Island in the middle - Page 2© Philippa Jane Ballantine
Page 2
Mar 1, 2002
And when World War Two rolled around, it was used once more. Some of the people, who had been interned there the first time, were forced to return for a second sentence.
After the end of the war, the island became a maximum-security quarantine station for animals mostly, and so it remained for decades. Finally in the 1990s people realized that this was a fantastic place, right in the middle of their capital city. The need for a quarantine station had dwindled, so instead the Department of Conservation took it over. Trees were planted, the island was freed of rats, and the native animals began to make a come back. But the crowning glory of the island was the arrival back of the tuatara- a small lizard, a relic of the age of dinosaurs. Now the people of Wellington can travel to the island, enjoy both its history, and its own unique beauty. For more about this fascinating island check out Island of Secrets, by David McGill.
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