OUR MOUNTAINS

Evening Post, Volume CIII, Issue 65, 20 March 1922, Page 4

OUR MOUNTAINS

THEIR NOMENCLATURE

A correspondent (A. J. Clark) writes, as follows to The Post :—"I have asked many people the names of the range of mountains which extend from the Hutt Valley thence behind Day's Bay, and are also around the Kutc-roatJ, and at the back of Wellington.' I fear the knowledge of geography possessed by we Wellingtonians is not extensive, because come have told me/the mountains are the Tararuas, others the Eimutakas, and others declare them to be the Orongorongos. The editor of any newspaper is supposed to, know everything, and I shall be glad if you will give me the required information." A resident of ■Wellington, who has been on most of the mountains in question, and to whom the above question was submitted, writes in reply: "I do not set up to be either an authority on local geography, or an umpire of bets, but I would suggest that, taking the. nomenclature in its generally accepted application, the Tararua section of the backbone range is terminated, on the south, by the peaks Dennan, Hector, Alpha, Omega,' Marchant, and other foothills. At this point in its southwestward progress, the backbone, of which , the Tararuas are a part, forks. The two prongs of the fork are separated mainly by the Hutt basin. The westward prong has its worn peaks in, Kapakapanui (3615 ft), MaymoTn (2793 ft),. and Wainui (2360 ft). Waimri bring* this branch of-the high country close to Paekakariki, and from there it continues, afc lesser elevations, down the west coast, keeping between Port Nicholson and Cook Strait, and widening out round about Makara. "AVhat may be called the southern prong (or branch) runs on the other side of the Hutt basin, keeping, firstly, between the Hutt River and Wairarapa Lake, and secondly between Port Nicholeon and Palliser Bay.' Mount Marchant is the connecting link between the Tararuas and this branch, and is on the main divide between the Hutt basin andHhe \^n.irarapa Plains. I suppose that most people. would class Marchant as one of the Tararna peaks, and would' say that the Tararuae end south of the Marchant, about where the Wellington-Wairarapa-road crosses. . Just here is the peak called Eimutaka (2389 ft), and it seems to have given its name to this branch. Proceeding south or south-west," one meets Orohgorongo (2676 ft ); and the peak has also conferred upon its neighbourhood a general name. These two names overlap, and it- would certainly seem that this branch of the backbone range should be known by one general name, for, though it widens at the Palliser Bay end'into 1 scattered jpeaks (the highest being Matthews, 3079 ft), it appears to be but one mountain 1 mass.- Rimutaka seems to/be the map name. '„ "The . correspondent mentions, in conjunction, some of the lower ranges of the western branch (e.g., 'at tho back of Wellington'), and some of the lower ranges of the southern branch (e.g., 'behind Da-y's Bay'). These seem to have nothing hi common, save that they are all ultimate offshoots of the backbone The Western branch (including the city.'s ramparts) may be called a combination of the Tararuas, but the name Orongo-: rongo, or the name Rirmitaka, would be , quite inapplicable, to it. There are plenty of peak-names and local names, but it would 1 be difficult to apply one rangename to hills so disconnected as the Day's' Bay hills arid the Kai'ori hills, 'unless the whole of the high country is known comprehensively as Tararua.^ I have, treated the< subject riot geographically, but as it s appears in simple topography. Perhaps closer students of the subject can correct or supplement. Thero , may be authoritative precedent w/ih which I am unacquainted.".