Pūtauaki

Pūtauaki, known in English as Mount Edgecumbe, is a dacite volcanic cone in the Bay of Plenty Region of New Zealand. A King of the Mountain race was run on Pūtauaki as part of the international King of the Mountain series between 1955 and 2020, and proceeds were donated to charity.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Geography

Located Template:Cvt east of Rotorua and three kilometres east of Kawerau, it is the easternmost vent of the Taupō Volcanic Zone adjacent to the Ōkataina volcanic centre. The mountain rises to Template:Cvt above sea level,<ref name=NZtopomap /> and is visible from the waters of the Bay of Plenty, Template:Cvt to the north.

Geology

The composite volcano is located towards the centre of the onshore portion of the very geologically active Whakatāne Graben in the northeastern aspect of the young, modern Taupō Rift. There were several periods of dome growth and collapse between about 8350 and 2400 years BP.<ref name="Burns2022">Template:Cite journal</ref> The last substantial volcanic eruption occurred at {{ #expr: 2490-1950 }} ± 130 BCE, producing a cubic kilometre of lava.<ref name=gvp>Template:Cite gvp</ref> There was a previous eruption dated to {{ #expr: 3330-1950 }} ± 50 BCE.<ref name=geomap2010>Template:Cite book</ref>Template:Rp The volcano produced the Edgecumbe Formation which are pyroxene-bearing andesite to dacite lava flows (up to 67 wt% SiO₂),<ref name="Burns2022"/> domes and minor pyroclastic tephra.<ref name=geomap2010 />Template:Rp Although classified by some as part of the Ōkataina volcanic centre system,<ref name="GVPOkataina"/> compositional studies reveal important differences in the depth of accumulation and fractionation of the magma of the Pūtauaki system consistent with separate plumbing.<ref name="Burns2022"/>

Characterised Eruptions Pūtauaki<ref name="GVPOkataina">Template:Cite journal</ref>

Years ago	Calendar date	VEI	Volume erupted	Notes
Template:Years ago	300 BCE	0		<ref name="GVPOkataina"/>
2490 ± 130 cal.yr	{{ #expr: 2490-1950 }} ± 130 BCE	-	Template:Convert DRE	<ref name="GVPOkataina"/>
3330 ± 50 cal.yr	{{ #expr: 3330-1950 }} ± 50 BCE	-		<ref name="GVPOkataina"/>
5550 cal.yr	{{ #expr: 5550-1950 }} BCE	0		<ref name="GVPOkataina"/>

History

Captain James Cook named the mountain "Mount Edgecumbe" on 2 November 1769, possibly in honour of John Edgecombe, the sergeant of marines on his vessel, the Endeavour.<ref> Compare the nearby town of Edgecumbe. Template:Cite book </ref> The mountain's official name changed back to Pūtauaki in 1925.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}Template:Dead link</ref>

The New Zealand government took part of the mountain from the Ngāti Awa people in the 1880s as part of a series of North Island land confiscations, supposedly for the purposes of military settlement. In a 1999 report the Waitangi Tribunal declared the confiscation illegal because there was no prospect of placing settlers on the mountain.<ref name=Awa10>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Legendary source of name

Māori legend tells of a love affair that Pūtauaki had with Whakaari / White Island. Another version of the legend is that Pūtauaki was lonely after losing a fight for Pīhanga (another mountain) so when he met Tarawera he decided to start a relationship with her. After raising a son and years of a troubled marriage, Pūtauaki cast his eye out towards the sea, where the very beautiful Whakaari was. The two would call out to each other at night while Tarawera slept. One night Pūtauaki could not contain his love any longer and decided to travel out to be with Whakaari. It is said that a mountain can only move once in their life and only at night so Pūtauaki had to travel across the land fast. Little did he know, his son had awoken and was following him. He heard the little whimper from his son and turned around. He tried to tell his son to stay with Tarawera but the little mountain would not leave his father. Then the sun rose and froze the two mountains where they were. When Tarawera awoke she saw that her husband had left and she started to weep, thus creating the Tarawera Falls and river. Until this day Tarawera still cries and Whakaari still calls out for her lover, who is frozen to the spot near Kawerau.Template:Citation needed

Transmitter

Pūtauaki is home to a major FM radio transmitter for the eastern Bay of Plenty. Prior to digital television transition in December 2013, the transmitter was also the main analogue television transmitter for the area.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Radio Station	Transmit Frequency	Licensed power (kW)
The Breeze	92.1 MHz	1.6
RNZ Concert	95.3 MHz	5
SENZ	96.1 MHz	1.6
Tumeke FM	96.9 MHz	4
RNZ National	101.7 MHz	5
The Edge	104.1 MHz	1.6
The Sound	105.7 MHz	1.6

Gallery

• 
  View of the mountain from the north
• 
  Putauaki and the Tarawera River
• 
  Pūtauaki overlooks a geothermal bore field near Kawerau
• 
  Pūtauaki seen in an 1847 illustration depicting a Māori feast at Matatā

See also

• List of volcanoes in New Zealand

External links

• Walking up Mount Edgecumbe - at peakbagging.co.nz