| The Tararua Range (often referred to as the Tararua Ranges) is one of several mountain ranges in the North Island of New Zealand which form a ridge running parallel with the east coast of the island between East Cape and Wellington. The ridge is at its most pronounced in the southern part of the island, where it is comprised of the Rimutaka, Ruahine, and Tararua Ranges. The Tararuas run northeast-southwest for 80 kilometres from near Palmerston North to the upper reaches of the Hutt Valley. It is separated in the north from the southern end of the Ruahine Range by the Manawatu Gorge. The highest peak in the Tararuas is The Mitre (not to be confused with Mitre Peak), at 1570 metres. |