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

The Moehau Range is the central feature of the Colville Ecological District. Environment Waikato’s local area planting guide describes the area as “long ridges and steep streams radiating out to the coast, steep and broken hillslopes, floodplains, harbours and estuaries.” The Colville Ecological District takes in 77,201 Ha, 59% of which is in indigenous vegetation, and 8% of which is virgin forest.

History

Mt Moehau is sacred to the Marutūahu tribes of Māori. Many important chiefs, including Tamatekapua of Te Arawa, are buried on its summit. The full name of the mountain is Te Moengahau-o-Tamatekapua (the windy sleeping place of Tamatekapua).

Biodiversity

The Moehau Range is considered one of New Zealand’s six ‘biodiversity hot spots’. The Moehau peak contains a selection of indigenous vegetation that is unique for a North Island forest, and is home to silver and pink pine, kaikawaka, sweet hutu and southern rātā, and is the northern limit for many southern montane species such as mountain toatoa and mountain cedar (pahautea). The range is also noteworthy for the rare native frog Leiopelma archeyi whose young hatch from eggs, bypassing the tadpole stage. Moehau is also home to the Moehau Stag Beetle, the Moehau Weta and a population of approximately 500 Kiwi.

The Moehau Environment Group[1] works to protect and enhance the natural environment of the Northern Coromandel Peninsula.