Mou Waho is a 120-hectare island in Lake Wānaka, New Zealand. It is around the same size as the nearby Mou Tapu, these two islands being the largest in the lake. The island contains a small recursive lake, called Arethusa Pool: a glacial-scoured lake formed by the most recent ice age on an island, in a lake on an island.
Buff weka thrive on the island are predators of much of the native wildlife including mountain stone wētā, cave wētā, and Southern Alps geckos. For this reason students of the local Mount Aspiring College built 40 small wooden motels for these animals to safely live in.
Name The island was formerly variously known as Pigeon Island (therefore confused with its namesake on nearby Lake Wakatipu) and Manuka Island. It was officially renamed Harwich Island in 1925Otago Daily Times, Issue 19412, 23 February 1925, Page 7 viewed on Papers Past website, 2025-02-03 in honour of the Royal Navy's Harwich ForceMou Waho Island (Harwich) Scenic Reserve, Lake Wanaka on Land Information New Zealand website, viewed 2025-02=03 but the name did not gain wide acceptance and was renamed Mou Waho in 1988 after documents from the 1920s were found attesting to the original te reo Māori name.
See also
Desert island List of islands Recursive islands and lakes
References