and right on the International Date Line", although that point is 173 miles WSW of the island's westernmost point. The Moriori are the first settlers of the Chatham Islands. The island is called Rekohu ("misty skies") in Moriori, and Wharekauri in Māori.Dept of Conservation, Government of New Zealand (1999) Chatham Islands Conservation Management Strategy. Retrieved 4 October 2026.
The island was named after the survey ship HMS Chatham which was the first European ship to locate the island in 1791. It covers an area of . Chatham Island lies south-east of Cape Turnagain, the nearest point of mainland New Zealand.
Geography The geography of the roughly T-shaped island is dominated by three features: two bays and a lagoon. More than half of the west coast of Chatham is taken up by the deep indentation of Petre Bay. The island's main settlement of Waitangi is located in a small indentation in Petre Bay's southern coast. Other significant settlements are Kaingaroa on the northeast promontory and Owenga on the south side of Hanson Bay.
On the east coast is the larger Hanson Bay, which stretches the full length of the island ().
Much of the area between the bays is taken up by the large Te Whanga Lagoon, which drains to the sea to the east, into the southern half of Hanson Bay. This lagoon covers about , and drains several small rivers that rise in the hills at the south end of the island. The next largest lakes are Rangitahi and Huro, northeast and southwest of Te Whanga.Chatham Island, NZ Topo Map. Retrieved 14 July 2012. The central and north part of Chatham Island are mostly flat, with altitudes ranging from a few metres on the northeast and centre to 50 m on the northwest, but with a few scattered hillocks. The south part is higher, generally sloping down towards north and west; about half of it is over 150 m above sea level. The south coast of the island is mostly cliffs 100 m high or more. The highest point of the island (299 m) lies close to its southernmost point.
Major lakes Name Alt. Coords Huro, Lake Kaimoumi, Lake Kaingarahu, Lake Kairae, Lake Koomutu, Lake Long Pond Makuku, Lake Lake Marakapia Matangirau, Lake 256 Omutu, Lake Pakauwera Pond Lake Pateriki Pukawa, Lake Rakeinui, Lake 244 Rangitahi Lake Rotoeka, Lake Rotokawau, Lake Rotopararoa, Lake Rotorua, Lake Taia, Lake Te Rangatapu 263 Te Roto Lake Te Wapu Tennants Lake Tuku-a-taupo, Lake Waikauia, Lake Wharemanu, Lake Wharo, Lake unnamed lake 1 unnamed lake 2 unnamed lake 3 unnamed lake 4 unnamed lake 5 Some north and central peaks Name Alt. Coords Chudleigh, Mount 188 Diffenbach, Mount 134 Hokopoi 151 Korako 178 Matakitaki 155 Maunganui 178 Motoroporo 112 Motuariki 125 Puhina 99 Rangitihi 149 Tawirikoko 109 Some south peaks Name Alt. Coords Karore 282 Maungatere Hill 294 Oehau 205 Oropuke 287 Rangaika 264 Rangitane 225 Whakamarino 237 unnamed hill 299
Climate Chatham Island has an oceanic climate (Koppen: Cfb) characterised by a narrow temperature range and relatively frequent rainfall. Its position far from any sizeable landmass renders the record high temperature for the main settlement (Waitangi) just . The climate is cool, wet and windy, with average high temperatures between in summer, and between in July (in the Southern Hemisphere winter). Snowfall is extremely rare, the fall recorded near sea level in July 2015 marking the first such reading for several decades. Under the Trewartha climate classification, Chatham Island has a humid subtropical climate (Cf) for the lack of cold weather during the winter and a daily mean temperature above for eight months or more.
Flora and fauna Chatham Island hosts the only known breeding population of the endemic and critically endangered magenta petrel or tāiko (Pterodroma magentae). The seabird was thought to be extinct until 1978, and had a population of under 200 in 2017. The indicated year is based on the change in the specified population in the preceding archived webpage.
In popular culture Chatham Island (or "Isle") is featured in the first and in the final chapter of Cloud Atlas, the 2004 novel by David Mitchell. The novel was adapted for screen in 2012.
See also Chatham Standard Time Zone List of islands of New Zealand
References
External links An 1841 account of the Chatham Islands