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Steeple Rock/Te Aroaro-o-Kupe is a large rock off Seatoun at the west of the entrance to Wellington Harbour, rising above sea level. The rock plays a role in warning ships off the coast. It is the location of a marine light and an unbeaconed trig station (‘Steeple Rock Light’, geodetic code B0XX).
Its Māori name is Te Aroaro-o-Kupe (The front of Kupe or The presence of Kupe). The name was officially changed in 2009 from Te Ure-o-Kupe (The penis of Kupe). Kupe, the legendary discoverer of
Steeple Rock/Te Aroaro-o-Kupe is a large rock off Seatoun at the west of the entrance to Wellington Harbour, rising above sea level. The rock plays a role in warning ships off the coast. It is the location of a marine light and an unbeaconed trig station (‘Steeple Rock Light’, geodetic code B0XX).
Its Māori name is Te Aroaro-o-Kupe (The front of Kupe or The presence of Kupe). The name was officially changed in 2009 from Te Ure-o-Kupe (The penis of Kupe). Kupe, the legendary discoverer of Aotearoa
''Aotearoa'' () is the current Māori-language name for New Zealand. The name was originally used by Māori in reference to only the North Island, with the name of the whole country being ''Aotearoa me Te Waipounamu'' ("North Island and South ...
, is said to have injured himself on the rock while swimming.
In earlier times Steeple Rock was also known as Pinnacle Rock. This should not be confused with The Pinnacles, a group of rocks extending from the tip of Point Dorset, south of Steeple Rock.
While Steeple Rock is not as much of a hazard to shipping as Barrett Reef to the south, several ships have got into trouble around the rock, for example:
* 1844 ''Royal William'', sloop. Got stuck and had to be pulled off Steeple Rock.
* 1874 ''Anne Melhuish'', barque. Got stuck at Steeple Rock.
* 1889 ''Willie McLaren'', barque. Damaged when it hit a rock near Steeple Rock. Took on water, so the captain took the ship to Worser Bay where it sank.
* 1921 ''Rona
Rona, RONA or Róna may refer to:
Places
* Rona (Kristiansand), a neighbourhood in Kristiansand, Norway
*Rona (river), a river in Maramureș County, Romania
*Rona, Bellevue Hill, a historic house in the Sydney suburb of Bellevue Hill
* Rona, Swit ...
'', barque. Ran aground on Steeple Rock. Refloated and repaired.
* 1968 TEV ''Wahine'', inter-island passenger ferry. The ''Wahine'' struck Barrett Reef and then drifted north until she foundered near Steeple Rock. 53 lives lost.
References
Wellington Harbour Rock formations of the Wellington Region {{Wellington-geo-stub