Attractions – The Chatham Islands (2024)

FAQs

What is the Chatham Islands famous for? ›

The Chatham Islands are a remote ocean-bound wilderness and are most famous for plentiful fresh seafood and fascinating marine and wildlife.

The Chathams Islands is a remote, awe-inspiring place that is full of birdlife and incredible history making for an unforgettable visit.

How much does it cost to fly to the Chathams? Essentially fares can range from between NZ$500 return and NZ$ 1156 return.

About. Chatham is fascinating maritime destination with a history stretching back over 400 years. Famous seafarers Hawkins, Drake, Nelson and Gillingham born Will Adams would have known the area well.

Located at the "elbow" of Cape Cod, the community became a shipping, fishing, and whaling center. Chatham's early prosperity would leave it with a considerable number of 18th century buildings, whose charm helped it develop into a popular summer resort.

Internet Services – Mobile Phones

Check with your accommodation provider for in-house internet access. There is good cellular coverage available across much of the Chatham and Pitt Islands which also enables internet access using data.

In 1863 the resident magistrate declared the Moriori released from slavery. The Chatham Islands had a resident population of 730 as of June 2023. Waitangi is the main port and settlement. The local economy depends largely on conservation, tourism, farming, and fishing.

The facilities on Chatham Islands include a hospital, bank, stores, shipping wharf and engineering and marine services. Most visitors arrive by air and it is strongly advised that all visitors have accommodation booked prior to their arrival.

Moriori, or ta rē Moriori ('the Moriori language'), is a Polynesian language most closely related to New Zealand Māori. It is spoken by the Moriori, the indigenous people of New Zealand's Chatham Islands (Rēkohu in Moriori), an archipelago located east of the South Island.

Do I need a passport for the Chatham islands? ›

As the Chathams are part of New Zealand, there are no passport or visa requirements and no border controls on arrival from the mainland. You should arrange accommodation before you fly to the Chathams, as during the popular months of the tourism season (October to April) accommodation can be severely limited.

It's made up of 11 islands, although only two are inhabited - Chatham Island and Pitt Island. There are only about 650 people who live there - fewer than 40 of them live on Pitt. Chatham Islanders are made up of three cultural groupings - the Moriori, whose ancestors founded the islands, Europeans and Māori.

The Chatham Islands' Climate

Rainfall is around 900mm a year and temperatures vary between 15 - 24 degrees Celsius in summer (December to February) and 6 - 10 degrees in winter. November through April is the best time to visit.

Air Chathams ATR flies four to six times a week (the extra two flights are scheduled in summer). Light refreshments are served during the flight. Flight time varies depending on the point of embarkation. From Auckland 2.25 hours, Wellington 1.75 hours or Christchurch 2 hours.

In the late 1870s and 1880s Chatham Township became a center of the rose-growing industry. The specialty of the Louis M. Noe Greenhouses was the American Beauty rose with a stem five feet long. At Christmas, he sent them to European royalty.

Encompassing a mere 16 square miles of high ground and surrounded on three sides by water, Chatham has a beauty that is unsurpassed. The town is a decidedly maritime place of pristine beaches, wild barrier islands, tidal shoals, fleeting sandbars, circular coves and miles of saltwater inlets.

In 1835 two Māori groups, Ngāti Tama and Ngāti Mutunga, invaded the Chatham Islands. They had left northern Taranaki due to warfare, and were seeking somewhere else to live. Moriori greeted them, but the Māori killed more than 200 Moriori and enslaved the rest. Māori grew vegetables and traded with the Europeans.