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Kermadec Islands

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92-474: The Kermadec Islands ( / ˈ k ɜːr m ə d ɛ k / KUR -mə-dek ; Māori : Rangitāhua ) are a subtropical island arc in the South Pacific Ocean 800–1,000 km (500–620 mi) northeast of New Zealand 's North Island , and a similar distance southwest of Tonga . The islands are part of New Zealand. They are 33.6 km (13.0 sq mi) in total area and uninhabited, except for

184-592: A least depth of 48 metres (157 ft). The islands are a volcanic island arc , formed at the convergent boundary where the Pacific Plate subducts under the Indo-Australian Plate . The subducting Pacific Plate created the Kermadec Trench , an 8 km deep submarine trench , to the east of the islands. The islands lie along the undersea Kermadec Ridge, which runs southwest from the islands towards

276-828: A bipartisan War Administration in July 1942, consisting of seven Labour Ministers and six National Ministers. Sidney Holland served as the Deputy Chairman of the short-lived War Cabinet, which collapsed in September 1942 after the National Party objected to Labour's handling of an unofficial miners' strike in the Waikato region that same month. Holland's decision strained relations with both the Labour Government and several National MPs including Gordon Coates and Adam Hamilton, who withdrew from

368-471: A death sentence). To solve the partisan-infected issue Holland called for a referendum to be held on the same day as the general election of 1957, but the proposal failed to make the ballot. No executions were carried out under Holland's successor, Keith Holyoake , and in 1961 Holyoake oversaw a vote in which Parliament voted 41–30 (with eleven National MPs crossing the floor) to abolish capital punishment for murder. In 1951, Prime Minister Sidney Holland faced

460-447: A depth of more than 1100 m and producing a large raft of pumice floating northwest of the volcano. The eruption was not directly observed, but it was located using earthquake and remote sensing data after the pumice raft was spotted by aircraft and encountered by HMNZS Canterbury . The islands are seismically active. An 8.1 magnitude earthquake occurred in the early hours of 5 March 2021, leading to several strong aftershocks and

552-641: A doctor was called. The following day, Holyoake was formally named Holland's successor. Holland handed over the Prime Ministry to Holyoake on 20 September. Shortly afterwards, on 23 September , he was appointed a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath . He remained in Cabinet, as minister without portfolio; but he left the legislature for good at the 1957 general election , in which Holyoake went down to defeat, and which saw

644-407: A major challenge from the militant Waterside Workers' Union during the 1951 waterfront dispute (13 February – 11 July 1951). The 1951 waterfront dispute was sparked by the refusal of shipowners to give a 15 per cent wage rise to the watersiders who proceeded to ban overtime work. The shipowners retaliated by imposing a lock-out on striking workers. When the watersiders refused to accept arbitration,

736-579: A meeting the following year with several senior National Party officials including Holyoake himself, John Marshall , Jack Watts, and the Party's President Alex McKenzie , Holland reluctantly agreed to resign as Prime Minister and Leader of the Party. On 12 August 1957, Holland announced his retirement at the National Party's annual conference in Wellington. Once he had made that announcement, he became so obviously sick that he had to be helped back to his hotel, where

828-474: A more even rhythm of seasonal rainfall. Tropical lows and weakening tropical storms often contribute to seasonal rainfall in most humid subtropical climates. In the cool season (winter) the subtropical highs retreat, and the humid subtropics are more influenced by the westerlies and the fronts and storms that move with them. The Subtropical highland climate is a climate variant often grouped together with oceanic climates found in some mountainous areas of either

920-785: A policy switch seen as necessary for the party to become electable. During the successful 1949 general election, Holland capitalised on the threat of Communist expansion in Eastern Europe , the government's perceived unwillingness to counter the militant waterfront unions, persisting wartime restrictions, and rising inflation. This strategy secured National's electoral victory on 30 November 1949. The Sidney Holland National Government implemented economic reforms, dismantling many state controls including butter and petrol rationing. His government also emphasised individualism, personal freedom, and private enterprise in accordance with its 1949 electoral platform. One of Holland's first acts as Prime Minister

1012-690: A problem. On the foreign policy front, the National Government embedded New Zealand in a series of Western Cold War security alliances and defence agreements. In September 1951, the government signed the ANZUS defence agreement with Australia and the United States . As a member of the Western alliance, the National Government also sent New Zealand troops to the Korean War . A demand for woollen clothing during

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1104-521: A rapid decline in overseas demand for the country's butter, wool, and cheese exports. In addition, Holland's health was proving less and less able to withstand the strain of his duties, and his memory began to fail him. Amid the Suez Crisis in October 1956, Holland suffered a mild heart attack or stroke (accounts vary) while working in his office. However, far from retreating to bed, he insisted on remaining at

1196-520: A red velvet whalefish and an angler fish ( Ceratias tentaculatus ) were found around the waters of the Kermadec Islands by a research partnership between Ngāti Kurī , University of Auckland , Massey University , NIWA , Manaaki Whenua , and the University of Waikato . In 2016, Koha, a hawksbill turtle , which was originally found injured near Dargaville in September 2014, was released around

1288-582: A third consecutive victory in 1954. Following ill health in 1957, Holland stepped down as Prime Minister to be replaced by Keith Holyoake . Sidney Holland was born in Greendale in the Canterbury region of the South Island , the youngest child and fourth son of a family of eight children. His father, Henry Holland , was a farmer and merchant, who served as Mayor of Christchurch between 1912 and 1919 and became

1380-524: A tsunami advisory on the North Coast of North Island and other Pacific islands, including Norfolk Island, Australia . Other magnitude 8 earthquakes have struck near the islands in 1917 and 1976. The islands are recognised by the World Wildlife Fund as a distinct ecoregion , the Kermadec Islands subtropical moist forests. It is a tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests ecoregion, part of

1472-402: Is approximately 1,500 mm (60 in) annually, with lower rainfall from October to January. The group includes four main islands as well as some isolated rocks. These are: Seamounts north and south of the Kermadec Islands are an extension of the ridge running from Tonga to New Zealand (see Geology ). Star of Bengal Bank, 103 km (64 mi) south-southwest of L'Esperance Rock, has

1564-427: Is generally in areas adjacent to powerful cold ocean currents. Examples of this climate are the coastal areas of Southern Africa and the west coast of South America . The humid subtropical climate is often on the western side of the subtropical high. Here, unstable tropical airmasses in summer bring convective overturning and frequent tropical downpours, and summer is normally the season of peak annual rainfall. In

1656-418: Is lower. This definition, though restricted to dry regions, is almost similar to Holdridge's. Heating of the earth by the sun near the equator leads to large amounts of upward motion and convection winds along the monsoon trough or Intertropical Convergence Zone . The upper-level divergence over the near-equatorial trough leads to air rising and moving away from the equator aloft. As the air moves towards

1748-595: Is midway between Raoul Island and Tonga. 100 km south of L'Esperance Rock is the little-explored Star of Bengal Bank , probably with submarine volcanoes. Further south are the South Kermadec Ridge Seamounts , the southernmost of which, Rumble IV Seamount , is just 150 km North of the North Island of New Zealand. The ridge eventually connects to White Island in New Zealand's Bay of Plenty , at

1840-541: Is often concentrated in the warmest months, for example Southeast China and the Southeastern United States , and dry summer or Mediterranean climate ( Köppen climate classification : Csa/Csb), where seasonal rainfall is concentrated in the cooler months, such as the Mediterranean Basin or Southern California . Subtropical climates can also occur at high elevations within the tropics , such as in

1932-410: Is one of New Zealand's largest at a total area of 7,480 km (2,890 sq mi). Goats were removed from Macauley in 1970 and from Raoul in 1984, and the forests have begun to recover. The islands are still known for their bird life, and seabird colonies presently inhabit offshore islets, which are safe from introduced rats and cats. Efforts are currently underway to remove the rats and cats from

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2024-461: Is subdivided into seven smaller areas. According to the E. Neef climate classification, the subtropical zone is divided into two parts: rainy winters of the west sides and eastern subtropical climate . According to the Wilhelm Lauer & Peter Frankenberg climate classification, the subtropical zone is divided into three parts: high-continental , continental , and maritime . According to

2116-971: Is the Kermadec red-crowned parakeet . The group has been identified as an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International because of its significance as a breeding site for several species of seabirds, including white-necked and black-winged petrels , wedge-tailed and little shearwaters , sooty terns and blue noddies . The area also hosts rich habitats for cetaceans. In recent years, increased presences of humpback whales indicate Kermadec Islands functioning as migratory corridors, and varieties of baleen (not in great numbers) and toothed whales including minke whales , sperm whales , less known beaked whales , killer whales , and dolphins frequent in adjacent waters. In late September 2015, satellite tags were attached to 25 humpback whales around Raoul Island, which were tracked to feeding grounds in Antarctica and across to

2208-455: Is the Trewartha climate classification , which defines a subtropical region as one that has at least eight months with a mean temperature greater than 10 °C (50.0 °F) and at least one month with a mean temperature under 18 °C (64.4 °F). German climatologists Carl Troll and Karlheinz Paffen defined warm temperate zones as plain and hilly lands having an average temperature of

2300-623: Is the northernmost inhabited outpost of New Zealand. In 1955, the British Government required a large site remote from population centres to test the new thermonuclear devices it was developing. Various islands in the South Pacific and Southern Oceans were considered, along with Antarctica. In May 1955, the Minister for Defence, Selwyn Lloyd , on advice from the Admiralty report, concluded that

2392-604: The 1935 general elections . Holland successfully retained the Christchurch North seat despite the Labour Party 's landslide victory during that election. The new Michael Joseph Savage – Peter Fraser Labour Government , which ushered in a raft of social and economic reforms including the establishment of a Keynesian welfare state , nationalization of key economic resources, and the expansion of public works and state-housing projects. In response to Labour's electoral success,

2484-592: The Legislative Council , the upper house of parliament, on the grounds that it was ineffectual. In 1951, Holland, having confronted locked out dockers and coal miners intent on what he called "industrial anarchy", called a snap election and was re-elected Prime Minister. In its second term, the National government signed the ANZUS defence agreement with Australia and the United States. Holland led his party to

2576-535: The Malayan Emergency . According to the historian David McIntyre, Holland had little interest in foreign affairs and was the first Prime Minister to delegate that portfolio to another cabinet minister. During the Holland era, New Zealand had three foreign ministers: Frederick Doidge , Clifton Webb , and Tom Macdonald . At the 1954 general election , National's support declined, due to public dissatisfaction with

2668-729: The New Zealand Parliament in 1925, Sidney served as his father's unofficial private secretary and campaign manager between 1925 and 1935. Due to this experience, Holland gained an intimate knowledge and interest in parliamentary politics. During the Great Depression , Holland also became the President of both the Canterbury Employers' Association and the Christchurch Businessmen's Club, which brought into contact with

2760-469: The North Island of New Zealand and northeast towards Tonga ( Kermadec-Tonga Arc ). The four main islands are the peaks of volcanoes that rise high enough from the seabed to project above sea level. There are several other volcanoes in the chain that do not reach sea level, but form seamounts with between 65 and 1500 m of water above their peaks. Monowai Seamount , with a depth of 120 m over its peak,

2852-577: The Oceanian realm . The forests are dominated by the red-flowering Kermadec pōhutukawa , related to the pōhutukawa of New Zealand. The islands are home to 113 native species of vascular plants , of which 23 are endemic , along with mosses (52 native species), lichens and fungi (89 native species). Most of the plant species are derived from New Zealand, with others having travelled over the Pacific. 152 human- introduced species of plants have become established on

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2944-718: The Reform Party MP for Christchurch North between 1925 and 1935. During the First World War , Holland enlisted as a territorial in the New Zealand Military Forces in 1915 and later rose to the rank of second lieutenant. He served with the New Zealand Field Artillery and saw action during the Battle of Messines , before being invalided home after contracted a severe illness. Due to his injuries, Holland

3036-539: The Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn , at latitudes 23°26′09.8″ (or 23.43605°) north and south, respectively. According to the American Meteorological Society, the poleward fringe of the subtropics is at latitudes approximately 35° north and south , respectively. Several methods have been used to define the subtropical climate depending on the climate system used. The most well known

3128-532: The d'Entrecasteaux expedition in the 1790s. The topographic particle "Kermadec" is of Breton origin and is a lieu-dit in Pencran in Finistère where ker means village, residence and madec a proper name derived from mad (which means 'good') with the suffix -ec , used to form adjectives indicating a property. The Māori name is Rangitāhua which is also used for Raoul island. As indicated by their name for

3220-412: The 1954 election, the National Government set up a royal commission to examine the country's monetary system. This commission released a report condemning Social Credit theories. Once the National Government had been assured of a third consecutive term, Holland gave up the finance portfolio to Jack Watts , the former Minister of Industries and Commerce. With the loss of one National MP (W.F. Fortune) and

3312-772: The Antarctic Peninsula. Vast numbers of southern right whales were historically seen in southwestern areas although only a handful of recent confirmations exist around Raoul Island . The deep sea hydrothermal vents along the Kermadec ridge support diverse extremophile communities including the New Zealand blind vent crab . Three new records of tropical reef fishes were recorded from the Kermadec Islands Marine Reserve in 2015 after researchers examined hundreds of hours of unused documentary film footage, and in 2016,

3404-652: The British government, Holland remained firm. The islands lie within 29° to 31.5° south latitude and 178° to 179° west longitude, 800–1,000 km (500–620 mi) northeast of New Zealand's North Island , and a similar distance southwest of Tonga . The total area of the islands is 33.6 km (12.97 sq mi). The climate of the islands is subtropical , with a mean monthly temperature of 22.4 °C (72.3 °F) in February and 16.0 °C (60.8 °F) in August. Rainfall

3496-497: The Cwb classification have significant monsoon influence, usually having dry winters and wet summers. The Mediterranean climate regime resembles the climate of the lands in the Mediterranean Basin , parts of lower West Coast of the United States, parts of Western and South Australia , in southwestern South Africa and in parts of central Chile . The climate is characterized by hot dry summers and cooler winters with rainfall. In Europe,

3588-466: The Encyclopaedia of New Zealand states the annexation happened in 1886. The Raoul Island Station consists of a government meteorological and radio station, and a hostel for Department of Conservation officers and volunteers, that has been maintained since 1937. It lies on the northern terraces of Raoul Island, at an elevation of about 50 m (160 ft), above the cliffs of Fleetwood Bluff. It

3680-659: The Government halted work on the Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary Bill. In October–November 2016, a collaborative team of researchers from Auckland Museum , University of Auckland , Massey University , NIWA and Te Papa undertook research around Kermadec Islands aboard RV Tangaroa . The multi-disciplinary team investigated the biodiversity of organisms living on the ocean floor and at midwater. The marine mammal populations were examined to determine what animal and plant species are shared between mainland New Zealand and

3772-516: The Kermadec Islands would be suitable. As the island group was part of New Zealand, Anthony Eden , who had recently become the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, wrote to the Prime Minister of New Zealand, Sidney Holland , to ask for permission to use the islands. Holland refused, fearing an adverse public reaction in the upcoming 1957 general election . Despite reassurances and pressure from

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3864-627: The Kermadec region. Subtropical The subtropical zones or subtropics are geographical and climate zones to the north and south of the tropics . Geographically part of the temperate zones of both hemispheres, they cover the middle latitudes from 23°26′09.8″ (or 23.43605°) to approximately 35° north and south. The horse latitudes lie within this range. Subtropical climates are often characterized by hot summers and mild winters with infrequent frost. Most subtropical climates fall into two basic types: humid subtropical ( Köppen climate classification : Cfa/Cwa), where rainfall

3956-487: The Labour Party's socialism, " big government " bureaucracy, collectivism, and the power of the trade unions . Some important policies propagated by the National Party included individual freedom, a free market, minimum bureaucratic intervention, restriction and regulation, and an acceptance of the welfare state. Holland repositioned the National Party to accept (albeit reluctantly) the main elements of Labour's welfare state,

4048-623: The Labour Party. Holland served as Leader of the Opposition for nearly ten years until the National Party won the 1949 general election. He represented the Christchurch North electorate from 1935 to 1946, and then the Fendalton electorate from 1946 to 1957. Following Japan 's entry into the Second World War in 1941, the Labour Government reluctantly acquiesced to the establishment of

4140-454: The Labour opposition criticised the government's policy, Holland called a snap election on 11 July 1951. The National Party was re-elected with an increased majority, with the backing of a largely conservative Press and the state-controlled radio broadcasters. According to former journalist and historian Redmer Yska, Prime Minister Holland and his government exploited anti-Communist sentiment during

4232-551: The Midland Engineering Company in Christchurch, which manufactured horticultural spray pumps and operated a profit-sharing scheme with its employees. Holland later married Florence Drayton in 1920 and the couple raised a family of two boys and two girls. According to his biographer Barry Gustafson , Holland was raised as a Methodist but later became an Anglican . Following his father Henry Holland's election to

4324-483: The National Government continued its policy of deregulating the economy by ending rationing on basic food commodities, loosening import controls, and encouraging home ownership by selling states houses to their tenants. Shortly after being re-elected, the government also enacted the Police Offences Bill which gave the police substantial powers to deal with future industrial unrest. Holland's Government also reformed

4416-449: The National Government imposed emergency regulations under the 1932 Public Safety Conversation Act which drastically curtailed civic liberties, including the freedom of speech and expression. The Regulations were designed to silence and criminalise any support for the watersiders, including food supplies for their families, and pro-watersider publications. In addition, Holland ordered the armed forces to unload cargo from ports and deregistered

4508-534: The National caucus and rejoined the War Cabinet as independents. The resignation of these two former Reform Party MPs helped strengthen Holland's control over the party caucus and organisation. During the 1943 and 1946 general elections, National slowly eroded Labour's parliamentary majority. While the Labour Party still remained in power, it was forced to contend with a more vigorous opposition National Party. Under Holland's leadership, National repeatedly attacked

4600-656: The New Zealand Prime Minister John Key announced the creation of the Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary , a 620,000 km (239,383 sq mi) protected area in the Kermadec Islands region. However, subsequently, fishing companies and iwi bodies filed legal action opposing it, and a coalition deal with the New Zealand First Party has led to the Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary Bill not passing its second reading as of 2019. In late March 2024,

4692-459: The Opposition , in 1940. He served briefly (1942) in a war cabinet but thereafter attacked the Labour government for its interventionist economic policies. Holland led the National Party to its first election victory in 1949 . His National government implemented moderate economic reforms, dismantling many state controls. Holland's government also undertook constitutional change in 1950, by abolishing

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4784-475: The Reform and United Parties merged in 1936 to form the National Party, which represented the farming and growing manufacturing sectors of New Zealand society. In 1940, Holland replaced National's first non-interim leader Adam Hamilton as the leader of the National Party. Prior to becoming the Party's leader, he had served as Hamilton's parliamentary secretary. As leader of the National Party, Holland sought to win

4876-489: The Siegmund/Frankenberg climate classification, subtropical is one of six climate zones in the world. Leslie Holdridge defined the subtropical climates as having a mean annual biotemperature between the frost line or critical temperature line, 16 °C to 18 °C (depending on locations in the world), and 24 °C. The frost line separates the warm temperate region from the subtropical region. It represents

4968-513: The Waterside Union and seized its funds. After 151 days, the watersiders capitulated. The National Government's actions were popular with the public and press. The opposition Labour Party and the Federation of Labour , the national trade union-governing body, also acquiesced to the government's tough stance on the watersiders due to their acrimonious relationship with the Waterside Union. After

5060-563: The annuals or as perennial plants that can withstand the cold. The 16 °C–18 °C segment is often "simplified" as 17 °C ( 2 ( log 2 ⁡ 12   +   0.5 )   ∘ C ≈ 16.97   ∘ C ) {\textstyle {\bigl (}2^{(\log _{2}12\ +\ 0.5)}\ ^{\circ }\!\mathrm {C} \approx 16.97\ ^{\circ }\!\mathrm {C} {\bigr )}} . The Holdridge subtropical climates straddle more or less

5152-536: The area – arriving on board the Lady Penrhyn in May 1788 – found no inhabitants on these volcanic islands since. British, American and Australian whaling vessels cruised offshore in the 19th century and often visited the islands in search of water, wood and food. The first such vessel on record was the whaler Fanny that visited Raoul Island in 1823. On 1 August 1886, HMS Diamond annexed

5244-539: The coastal areas of the lower west coast of the United States. These climates do not routinely see hard freezes or snow due to winter on average being above freezing, which allows plants such as palms and citrus to flourish. As one moves toward the tropical side the slight winter cool season disappears, while at the poleward threshold of the subtropics the winters become cooler. Some crops which have been traditionally farmed in tropical climates, such as mango , litchi , avocado and aloe vera , are also cultivated in

5336-409: The coldest month between 2 °C (35.6 °F) and 13 °C (55.4 °F) in the Northern Hemisphere and between 6 °C (42.8 °F) and 13 °C (55.4 °F) in the Southern Hemisphere , excluding oceanic and continental climates . According to the Troll-Paffen climate classification, there generally exists one large subtropical zone named the warm-temperate subtropical zone, which

5428-487: The conflict created a brief economic boom for New Zealand's sheep farmers. In September 1954, New Zealand ratified the Manila Pact and joined the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization , an American-sponsored regional collective defense organisation aimed at combating the spread of Communism in Southeast Asia. Later, in January 1955, New Zealand's traditional ties to Britain and a fear of the Communist domino effect led Prime Minister Holland to contribute New Zealand troops to

5520-430: The conservative New Zealand Legion and the short-lived Democrat Party , which opposed the Forbes – Gordon Coates United-Reform coalition Government . As a result of his political experiences, Holland developed a distaste for Communism . After his father Henry was incapacitated in a serious accident, the older Holland and encouraged Sidney to take his place as the Reform Party candidate for Christchurch North during

5612-412: The country's First-past-the-post voting system enabled it to maintain a majority of 10 electorate seats. Besides, Gustafson suggests that the appearance of Social Credit split the opposition vote. During the electoral campaign, in what was to be a portent of his 1956–57 troubles, Holland's health deteriorated markedly. He kept losing his voice, forcing him to limit his speeches to half an hour. Following

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5704-573: The deep southeastern United States , southeastern South America , southeastern Southern Africa , northcentral Southern Europe , and southern and southwestern Eastern Europe . In most humid subtropical climates, summer is the wettest season. In summer, the subtropical high pressure cells provide a sultry southernly flow of tropical air with high dew points, and frequent (but brief) convective showers are common. With decreasing latitude most humid subtropical climates typically have drier winters and wetter summers, however some sectors with this climate see

5796-410: The dividing line between two major physiological groups of evolved plants. Most of the plants are sensitive to low temperatures on the warmer side of the line. They can be killed back by frosts as they have not evolved to withstand periods of cold. On the colder temperate side of the line, the total flora is adapted to survive periods of variable lengths of low temperatures, whether as seeds in the case of

5888-533: The government compromised by simply passing a law forcing unions to obtain majority support in a vote before the union could make donations to the opposition Labour Party, which was traditionally associated with the trade unions. In 1950, the National Government reinstated the death penalty , which had been phased out by the previous Labour Government in 1935 and abolished for murder in 1941. Another eight executions were carried out through Holland's administration (out of 36 murder convictions, 22 of whom had resulted in

5980-497: The islands for the United Kingdom. European settlers have lived on the island for varying lengths of time, from the early nineteenth century until 1937, growing food for the whalers. The Thomas Bell family settled on the island from 1878 to 1914. One of the Bell daughters, Bessie Dyke, recounted the family's experience to writer Elsie K. Morton who published their story in 1957 as Crusoes of Sunday Island . The islands were annexed to New Zealand in 1887 according to one source. However

6072-416: The islands, Rangitāhua ( lit.   ' the stopping-off place ' ), Polynesian people "stopped off" on the Kermadec islands in around the 14th century (and perhaps previously in the 10th century). Their arrival is also evident in the presence of introduced taro and candlenut growing wild in certain areas of Raoul Island supported by its relatively warm climate. However, the first Europeans to reach

6164-422: The islands, as well as some of the invasive exotic plants. Visits to the islands are restricted by the Department of Conservation. The department allows visits to Raoul by volunteers assisting in environmental restoration or monitoring projects, and other visitors engaged in nature study. Visits to the other islands are generally restricted to those engaged in scientific study of the islands. On 29 September 2015,

6256-541: The islands. Dense subtropical forests cover most of Raoul, and formerly covered Macauley. Metrosideros kermadecensis is the dominant forest tree, forming a 10 – 15-metre (30 – 50-foot) high canopy. A native nīkau palm ( Rhopalostylis baueri ) is another important canopy tree. The forests have an understory of smaller trees, shrubs, ferns, and herbs, including Myrsine kermadecensis ; Lobelia anceps , Poa polyphylla , Coprosma acutifolia , and Coriaria arborea . Two endemic tree ferns , Alsophila milnei and

6348-407: The mid-latitudes, it cools, gets denser and sinks, which leads to subsidence near the 30th parallel of both hemispheres. This circulation is known as the Hadley cell and leads to the formation of the subtropical ridge . Many of the world's deserts are caused by these climatological high-pressure areas , within the subtropics. This regime is known as a semiarid / arid subtropical climate, which

6440-404: The northern end of the Taupo Volcanic Zone . The islands experience many earthquakes from plate movement and volcanism. Raoul and Curtis are both active volcanoes . The volcanoes on the other islands are currently inactive, and the smaller islands are the eroded remnants of extinct volcanoes. From 18 to 21 July 2012, Havre Seamount (near Havre Rock) erupted , breaching the ocean surface from

6532-533: The northernmost mediterranean climates are found along the Italian Riviera , at 44° latitude. Parts of southwestern Australia around Perth have a Mediterranean climate as do areas around coastal South Africa. According to Köppen , arid subtropical climates are characterized by an annual average temperature above 18 °C (64.4 °F), the absence of regular rainfall, and high humidity. Sidney Holland Defunct Sir Sidney George Holland GCB CH PC (18 October 1893 – 5 August 1961)

6624-613: The office for the next 48 hours until the crisis was resolved. According to his biographer Gustafson, Holland's physique never fully recovered from that incident. During the Suez Crisis, New Zealand and Australia were among the few countries to defend the Anglo-French invasion of the Suez Canal . Despite his conspicuous medical problems, Holland was initially reluctant to hand over the Party's leadership to his deputy, Holyoake. But following

6716-461: The opposition of Holyoake (by this time Deputy Prime Minister), who feared that tourism would divert investment away from agriculture. After Dean Eyre went on a private overseas business trip in 1956, Holland introduced a code of ethics that banned any conflict of interest between a minister's public duty and private affairs. During Holland's last years in office, New Zealand also faced a serious balance of payments crisis that had been precipitated by

6808-526: The permanently staffed Raoul Island Station, the northernmost outpost of New Zealand. The islands are listed with the New Zealand outlying islands . The islands are an immediate part of New Zealand, but not part of any region or district , but instead an Area Outside Territorial Authority . The islands were named after the Breton captain Jean-Michel Huon de Kermadec , who visited the islands as part of

6900-413: The rare and endangered Alsophila kermadecensis , are also found in the forests. Areas near the seashore and exposed to salt spray are covered by a distinct community of shrubs and ferns, notably Myoporum obscurum , Coprosma petiolata , Asplenium obtusatum , Cyperus ustulatus , Disphyma australe , and Ficinia nodosa . The islands have no native land mammals. An endemic bird subspecies

6992-481: The retirement of several older ministers, Holland rejuvenated his Cabinet with several younger men including Dean Eyre , Sid Smith , John McAlpine , Tom Shand , Geoff Gerard , and Eric Halstead . In 1955 the annual terminal income tax assessment system was phased out in favor of a Pay As You Earn (PAYE) system. Also, the Tourist Hotel Corporation was established with Holland's strong support and against

7084-540: The rising cost of living and housing. Altogether the party's vote dropped by nearly 100,000 from the 1951 electoral figure. The National Party also had to contend (as it had not needed to do in 1951) with a new third party: the Social Credit Political League , which won 122,573 votes. In addition, the Labour Party polled more votes than National but failed to reduce National's numerical majority in Parliament;

7176-462: The southeast sides of continents) have hot and wet summers with frequent (but brief) convective rainfall ( tropical cyclones can also contribute to annual rainfall). Areas bordering cool oceans (typically on the southwest sides of continents) are prone to fog, aridity, and dry summers. Plants such as palms , citrus , mango , pistachio , lychee , and avocado are grown in the subtropics. The tropics have been historically defined as lying between

7268-640: The southern end of the Mexican Plateau and in Da Lat of the Vietnamese Central Highlands. The six climate classifications use the term to help define the various temperature and precipitation regimes for planet Earth . A great portion of the world's deserts are within the subtropics, as this is where the semi-permanent subtropical anticyclone resides (typically inland on the southwest sides of continents). Areas bordering warm oceans (typically on

7360-466: The subtropics or tropics. It has characteristically mild temperatures year-round, featuring the four seasons in the subtropics and no marked seasons in the tropics, the latter usually remaining mild to cool through most of the year. Subtropical highland climates under the Cfb classification usually have rainfall spread relatively evenly in all months of the year similar to most oceanic climates while climates under

7452-473: The subtropics. Japan receives over half of its rainfall from typhoons. The Mediterranean climate is a subtropical climate, usually found on the western side of continents, with a wet season in winter and a dry season in the summer. Regions with this type of climate include the rim lands of the Mediterranean Sea , southwestern Australia , parts of the west coast of South America around Santiago and

7544-641: The subtropics. Pest control of the crops is easier than in the tropics, due to the cooler winters. Tree ferns ( pteridophytes ) are grown in subtropical areas, as are dracaena and yucca , and trees in the Taxaceae . Apple , pear and pomegranate also grow well in the subtropics. The humid subtropical climate is a subtropical climate type characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild winters. This climate can be found in northern Middle East , northern South Asia , northern Indochina , eastern Australia , southern and southeastern China , southern Japan ,

7636-457: The superannuation scheme to enable retiring public servants to claim a portion of their entitlement as a lump sum payment. In addition, the Government established producer-controlled agricultural boards. Despite its centre-right orientation, the National Government maintained the previous Labour Government's policies of full employment and the welfare state. While the 1950s was a boom time for New Zealand and other Western economies, inflation remained

7728-631: The support of the party's farming constituency by establishing a farm in North Canterbury and breeding Romney sheep and Aberdeen Angus cattle . In addition, he also countered other rival conservative parties like the Liberal Party, the Soldier's Movement, and the People's Movement by co-opting them into the National Party in 1941. This merger helped strengthen National's support base by unifying opposition to

7820-411: The understory of Raoul Island. Predation by rats and cats reduced the seabird colonies on the main islands from millions of birds to tens of thousands. The New Zealand government has been working for the last few decades to restore the islands. New Zealand declared the islands a nature reserve in 1937, and the sea around them a marine reserve in 1990. The marine reserve surrounds each of the islands and

7912-501: The warmest subtropical climates and the less warm tropical climates as defined by the Köppen-Geiger or Trewartha climate classifications. However Wladimir Köppen has distinguished the hot or subtropical and tropical (semi-)arid climates ( BWh or BSh ) having an average annual temperature greater than or equal to 18 °C (64.4 °F) from the cold or temperate (semi-)arid climates ( BWk or BSk ) whose annual temperature average

8004-477: The waterfront dispute. Due to the Cold War atmosphere emerging in New Zealand, Holland was able to depict the watersiders as part of the "Red Peril" that was threatening Western democracy. According to the historian Barry Gustafson, the 1949 and 1951 elections marked the peak of Sidney Holland's political career. The National Party was to stick with his extremely tough attitude towards unions for decades. After 1951

8096-492: The waters of Raoul Island and nursed back to health at Kelly Tarlton's Sea Life Aquarium . The release was from the deck of the RV Tangaroa , with land in sight to enable Koha to orientate itself to prevent the risk of getting lost in the open ocean. The introduction of cats, rats , and goats devastated the forests and seabirds. Overgrazing by goats eliminated the forests of Macauley Island, leaving open grasslands, and altered

8188-417: The winter (dry season) the monsoon retreats, and the drier trade winds bring more stable airmass and often dry weather, and frequent sunny skies. Areas that have this type of subtropical climate include Australia, Southeast Asia, and parts of South America. In areas bounded by warm ocean like the southeastern United States and East Asia, tropical cyclones can contribute significantly to local rainfall within

8280-496: Was a New Zealand politician who served as the 25th prime minister of New Zealand from 13 December 1949 to 20 September 1957. He was instrumental in the creation and consolidation of the New Zealand National Party , which was to dominate New Zealand politics for much of the second half of the 20th century. Holland was elected to parliament in 1935 , and became the second Leader of the National Party , and Leader of

8372-409: Was hospitalised for six months and lost a lung. Holland was a prominent sportsman and sports administrator, representing Canterbury at provincial and inter-island level in hockey. After retiring from playing, he managed the New Zealand representative hockey team on an unbeaten tour of Australia in the 1932 and was a prominent hockey referee. After the war, Holland and one of his brothers established

8464-649: Was to abolish the Legislative Council , the upper house of the country's Parliament on 1 December 1950. As a result, the New Zealand Parliament became a unicameral body consisting solely of the House of Representatives . Besides serving as Prime Minister, Holland also served as the Minister of Finance . However, Holland did not carry on with his Party's promise to abolish compulsory unionism, which Labour had introduced in 1936. Due to opposition from several trade unions,

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