The Brothers (New Zealand) with the largest being only some one hectare in area. The Māori name for the group, "Ngāwhatu-kai-ponu" literally means "the eyes that witnessed", and the islands are considered "tapu" to Māori. North Brother Island is a sanctuary for the rare reptile species, the Brothers Island tuatara and is the type locality for a rare beetle, the "Amychus granulatus, although it is possibly extinct there now. The Brothers (New Zealand) The Brothers is a group of small islands in Cook Strait, New Zealand, off the east coast of Arapaoa Island. The Brothers form two small island groups, each containing one main
Languages of New Zealand and New Zealand Sign Language. English is spoken by 96.1 percent of the population. It has long been the predominant language and the "de facto" official language. It is the primary language used in parliament, government, the courts, and the education system. Its official status has been presumed and is not codified in statute. In 2018, New Zealand First MP Clayton Mitchell introduced a bill to parliament to statutorily recognise English as an official language. New Zealand English is mostly non-rhotic with the exception of the "southern burr" found principally in Southland and parts of Otago. It is similar to