# Remutaka Range > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Remutaka_Range > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Remutaka_Range.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remutaka_Range > Source revision: 1355957567 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Mountain range in New Zealand "Rimutaka" redirects here. For the electorate, see [Remutaka (electorate)](/source/Remutaka_(electorate)). Remutaka Range Mount Matthews, 940 metres, seen from Kelburn, Wellington Highest point Elevation 940 m (3,080 ft) Geography Location Wairarapa/Wellington, New Zealand State Highway 2 (Rimutaka Hill Road) seen from near the top of the pass 555 metres (1,821 ft) The **Remutaka Range** (also spelt **Rimutaka Range**) is the southernmost range of a mountain chain in the lower [North Island](/source/North_Island) of New Zealand. The chain continues north into the [Tararua](/source/Tararua_Range), then [Ruahine](/source/Ruahine_Range) Ranges, running parallel with the east coast between [Wellington](/source/Wellington) and [East Cape](/source/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.[1] 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.[2] ## Geography The Remutaka Range runs north-east to south-west for 55 kilometres from the upper reaches of the [Hutt Valley](/source/Hutt_Valley) (where the range's northern saddle abuts the southern end of the Tararuas) to [Turakirae Head](/source/Turakirae_Head) at the western end of [Palliser Bay](/source/Palliser_Bay). The highest peak is [Mount Matthews](/source/Mount_Matthews), at 940 metres, near the southern end of the range. Narrow and winding, [State Highway 2](/source/New_Zealand_State_Highway_2) crosses the range from the Hutt Valley to [Featherston](/source/Featherston%2C_New_Zealand) 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.[3] More recently there was a café. After disputes over toilets and land ownership between the then still new [Greater Wellington Regional Council](/source/Greater_Wellington_Regional_Council) and a series of tenants the building sat empty, was severely damaged by fire in April 2009[4][5] and later demolished. Taking a quite separate route the [Wairarapa Line](/source/Wairarapa_Line) railway used to climb across the Remutakas, including the famous [Rimutaka Incline](/source/Rimutaka_Incline), a rare example of the [Fell mountain railway system](/source/Fell_mountain_railway_system). It opened on 12 August 1878 and closed on 30 October 1955, when it was replaced by the [Rimutaka Tunnel](/source/Rimutaka_Tunnel). The former route is now the popular [Remutaka Rail Trail](/source/Remutaka_Rail_Trail) and part of the Remutaka Cycle Trail.[6] The [Rimutaka Incline Railway Heritage Trust](/source/Rimutaka_Incline_Railway_Heritage_Trust) has plans to rebuild the railway from Maymorn, including the Incline, as a tourist and historical attraction.[7] ## History World War I soldiers resting at the top of the Rimutaka hill road. On completing training at [Featherston](/source/Featherston_Military_Camp) they marched over the hill to Wellington to board ship for France's trenches. The first road that crossed the Rimutakas opened in 1857, opening up a new connection between [Wellington](/source/Wellington) and the [Wairarapa](/source/Wairarapa).[8] 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 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](/source/New_Zealand_Expeditionary_Force). The march was re-enacted in 2015.[9] ## Conservation Much of the range is protected as the [Remutaka Forest Park](/source/Remutaka_Forest_Park) and [Wainuiomata Water Collection Area](/source/Wainuiomata_Water_Collection_Area). Abbots Creek toll-bridge on the Rimutaka road in 1875 ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["Notice of final determinations of the Minister for Land Information on official geographic names"](https://gazette.govt.nz/notice/id/2015-ln7474). *New Zealand Gazette*. 17 December 2015. Retrieved 18 March 2018. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["Place name detail: Remutaka Range"](https://gazetteer.linz.govt.nz/place/54796). *New Zealand Gazetteer*. [Land Information New Zealand](/source/Land_Information_New_Zealand). Retrieved 18 March 2018. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** [Manawatu Standard](https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/MS19310129.2.102) 29 January 1931 1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Farmer, Don (29 March 2009). ["Summit a shambles"](https://web.archive.org/web/20110807071440/http://www.times-age.co.nz/local/news/summit-a-shambles/3796489/). *[Wairarapa Times-Age](/source/Wairarapa_Times-Age)*. Archived from [the original](http://www.times-age.co.nz/local/news/summit-a-shambles/3796489/) on 7 August 2011. Retrieved 2 October 2009. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-Stuff.co.nz_2316411_5-0)** ["Rimutaka cafe fire treated as arson"](http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/2316411). *[Stuff.co.nz](/source/Stuff.co.nz)*. [NZPA](/source/NZPA). 6 April 2009. Retrieved 5 November 2011. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEChurchmanHurst2001154–159_6-0)** [Churchman & Hurst 2001](#CITEREFChurchmanHurst2001), p. 154–159. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** ["Rimutaka Incline Railway Heritage Trust – About Us"](https://web.archive.org/web/20070911062815/http://www.rimutaka-incline-railway.org.nz/about-us.html). Archived from [the original](http://www.rimutaka-incline-railway.org.nz/about-us.html) on 11 September 2007. Retrieved 16 March 2007. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** Mew, G.; Humphris, Adrian (October 2014). *Raupo to Deco*. p. 23. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-927242-56-8](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-927242-56-8). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** Frances, Neil (2015). *A Long, Long Trail*. Masterton, New Zealand: Fraser Books. p. 44. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-9922475-3-9](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-9922475-3-9). ## Further reading - Churchman, Geoffrey B; Hurst, Tony (2001) [1990, 1991]. *The Railways of New Zealand: A Journey through History* (Second ed.). Transpress New Zealand. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-908876-20-3](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-908876-20-3). ## External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to [Remutaka Range](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Remutaka_Range). - ["Horse drawn carts on the Rimutaka Hill, photo by James Bragge 1870s"](https://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-ATLTime-t1-body-d47.html). NZETC. 1870. [41°10′S 175°10′E / 41.167°S 175.167°E / -41.167; 175.167](https://geohack.toolforge.org/geohack.php?pagename=Remutaka_Range¶ms=41_10_S_175_10_E_region:NZ_type:mountain) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Remutaka Range](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remutaka_Range) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remutaka_Range?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.