Ripapa Island

I mentioned Ripapa a few blips ago and promised a blip of its own. Ripapa is the island we look out onto from our house. It is separated from the mainland by a narrow channel which you can wade across at low tide, and then climb up the wall into and drop down into the fortress itself, making a good Boys Own Adventure. At one point, DOC used to run regular tours of the island but I don't think they have done so for many years. It is a shame as the island has a fascinating history and is very well preserved. There are lots of underground tunnels and several intact "disappearing guns" (click on the link below to find out more about these or its history in general). 

As well as being a Maori pa, the island was used during WWI to house prisoners of war. The most famous of these was Count von Luckner who was a German nobleman and naval officer. He was a "sea raider" who used a merchant vessel to signal that they needed water, then when they came up close, overpowered the other vessel and demanded they surrendered. He sunk 14 merchant ships with only one casualty before being captured, and was praised by the crew of these ships for his gentlemanly treatment of them. He was initially imprisoned on Motuihe Island near Auckland. but escaped by stealing the camp commander's motorboat, then commandeered a scow and sailed to the Kermadec Islands. His daring escape made world headlines. He was recaptured and imprisoned on Ripapa Island for 109 days. I am disappointed to find on googling him that the story I knew of him (that he had escaped from Ripapa using a barrel) is untrue. Apparently he considered getting into a tar barrel and floating in the harbour until rescued and then stealing his rescuer's vessel, but had too much sympathy for his commanding officer on Ripapa to implement this plan. Quite a character!

Wikipedia page on history of Ripapa