Moehau
Encyclopedia
The Moehau is reputed to be a large, hairy hominid in the Coromandel
-Moehau
ranges of New Zealand's
North Island
. These stories of sightings of "The Hairy Moehau" or "The Moehau Monster" have given rise to various explanations.
The most common explanation for the Hairy Moehau is that it is a gorilla
. Proponents of this theory say that in the 1920s a gorilla
escaped from a ship, on which it was the mascot. It is believed that sightings of the gorilla may have been mistakenly referred to as Moehau sightings, as suggested by Robyn Gosset, in her book New Zealand Mysteries. However, in 1970, County Councillor J. Reddy told Robyn Gosset that the Hairy Moehau was an exaggeration started from a joke. Also in 1970, Bob Grey told researcher Robyn Gosset that the term “Moehau Monster” came from a name given to a Yankee steam hauler that was utilized for logging. In New Zealand Mysteries by Nicola McCloy, the author discredits both theories by citing several Moehau sightings during the early 19th century.
Coromandel Peninsula
The Coromandel Peninsula lies in the North Island of New Zealand. It is part of the Waikato Region and Thames-Coromandel District and extends 85 kilometres north from the western end of the Bay of Plenty, forming a natural barrier to protect the Hauraki Gulf and the Firth of Thames in the west...
-Moehau
Moehau Range
The Moehau Range is the northernmost range on the Coromandel Peninsula, extending from the settlement of Colville northwards to the tip of the peninsula. Mt Moehau is the highest point of the range, at 892m above sea level.-Physical Geography:...
ranges of New Zealand's
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
North Island
North Island
The North Island is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the much less populous South Island by Cook Strait. The island is in area, making it the world's 14th-largest island...
. These stories of sightings of "The Hairy Moehau" or "The Moehau Monster" have given rise to various explanations.
The most common explanation for the Hairy Moehau is that it is a gorilla
Gorilla
Gorillas are the largest extant species of primates. They are ground-dwelling, predominantly herbivorous apes that inhabit the forests of central Africa. Gorillas are divided into two species and either four or five subspecies...
. Proponents of this theory say that in the 1920s a gorilla
Gorilla
Gorillas are the largest extant species of primates. They are ground-dwelling, predominantly herbivorous apes that inhabit the forests of central Africa. Gorillas are divided into two species and either four or five subspecies...
escaped from a ship, on which it was the mascot. It is believed that sightings of the gorilla may have been mistakenly referred to as Moehau sightings, as suggested by Robyn Gosset, in her book New Zealand Mysteries. However, in 1970, County Councillor J. Reddy told Robyn Gosset that the Hairy Moehau was an exaggeration started from a joke. Also in 1970, Bob Grey told researcher Robyn Gosset that the term “Moehau Monster” came from a name given to a Yankee steam hauler that was utilized for logging. In New Zealand Mysteries by Nicola McCloy, the author discredits both theories by citing several Moehau sightings during the early 19th century.