The Ruahine Range is the largest of several mountain ranges in the

North Island The North Island ( , 'the fish of Māui', historically New Ulster) is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, islands of New Zealand, separated from the larger but less populous South Island by Cook Strait. With an area of , it is the List ...

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

that form a ridge running parallel with the east coast of the island between

East Cape East Cape is the easternmost point of the main islands of New Zealand. It is at the northern end of the Gisborne District of the North Island. East Cape was originally named "Cape East" by British explorer James Cook during his 1769–1779 voy ...

and

Wellington Wellington is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the third-largest city in New Zealand (second largest in the North Island ...

. The ridge is at its most pronounced from the central North Island down to Wellington, where it comprises the Ruahine, Tararua and

Remutaka Range The Remutaka Range (also spelt Rimutaka Range) is the southernmost range of a mountain chain in the lower North Island of New Zealand. The chain continues north into the Tararua Range, Tararua, then Ruahine Range, Ruahine Ranges, running para ...

s. The Ruahines run northeast–southwest for 110 kilometres from inland

Hawke's Bay Hawke's Bay () is a region on the east coast of New Zealand's North Island. The region is named for Hawke Bay, which was named in honour of Edward Hawke. The region's main centres are the cities of Napier and Hastings, while the more rural ...

to near Woodville. It is separated in the south from the northern end of the

Tararua Range The Tararua Range, often referred to as the Tararua Ranges or Tararua, is one of several mountain ranges in the North Island of New Zealand. The Tararua Range runs northeast–southwest for from near Palmerston North to the upper reaches of ...

by the

Manawatū Gorge The Manawatū Gorge () is a steep-sided gorge formed by the Manawatū River in the North Island of New Zealand. At long, the Manawatū Gorge divides the Ruahine and Tararua Ranges, linking the Manawatū and Tararua Districts. It lies to the ...

. The highest point in the Ruahines is Mangaweka, situated along the Hikurangi Range, which at 1733 metres (5686 feet) is the second highest non-volcanic mountainous peak in the North Island after Mount Hikurangi (1754 metres/5755 feet) in the Raukumara Range. The other notable peak is Wharite (920 metres/3017 feet), which visually marks the southern end-point of the Ruahine Range. The dominant geographical landmark in the Manawatū and

Tararua District The Tararua District is a Districts of New Zealand, district near the south-east corner of New Zealand's North Island that is administered by the Tararua District Council. It has a population of and an area of 4,364.62 km². The district' ...

, Wharite is perhaps better known in the region for its highly-visible television transmission tower. The first transmitter at Wharite was commissioned in 1963, relaying Wellington's WNTV1 channel (now part of

TVNZ 1 TVNZ 1 () is the first national television channel owned and operated by the state-owned broadcaster Television New Zealand (TVNZ). It is the oldest television broadcaster in New Zealand, starting out from 1960 as independent channels in the ...

). The current main transmitter was commissioned in 1966.

Name

Ruahine is a

Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the Co ...

name believed to mean "wise woman", with reference to the migrant leader's granddaughter on the Aotea canoe. A local Māori says "''Kaua e whakakoria te kuku o Ruahine, kei wera!''" (Don't disturb the forest of Ruahine, or it will burst into flames!), referring to the fact that attacking tribes often came down into Hawke's Bay through the passes of the Ruahine Range.

References

External links

Department of Conservation's section on the Western Ruahine Forest ParkDepartment of Conservation's section on the Eastern Ruahine Forest Park Close up image of Wharite peak (tramper.co.nz)Tramping in Ruahine State Forest Park – A montage of photographs featuring the Hikurangi Range in full winter snow by Derek Watts – New Zealand Herald 2009
Mountain ranges of New Zealand Landforms of Hawke's Bay Landforms of Manawatū-Whanganui Rangitikei District Central Hawke's Bay District Manawatū District Tararua District {{HawkesBay-geo-stub