Maungawhau

Story

Maungawhau / Mount Eden is a scoria cone in the Mount Eden suburb of Auckland, New Zealand.GeographyThe cone is a dormant volcano and its summit, at 196m above sea level, is the highest natural point on the Auckland isthmus. The majestic bowl-like crater is 50m deep. The volcano erupted from three craters 28,000 years ago, with the last eruptions from the southern crater filling the northern craters. The western face of the hill was extensively quarried. This is the site of a large ecological restoration project run by volunteers.NamingMaungawhau means the 'Mountain of the whau tree ' in Māori. 'Mount Eden' honours George Eden, 1st Earl of Auckland. The crater is called Te Ipu-a-Mataaho ; Mataaho was a deity said to live in the crater and to be the guardian of the secrets hidden in the earth.TourismMaungawhau / Mount Eden attracts many tourists, as it is the highest natural point in Auckland, and provides good views in all directions over the city. There used to be a large number of tourist buses driving to the summit but these were banned in 2011. The maunga authority banned all vehicles driving to the summit in 2016, with the exception of people with limited mobility.Other usesFrom the 1950s the peak was used by the New Zealand Post Office for VHF radio communications in two buildings, several hundred metres apart, each with their own antenna farm. One building housed transmitting equipment, while the other housed receiving equipment. In the 1960s the site was staffed during the five-day working week due to the large number of valves that wore out under the stress of high power and needed frequent servicing. Typical use of the facility was for businesses e.g. taxi or delivery firms needing mobile communications to vehicles.