Mokau
Encyclopedia
Mokau is a small town on the west coast of New Zealand
's North Island
, located at the mouth of the Mokau River
on the North Taranaki Bight
. Mokau lies just north of the boundary between the Taranaki Region and the Waikato Region (and consequently New Plymouth
District and Waitomo District
). Prior to 1989, the town was classed as being in Taranaki, and there is still a feeling that the community of interest is most associated with New Plymouth, 90 km to the southwest. State Highway 3
passes through the town on its route from Te Kuiti
to Waitara
and, eventually, New Plymouth.
Mokau has a permanent population of about 400, but this swells to several thousand during the summer. Mokau is a popular location for whitebait
ing and other fishing
including for kahawai (mainly found at the river mouth) and snapper (which are found right along the coast in several spots).
Mokau also has a couple of outstanding surf breaks that, in the right conditions, can produce waves of up to 6 ft (1.8m).
NOTE: Scale not given. Relief shown by hachures. Depth shown by soundings in fathoms.
Originally published: London : Admiralty, 1857. "Reduced from the original drawings by Edward J. Powell of the Hydrographic Office."
NOTE: Scale = 1: 35 000 and 1: 275 000
NOTE: Scale = 1: 35 000 and 1: 275 000
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...
's 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...
, located at the mouth of the Mokau River
Mokau River
The Mokau River is located in the North Island of New Zealand.The river rises as a spring in the Pureroa Forest, south of Te Kuiti, on the slopes of the Rangitoto Range and after briefly following a north-westward course it turns south-westwards and flows for 158 kilometres through the Waitomo...
on the North Taranaki Bight
North Taranaki Bight
The North Taranaki Bight is the name given to the large bay which extends north and east from the north coast of Taranaki in New Zealand's North Island. The name is echoed by the South Taranaki Bight to the south of Cape Egmont....
. Mokau lies just north of the boundary between the Taranaki Region and the Waikato Region (and consequently New Plymouth
New Plymouth
New Plymouth is the major city of the Taranaki Region on the west coast of the North Island of New Zealand. It is named after Plymouth, Devon, England, from where the first English settlers migrated....
District and Waitomo District
Waitomo District
Waitomo District is a territorial authority in the north of the King Country region in the North Island of New Zealand. A small part of the district, the town of Tiroa, however, lies in the Manawatu-Wanganui region....
). Prior to 1989, the town was classed as being in Taranaki, and there is still a feeling that the community of interest is most associated with New Plymouth, 90 km to the southwest. State Highway 3
New Zealand State Highway network
The New Zealand State Highway network is the major national highway network in New Zealand. Just under 100 roads in both the North and South Islands are State Highways...
passes through the town on its route from Te Kuiti
Te Kuiti
Te Kuiti is a small town in the south of the Waikato region of the North Island of New Zealand. It lies at the junction of State Highways 3 and 30 and on the North Island Main Trunk Railway, 80 km south of Hamilton....
to Waitara
Waitara, New Zealand
Waitara is the name of a town and a river in the northern part of the Taranaki Region of the North Island of New Zealand. Waitara is located just off State Highway 3, 15 km northeast of New Plymouth....
and, eventually, New Plymouth.
Mokau has a permanent population of about 400, but this swells to several thousand during the summer. Mokau is a popular location for whitebait
Whitebait
Whitebait is a collective term for the immature fry of fish, typically between 25 and 50 millimetres long. Such young fish often travel together in schools along the coast, and move into estuaries and sometimes up rivers where they can be easily caught with fine meshed fishing nets...
ing and other fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
including for kahawai (mainly found at the river mouth) and snapper (which are found right along the coast in several spots).
Mokau also has a couple of outstanding surf breaks that, in the right conditions, can produce waves of up to 6 ft (1.8m).
Maps
NOTE: Scale [ca. 1:295,000]. Large corrections to 1900, small corrections to 1929, ms. corrections to 1931. Ms. additions show [Mokau] river and smooth water limits, and extended river and partially smooth water limits.NOTE: Scale not given. Relief shown by hachures. Depth shown by soundings in fathoms.
Originally published: London : Admiralty, 1857. "Reduced from the original drawings by Edward J. Powell of the Hydrographic Office."
NOTE: Scale = 1: 35 000 and 1: 275 000
NOTE: Scale = 1: 35 000 and 1: 275 000