| Puketapu | |
|---|---|
&sq=Qlik&lang=&file=File:Puketapu,_Otago.jpg) | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 343 m (1,125 ft) |
| Prominence | 304 m (997 ft) |
| Coordinates | 45°29′26″S 170°43′52″E / 45.49056°S 170.73111°E |
| Naming | |
| Etymology | Māori meaning sacred hill |
| Geography | |
&sq=Qlik&lang=&file=File:New_Zealand_(relief_map).png)  Puketapu | |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Region | Otago |
| District | Waitaki District |
Puketapu is a prominent hill in Otago, in New Zealand's South Island, overlooking the town of Palmerston. The name Puketapu is Māori meaning "sacred hill".[1]
There is a memorial cairn to the 19th century Otago politician Sir John McKenzie. The cairn erected in 1929 by Sir Joseph Ward, replaced an earlier cairn on the nearby hill of Pukehiwitahi, which was erected in 1902, but quickly fell into disrepair.
An annual race held in October each year is run from Palmerston railway station to the summit of Puketapu and back, which is called "Kelly's canter", dedicated to Albert Kelly who ran up Puketapu as a constable in the Palmerston police force every day during World War II to look out for enemy ships.
- ^ Ministry for Culture and Heritage. "1000 Māori place names". Retrieved 17 January 2023.