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The Tararua Range, often referred to as the Tararua Ranges or Tararua, is one of several mountain ranges in the
North Island The North Island, also officially named Te Ika-a-Māui, is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the larger but much less populous South Island by the Cook Strait. The island's area is , making it the world's 14th-largest ...
of New Zealand. The Tararua Range runs northeast–southwest for from near
Palmerston North Palmerston North (; mi, Te Papa-i-Oea, known colloquially as Palmy) is a city in the North Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Manawatū-Whanganui region. Located in the eastern Manawatu Plains, the city is near the north bank of the ...
to the upper reaches of the
Hutt Valley The Hutt Valley (or 'The Hutt') is the large area of fairly flat land in the Hutt River valley in the Wellington region of New Zealand. Like the river that flows through it, it takes its name from Sir William Hutt, a director of the New Zeala ...
, where the northern tip of the
Remutaka Range The Remutaka Range (spelled Rimutaka Range before 2017) is the southernmost range of a mountain chain in the lower North Island of New Zealand. The chain continues north into the Tararua, then Ruahine Ranges, running parallel with the east ...
begins. It is separated in the north from the southern end of the
Ruahine Range The Ruahine Range is the largest of several mountain ranges in the North Island of New Zealand that form a ridge running parallel with the east coast of the island between East Cape and Wellington. The ridge is at its most pronounced from the cen ...
by the Manawatu Gorge. Most of the Range is wilderness, protected as the Tararua Forest Park. The highest peak in the Tararua Range is Pukeamoamo / Mitre (not to be confused with Mitre Peak) at . Other prominent peaks include Mount Bannister at and Mount Hector at , which is named after the scientist Sir James Hector. Its Māori name is Pukemoumou, or 'hill of desolation'.


Geography

The Tararua Range is divided into two distinct northern and southern regions. Each of these is dominated by a central mountain peak: Arete in the north and Hector in the south. A total of ten rivers rise on the mountain slopes, providing water for the surrounding rural and urban areas from
Palmerston North Palmerston North (; mi, Te Papa-i-Oea, known colloquially as Palmy) is a city in the North Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Manawatū-Whanganui region. Located in the eastern Manawatu Plains, the city is near the north bank of the ...
to Wellington. A number of ranges radiate out from the mountains, the largest of which is the Main Range linking the twin clusters of northern and southern peaks. The summits of the ranges average between 1,300 and 1,500 metres in height. This consistency indicates that the region was once part of a level plain. About 10 million years ago parts of this relatively low-lying area were thrust up, creating a mountainous backbone for the southern part of the North Island. Subsequent erosion contributed to the present pattern of parallel ranges divided by deep river valleys. The ranges provide a back-drop for the
Kapiti Kapiti or Kāpiti may refer to: *Kapiti Island, an island a short distance off the New Zealand coast north of Wellington *Kapiti Coast District, the local government district which includes much of the Kapiti Coast *Kapiti Coast Airport, an airport ...
coastal plain.


Mountain peaks

The 15 peaks in the Tararua Range of 1,500m or higher are (from north to south): Logan 1,500m, Bannister 1,537m, South Bannister 1,513m, Arete 1,505m, Lancaster 1,504m, Brocket 1,538m, Pukeamoamo / Mitre 1,571m, Peggys Peak 1,545m, Girdlestone 1,546m, North King 1,535m, Middle King 1,521m, South King 1,531m, McGregor 1,540m, Angle Knob 1,510m, Mount Hector 1,529m. Other notable peaks in the range are Jumbo Peak (1405m) and Mount Holdsworth (1470m).


Climate and vegetation

The western slopes of the ranges are subject to prevailing moisture-carrying winds, channelled by
Cook Strait Cook Strait ( mi, Te Moana-o-Raukawa) separates the North and South Islands of New Zealand. The strait connects the Tasman Sea on the northwest with the South Pacific Ocean on the southeast. It is wide at its narrowest point,McLintock, A H, ...
to the south. These are the source of an annual rainfall of approximately 5,000 mm, resulting in the dominance of conifers, ferns and shrubs on the western side of the ranges. By contrast, the pattern on the eastern side is one of open beech forest in a drier environment. In spite of a reputation of being composed of gloomy bush, impenetrable leatherwood, and wet snow tussocks on mist-shrouded tops, the Tararua Range has a wide diversity of vegetation, ranging from alpine tussock grasslands and subalpine
shrub A shrub (often also called a bush) is a small-to-medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees ...
lands to forests of montane miro/
kamahi ''Weinmannia racemosa'', commonly called kāmahi, is an evergreen small shrub to medium-sized tree of the family Cunoniaceae. It is the most abundant forest tree in New Zealand, occurring in lowland, montane, and subalpine forests and shrublan ...
, or beech or lowland broadleaf forests with emergent
podocarps Podocarpaceae is a large family of mainly Southern Hemisphere conifers, known in English as podocarps, comprising about 156 species of evergreen trees and shrubs.James E. Eckenwalder. 2009. ''Conifers of the World''. Portland, Oregon: Timber Pr ...
and
kamahi ''Weinmannia racemosa'', commonly called kāmahi, is an evergreen small shrub to medium-sized tree of the family Cunoniaceae. It is the most abundant forest tree in New Zealand, occurring in lowland, montane, and subalpine forests and shrublan ...
. The forest in the northern part of the Tararua Range consists mainly of tawa and miro indigenous woodlands. Further south species such as beech are widely seen. Finally, along the west slopes of the ranges facing the Tasman Sea, mixed native species such as
rimu ''Dacrydium cupressinum'', commonly known as rimu, is a large evergreen coniferous tree endemic to the forests of New Zealand. It is a member of the southern conifer group, the podocarps. The Māori name ''rimu'' comes from the Polynesian ...
, tarrier, matai,
totara ''Podocarpus totara'' (; from the Maori-language ; the spelling "totara" is also common in English) is a species of podocarp tree endemic to New Zealand. It grows throughout the North Island and northeastern South Island in lowland, montane and ...
and
kahikatea ''Dacrycarpus dacrydioides'', commonly known as kahikatea (from Māori) and white pine, is a coniferous tree endemic to New Zealand. A podocarp, it is New Zealand's tallest tree, gaining heights of 60 m and a life span of 600 years. It was fi ...
are dominant.


History

The rugged terrain and frequently harsh weather of the Tararua Range served to discourage any substantial attempt at penetration by early Māori. Although there is archaeological evidence of exploration by
moa Moa are extinct giant flightless birds native to New Zealand. The term has also come to be used for chicken in many Polynesian cultures and is found in the names of many chicken recipes, such as Kale moa and Moa Samoa. Moa or MOA may also refe ...
hunters as early as the twelfth century, the mountains remained a massive physical divide between the tribal settlements located along rivers, lakes and coastlines to the east and west. Some of the Ngati Mamoe (early Maori settlers on the neighboring Kapiti Coast) are reputed to have taken refuge in the Tararua mountains after they were displaced by the Rangitane and Muaupoko
iwi Iwi () are the largest social units in New Zealand Māori society. In Māori roughly means "people" or "nation", and is often translated as "tribe", or "a confederation of tribes". The word is both singular and plural in the Māori language, an ...
(tribal groups). The Ngati Mamoe survivors attained a mythical status as the
patupaiarehe Patupaiarehe are supernatural beings ( ) in Māori mythology that are described as pale to fair skinned with blonde hair or red hair, usually having the same stature as ordinary people, and never tattooed. They can draw mist to themselves, but te ...
(fairy folk) of the Tarurua Range. In the 1820s the Muaupoko in turn were forced to flee to the ranges when under attack by the
Ngāti Toa Ngāti Toa, Ngāti Toarangatira or Ngāti Toa Rangatira, is a Māori ''iwi'' (tribe) based in the southern North Island and in the northern South Island of New Zealand. Its ''rohe'' (tribal area) extends from Whanganui in the north, Palmerston N ...
led by
Te Rauparaha Te Rauparaha (c.1768 – 27 November 1849) was a Māori rangatira (chief) and war leader of the Ngāti Toa tribe who took a leading part in the Musket Wars, receiving the nickname "the Napoleon of the South". He was influential in the original ...
. In spite of such intrusions, the mountain range remained the home of distant gods or hostile wild men (
maero In Māori tradition, the Maero (or Mohoao) are an iwi-atua or supernatural people from New Zealand. They are sometimes described as giants or wild men of the woods, and inhabit mountains and forest, particularly in the South Island and Tararua ...
). As such, it was a special place to be respected but avoided. In the 1870s a large portion of the ranges was sold to the New Zealand Government by a coalition of the Iwi in possession of the surrounding region. Specifically excluded from this "Tararua Block" purchase was an area of 1,000 acres reserved to protect the
sacred lake Sacred waters are sacred natural sites characterized by tangible topographical land formations such as rivers, lakes, springs, reservoirs, and oceans, as opposed to holy water which is water elevated with the sacramental blessing of a cler ...
Hapuakorari, the exact location of which remained uncertain. European settlers, like their Māori counterparts, found the steep ridges and deep valleys of the Tararua Range difficult of access and intimidating in scale. The range accordingly escaped the development of the fertile plains that bordered on it. In 1881 36,000 acres of the Tararua Block, including key catchment areas for four rivers, was classified as
State Forest A state forest or national forest is a forest that is administered or protected by some agency of a sovereign or federated state, or territory. Background The precise application of the terms vary by jurisdiction. For example: * In Australia, a ...
, subject to protection. Additional watersheds were added over the following decades, to create a Crown conservation reserve in excess of 250,000 acres. The scenic beauty of the Tararua Range made the mountains a popular subject for paintings during the Victorian period – though largely romanticized and usually undertaken from a distance. By the 1920s, with the neighboring countryside largely settled, the potential of the range as an area for outdoor recreation rather than for exploitation began to be recognized.


Tararua Forest Park

The 116,535 hectare Tararua Forest Park covers more than three-quarters of the Tararua Range. It is administered by the
New Zealand Department of Conservation The Department of Conservation (DOC; Māori: ''Te Papa Atawhai'') is the public service department of New Zealand charged with the conservation of New Zealand's natural and historical heritage. An advisory body, the New Zealand Conservation Au ...
and extends from the Pahiatua Track in the north, to the Rimutaka Saddle in the south. The main entrance on the eastern side of the ranges is at Holdsworth, and on the west side from
Ōtaki Forks Ōtaki Forks is a rural locality in the Kapiti Coast District of the Wellington Region of New Zealand's North Island. It is located at the confluence of the Ōtaki River with its tributaries Waiotauru River and Waitatapia River. It is 18 k ...
.


Roads

The only all-weather road right across the range is the Pahiatua Track, which joins
Palmerston North Palmerston North (; mi, Te Papa-i-Oea, known colloquially as Palmy) is a city in the North Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Manawatū-Whanganui region. Located in the eastern Manawatu Plains, the city is near the north bank of the ...
and
Pahiatua , image_skyline = Market day pahiatua 1st dec 2007 1.JPG , imagesize = , image_caption = , image_flag = , flag_size = , image_seal = , seal_size = , image_shi ...
. It is now used more heavily since the Manawatu Gorge road was permanently closed in 2017 due to recurring large landslides.


Recreation

The Tararua Range serves as a popular
tramping Tramping may refer to: Travel *Hiking *Trekking *Tramping in New Zealand, a style of backpacking or hiking * Czech tramping, a Czech outdoors pastime Places * Rural Municipality of Tramping Lake No. 380, Saskatchewan, Canada ** Tramping Lake, Sas ...
location for the greater Wellington district. It is one of the most frequently entered ranges in the country, with between 120,000 and 150,000 people visiting each year. Among the many tramping tracks is the well-known
Southern Crossing The Southern Crossing is a tramping track in New Zealand's Tararua Range. The track is approximately long and typically takes two to three days to complete. It begins in Ōtaki Forks in the west, and continues over Mount Hector finishing in ...
running from Ōtaki Forks in the west, over Mount Hector and exiting via
Kaitoke Kaitoke (sometimes called Pakuratahi), part of Upper Hutt City, is a locality in the southern North Island of New Zealand. It is located at the northern end of the Hutt Valley, 45 kilometres northeast of Wellington City and six kilometres from the ...
.


Camping

The hills include 6 campsites. They are accessible by car, although visitors may need to travel over gravel roads that contain occasional fords. Campsites are generally located within the foothills of the range, alongside a river or stream.


Tramping

The Tararua Range is significant in the history of tramping in New Zealand, due to its accessibility for people in Wellington and nearby towns. Two of the most popular tracks are the Northern Crossing from Levin to the
Wairarapa The Wairarapa (; ), a geographical region of New Zealand, lies in the south-eastern corner of the North Island, east of metropolitan Wellington and south-west of the Hawke's Bay Region. It is lightly populated, having several rural service ...
, and the Southern Crossing from
Ōtaki Forks Ōtaki Forks is a rural locality in the Kapiti Coast District of the Wellington Region of New Zealand's North Island. It is located at the confluence of the Ōtaki River with its tributaries Waiotauru River and Waitatapia River. It is 18 k ...
to near
Masterton Masterton ( mi, Whakaoriori), a large town in the Greater Wellington Region of New Zealand, operates as the seat of the Masterton District (a territorial authority or local-government district). It is the largest town in the Wairarapa, a r ...
.


The Sutch Search

In April 1933, the Tararua Range was the focus of what later came to be known as '' The Sutch Search'' when Mr Eric Hill, Miss Morva Williams, Mr Bert O’Keefe and Dr. Bill Sutch went missing for more than two weeks during an attempt to traverse from Te Matawai Hut to Mount Holdsworth during winter. An accident while sidling the Broken Axe Pinnacles prevented the group getting to Mt Holdsworth in a day as planned. Then bad weather forced them off the ridge tops. It took more than two weeks for them to find a route down the untracked Waiohine River. The group was noticed to be missing after a week, at which time a search developed that eventually involved roughly 200 people and solicited many donations from members of the public. The search was the first in New Zealand to involve radio communications and aircraft, and is generally considered to be one of the major contributing events towards the formation of New Zealand's voluntary Land Search and Rescue service ( LSAR). It was covered intensely by media at the time, and when the group finally returned they sparked strong public debate regarding the responsibilities of those who enter the wilderness.


Tramping fatalities

A combination of steep terrain, dense bush, difficult river crossings and changeable winter weather conditions has caused over twenty-two tramping deaths in the Tararua Range since 1970, most recently one in June 2019. Other deaths included those of the Chief Executive of the
National Museum of New Zealand The Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa is New Zealand's national museum and is located in Wellington. ''Te Papa Tongarewa'' translates literally to "container of treasures" or in full "container of treasured things and people that spring f ...
Te Papa: Dr
Seddon Bennington Seddon Leonard Bennington (8 October 1947 – c. 11 July 2009) was a New Zealand museum executive (management), executive. Bennington was the chief executive of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, the national museum of New Zealand, from ...
and a friend Marcella Jackson, who died of hypothermia in June 2009.


Mountain running racing

The Tararua Mountain Race, following a track of , from Kaitoke to Ōtaki Forks, has been held annually since 1990. The running race involves a total ascent of plus a slightly longer descent, and requires the deployment of 50 volunteers as marshals, search and rescue teams, first aid helpers, and support staff.http://www.tararua-race.org.nz It frequently encounters adverse weather and is not regarded as a suitable event for inexperienced participants.


See also

* Tararua Forest Park


References


Sources


External links

{{Commons category, Tararua Range
Tararua history
Department of Conservation
Tararua Northern Crossing
Department of Conservation
Tararua Southern Crossing
Department of Conservation Mountain ranges of New Zealand Landforms of the Wellington Region Kapiti Coast District Landforms of Manawatū-Whanganui