HMNZS Moa (P3553)
HMNZS Moa (P3553) was a Moa-class inshore patrol vessel of the Royal New Zealand Navy. It was commissioned in 1983 for the Naval Volunteer Reserve and decommissioned in 2007.
Moa was the second ship of this name to serve in the Royal New Zealand Navy and was named after the Moa bird from New Zealand.
After she was decommissioned in January 2007, she was sold on in March to a Picton builder who renamed the vessel Flightless. On Friday 20 June 2008 the vessel, moored at anchor on the eastern side of Waikawa Bay, Picton, was struck by a commercial fishing boat, with the loss of two lives aboard the fishing boat. (Paul Mulrooney, 'Two die in boat crash,' headline article, p. 1, Dominion Post, Saturday-Sunday, 21–22 June 2008)
See also
Moa
The moa were nine species (in six genera) of flightless birds endemic to New Zealand. The two largest species, Dinornis robustus and Dinornis novaezelandiae, reached about 3.6 m (12 ft) in height with neck outstretched, and weighed about 230 kg (510 lb). When Polynesians settled New Zealand in CE 1280, the moa population was about 58,000.
Moa belong to the order Dinornithiformes, traditionally placed in the ratite group. However, their closest relatives have been found by genetic studies to be the flighted South American tinamous, once considered to be a sister group to ratites. The nine species of moa were the only wingless birds, lacking even the vestigial wings which all other ratites have. They were the dominant herbivores in New Zealand's forest, shrubland and subalpine ecosystems for thousands of years, and until the arrival of the Māori were hunted only by the Haast's eagle. Moa extinction occurred in CE 1440 ± 20 years, primarily due to overhunting by Māori.
Description
Although moa skeletons were traditionally reconstructed in an upright position to create impressive height, analysis of their vertebral articulation indicates that they probably carried their heads forward, in the manner of a kiwi. The spine was attached to the rear of the head rather than the base, indicating the horizontal alignment. This would have allowed them to graze on low-elevation vegetation, while being able to lift their heads and browse trees when necessary. This has resulted in a reconsideration of the height of larger moa.
Moa (name)
Moa is both a surname and a given name. Notable people with the name include:
Surname:
Given name:
See also
Moa (disambiguation)
Moa are extinct giant flightless birds native to New Zealand.
Moa or MOA may also refer to:
Animals
New Zealand Navy
People
Plants
Places
Science and mathematics
Her Majesty's New Zealand Ship
Her Majesty's New Zealand Ship (HMNZS) is the ship prefix used to identify warships and shore facilities commissioned into the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN).
It derives from "Her Majesty's Ship" (HMS) used in the United Kingdom. The British monarch is also equally and separately the New Zealand head of state. Should the Queen be replaced by a King, the designation also changes to "His" rather than "Her" Majesty.
On 1 October 1941, King George VI fixed his signature to the approval for the Royal New Zealand Navy and from that date all ships officially received the designation.
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