Editing Remutaka Range

{{short description|Mountain range}}
{{Redirect|Rimutaka|the electorate|Remutaka (New Zealand electorate)}}
{{Use New Zealand English|date=April 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2018}}
{{Infobox mountain
| name = Remutaka Range
| other_name = 
| photo = Mount Matthews.jpg
| photo_caption = Mount Matthews, 940 metres, seen from Kelburn, Wellington
| elevation_m = 940
| elevation_ref = 
| prominence = 
| location = [[Wairarapa]]/[[Wellington]], New Zealand
| range = 
| coordinates = 
| topo = 
| first_ascent =
| easiest_route = 
}}
[[File:State Highway 2 (Rimutaka Hill Road) near the top of the range..jpg|thumb|State Highway 2 (Rimutaka Hill Road) seen from near the top of the pass {{convert|555|m|ft}}]]

The '''Remutaka Range''' (spelled '''Rimutaka Range''' before 2017) 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 parallel with the east coast between [[Wellington]] and [[East Cape]].

The 555-metre summit of the road over the range at its northern saddle is named '''Remutaka Pass'''. The pass was formally named on 17 December 2015 when the Minister of Land Information confirmed the decision of the New Zealand Geographic Board.<ref>{{cite news | url= https://gazette.govt.nz/notice/id/2015-ln7474 | title= Notice of final determinations of the Minister for Land Information on official geographic names | date= 17 December 2015 | work= New Zealand Gazette | access-date= 18 March 2018}}</ref> Following the passage of the Rangitāne Tū Mai Rā (Wairarapa Tamaki nui-ā-Rua) Claims Settlement Act 2017, the name of the range officially changed to Remutaka Range.<ref>{{LINZ|54796|Remutaka Range |18 March 2018}}</ref>

==Geography==

The Remutaka Range runs north-east to south-west for 55 kilometres from the upper reaches of the [[Hutt Valley]] (where the range's northern saddle abuts the southern end of the Tararuas) to [[Turakirae Head]] at the western end of [[Palliser Bay]]. The highest peak is [[Mount Matthews]], at 940 metres, near the southern end of the range.

Narrow and winding, [[New Zealand State Highway 2|State Highway 2]] crosses the range from the Hutt Valley to [[Featherston, New Zealand|Featherston]] at the saddle where it meets the Tararuas. At the road's summit is a lookout point where there were usually tea rooms and well-guarded facilities maintained by residents.<ref>[https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/MS19310129.2.102 Manawatu Standard] 29 January 1931</ref> More recently there was a café. After disputes over toilets and land ownership between the then still new [[Greater Wellington Regional Council]] and a series of tenants the building sat empty, was severely damaged by fire in April 2009<ref>Don Farmer, [http://www.times-age.co.nz/localnews/storydisplay.cfm?storyid=3796489 Summit a shambles], Wairarapa Times-Age, 2009-03-29, retrieved 2 October 2009.</ref><ref name="Stuff.co.nz_2316411">{{cite news |url= http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/2316411 |title= Rimutaka cafe fire treated as arson |date= 6 April 2009 |agency= [[NZPA]] |work= [[Stuff.co.nz]] |access-date= 5 November 2011}}</ref> and later demolished.

Taking a quite separate route the [[Wairarapa Line]] railway used to climb across the Remutakas, including the famous [[Rimutaka Incline]], a rare example of the [[Fell mountain railway system]].  It opened on 12 August 1878 and closed on 30 October 1955, when it was replaced by the [[Rimutaka Tunnel]]. The former route is now the popular [[Remutaka Rail Trail]] and part of the Remutaka Cycle Trail.{{sfn|Churchman|Hurst|2001|p=154–159}}
The [[Rimutaka Incline Railway Heritage Trust]] has plans to rebuild the railway from Maymorn, including the Incline, as a tourist and historical attraction.<ref>[http://www.rimutaka-incline-railway.org.nz/about-us.html Rimutaka Incline Railway Heritage Trust – About Us]</ref>

== History ==
[[File:Soldiers on the rimutaka hill road.jpg|thumb|World War I soldiers resting at the top of the Rimutaka hill road. On completing training at [[Featherston Military Camp|Featherston]] they marched over the hill to Wellington to board ship for France's trenches.]]

During World War I over 30,000 New Zealand soldiers marched between military camps at Trentham, Upper Hutt and Featherston via the Rimutaka Hill Road, in a three-day trek of 27 miles (43.5&nbsp;km). There were 23 marches of 500 to 1800 men between September 1915 and April 1918, at the end of their training as reinforcements for the [[New Zealand Expeditionary Force]]. The march was re-enacted in 2015.<ref>{{cite book |last= Frances |first= Neil |title=  A Long, Long Trail |year= 2015 |publisher= Fraser Books |location= Masterton, New Zealand |isbn= 978-0-9922475-3-9 |page= 44 }}</ref>

==Conservation==
Much of the range is protected as the [[Remutaka Forest Park]] and [[Wainuiomata Water Collection Area]].

[[File:Abbots creek toll bridge on the rimutaka road.jpg|thumb|left|Abbots Creek toll-bridge on the Rimutaka road in 1875]]

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== References ==
{{reflist}}

== Further reading ==
{{refbegin}}
* {{Churchman & Hurst Railways of New Zealand}}
{{refend}}

== External links ==
*{{cite web|url= https://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-ATLTime-t1-body-d47.html |title= Horse drawn carts on the Rimutaka Hill, photo by James Bragge 1870s |publisher= NZETC |date= 1870 }}

{{coord|41|10|S|175|10|E|region:NZ_type:mountain|display=title}}

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[[Category:Mountain ranges of New Zealand]]
[[Category:Landforms of the Wellington Region]]
[[Category:Pākuratahi Forest]]