| Tapuae-o-Uenuku / Hector Mountains | |
|---|---|
 View from Queenstown, with the Remarkables left of frame and Tapuae-o-Uenuku / Hector Mountains on the right. | |
| Highest point | |
| Peak | Mount Tūwhakarōria |
| Elevation | 2,307 m (7,569 ft) |
| Coordinates | 45°10′03″S 168°50′54″E / 45.16750°S 168.84833°E |
| Dimensions | |
| Length | 40 km (25 mi) |
| Naming | |
| Etymology | After Uenuku, a traditional atua of Ngāi Tahu, and after James Hector, New Zealand naturalist and scientist.[1] |
| Native name | Tāpuae O'Uenuku (Māori) |
| Geography | |
.png)  Tapuae-o-Uenuku / Hector Mountains Location in New Zealand | |
| Country |  New Zealand |
| Region |  Otago |
| Range coordinates | 45°17′35″S 168°48′47″E / 45.29306°S 168.81306°E[2] |
| Geology | |
| Formed by | Tectonic uplift / glaciation |
| Rock type(s) | Schist, Greywacke |
The Tapuae-o-Uenuku / Hector Mountains are a mountain range in the New Zealand region of Otago, near the resort town of Queenstown and just south of the more famous Remarkables. For most of its length, the mountains run adjacent to the southern reaches of Lake Wakatipu, before extending approximately 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) further south, past the glacial moraine at Kingston on the southern end of the lake.[2][3] On their eastern side, the mountains mark the edge of the Nevis valley, a largely tussocked area which saw significant activity during the Otago gold rush of the 1860s.[4] Historically, the mountains were an important mahinga kai (food gathering-place) for Ngāi Tahu and other local Māori iwi, who used the area to hunt for weka and gather tikumu while visiting the region.
Many of the peaks in the range remain unnamed, a group which – until 2013 – included its highest point.[4][5] Following a joint process between Ngāi Tahu and the Central Otago District Council, four new names were added to the region in 2013, including the adoption of the range's current dual name. This included the name of Mount Tūwhakarōria for the highest point of the range, as well as Te Karearea Peak for another prominent point as seen from Cromwell and Lake Te Kōhua for the small lake between the two.[6]
- ^ "Tāpuae O'Uenuku". Kā Huru Manu. Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu. Archived from the original on 18 April 2022. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
- ^ a b "Place name detail: Tapuae-o-Uenuku / Hector Mountains". New Zealand Gazetteer. New Zealand Geographic Board. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
- ^ Turnbull, I M. "Geology of the southeastern Eyre Mountains relevant to tenure review" (PDF). doc.govt.nz. Institute of Geological & Nuclear Sciences. Archived (PDF) from the original on 5 February 2019. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
- ^ a b "Kawarau Remarkables Conservation Area Landscape and Visual Assessment" (PDF). doc.govt.nz. Blakely Wallace Associates. Archived (PDF) from the original on 8 March 2022. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
- ^ "New Zealand Topographic Map". NZ Topo Map. Archived from the original on 18 April 2022. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
- ^ Williamson, Maurice. "Central Otago place names approved". The Beehive. New Zealand Government. Archived from the original on 8 March 2022. Retrieved 18 April 2022.