The Noises

Can you hear the whispers carried on the wind? They speak of The Noises, a cluster of islands northeast of Rakino Island in Auckland’s Hauraki Gulf. The Noises aren’t noisy at all. They are a sanctuary. The largest islands, Ōtata and Motuhoropapa, stand sentinel over smaller islets and rock stacks, their folded Jurassic greywackes and argillites etched by time and tide. These islands hold a secret: they are largely untouched by human hands, never cleared or farmed. The Noises boast native forests, a vibrant tapestry of pōhutukawa, red matipo, coastal karamu, and karo. On Ōtata, an 800-year-old pōhutukawa spreads its crown a magnificent 70 meters across. Motuhoropapa shelters a mature forest, its canopy reaching up to 20 meters high. The Noises are a haven for rare creatures. Raukawa geckos, copper skinks, and shore skinks bask in the sun. Flax snails, introduced in the 1930s, thrive here. The giant wētā, a remarkable insect bred at Auckland Zoo, has found a new home in this protected environment. The islands are alive with the cries of seabirds. Grey-faced petrels nest in burrows. Kororā, little penguins, make their homes here, some even nesting beneath the Neureuter family bach on Ōtata. White-faced storm petrels, a rarity in the Gulf, have established a colony on Maria Island. The Noises whisper tales of resilience. Norway rats invaded in the 1950s, threatening the delicate balance of the ecosystem. But thanks to dedicated conservation efforts, particularly by a group of Waiheke school children and the New Zealand Wildlife Service, the rats were eradicated. Maria Island and David Rocks became the first New Zealand islands to be declared predator-free. The Noises have been a place of human habitation for centuries. Māori visited the islands, collecting seafood and seabirds. A midden on Ōtata offers evidence of occupation before Rangitoto’s eruption 600 years ago. Captain Frederic Stanley Wainhouse, the deputy harbor master, purchased The Noises in 1933 and built a cottage on Ōtata. He and his wife, Margaret, lived on the islands for many years, embracing a life of simple pleasures. Today, The Noises are held in trust by the Neureuter family, Wainhouse’s descendants. They are guardians of this precious taonga, a legacy for generations to come. Even a radio-collared rat named Razza, released on Motuhoropapa for a study, couldn’t resist the allure of The Noises, eventually finding his way to the Neureuter’s sink. The Noises continue to inspire, reminding us of the importance of conservation and the quiet beauty of untouched nature.