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Rēkohu | Chatham Islands

Rēkohu Chatham Islands are 862 kilometres east of Christchurch and are 45 minutes ahead of New Zealand time. The Chatham Rise, a 1,400-kilometre mostly underwater land mass connects them to New Zealand. Lakes and lagoons cover about a quarter of the biggest island.

People live on only two of the Chatham Islands group: Chatham Island, also known as Rēkohu by Moriori and Wharekauri by Māori, and Pitt Island, known as Rangihaute by Moriori, and Rangiāuria by Māori. 

The main township is Waitangi, which is also where the port is. Other settlements are Te One, Port Hutt, Ōwenga and Kāingaroa. Rēkohu Chatham Island averages just over 600 people living there, and about 35 live on Rangihaute Pitt Island.

  • Display case showing a taxidermy seagull suspended from its roof alongside a number of carved pou, wooden poles

    Moriori – People of Peace

    Learn about the Moriori people who inhabit Rēkohu | the Chatham Islands.

    On now

    Long-term exhibition

    Exhibition Ngā whakaaturanga

  • A very old photo with people standing in front of a wooden building. There is a dog in the foreground.

    Explore our collections from Rēkohu Chatham Islands

    Our Rēkohu Chatham Islands collections include photography of the people and places, Moriori and manuhiri (visitors), marine species from the Chatham Rise, fauna, flora, tools for tree pressing and fishing, and unusual geographical forms like the basalt columns from both Rēkohu (WharikauriChatham Island), and Rangihaute (Pitt Island).

  • Basalt columns that are mostly five-sided by the sea which has a lot of seaweed and foam in it

    Repatriation and return of karāpuna to Rēkohu

    Since the early 19th century, the illicit collection and trade of kōimi tangata/kōimi tchakat (Moriori skeletal remains) saw the remains of hundreds of Moriori karāpuna (Moriori ancestors) stolen from sacred burial sites and held in collections, both abroad and within Aotearoa New Zealand.

  • A taxidermied bird sitting on a mount on a grey background.

    Chatham Island Taiko

    The Chatham Island taiko (Magenta petrel) is one of the world's rarest seabirds. Formerly breeding in hundreds of thousands, if not millions on Rēkohu Chatham Island, taiko were an important food item for Moriori.