Wharite Peak

Wharite Peak is a mountain at the southern end of the Ruahine Range, 9 km (5.6 mi) north of Woodville in the Manawatū-Whanganui region of New Zealand. The mountain is home to the main television and FM radio transmitter for the city of Palmerston North and the wider Manawatu region.

Wharite Peak
View of Wharite from near Ashhurst, Manawatū
Highest point
Elevation	920 m (3,020 ft)
Coordinates	40°15′17″S 175°51′30″E
Geography
Wharite Peak Manawatū-Whanganui, New Zealand
Parent range	Ruahine Range

Etymology

Wharite is a corruption of either Whare-Iti ("home of Iti") or Whare-tītī ("nesting place of tītī").^[1]

According to Rangitāne o Manawatu, Wharite was inhabited by Iti a Tohunga from the Ruakawa Pa area below. The Tohunga was banished to the peak due to his small stature and disfigurements. However, Rangitāne o Manawatu still consulted him for his knowledge related to environmental matters.^[1]

Transmitter

The main Wharite transmission tower

The Wharite South transmitter tower.

A pilot 1 kW television transmitter was established atop Wharite in 1963, relaying WNTV1 from Wellington.^[2][3]

In October 1963, the New Zealand Broadcasting Corporation (NZBC) announced Wharite as one of four sites (along with Waiatarua in Auckland, Mount Te Aroha in Waikato, and Sugarloaf in Christchurch) to receive permanent 100 kW television transmitters.^[4] The new 100 kW transmitter and 122-metre (400 ft) transmitter tower came into service on 4 April 1966.^[3][5] Buttresses were added in 1991 to reinforce the tower, while the tower height was reduced to the present 92 m (302 ft) in the late 2010s after analogue switch-off.^[6][7]

In addition to the main TV/FM tower, there is also a smaller FM-only tower to the south (known as Wharite South).

Television frequencies

Television Station	Freeview	Owner	Channel	Frequency	Power (kW)
HGTV	19	Warner Bros. Discovery	28	530.0 MHz	32
Al Jazeera	20	Al Jazeera Media Network
Shine TV	25	Rhema Media
Hope Channel	27	Seventh-day Adventist Church
Three	3	Sky	32	562.0 MHz
Bravo	4
Eden	8
Rush	14
TVNZ 1	1	TVNZ	34	578.0 MHz
TVNZ 2	2
TVNZ Duke	6
Sky Open	15	Sky	36	594.0 MHz
Whakaata Māori	5	New Zealand Government	38	610.0 MHz
Te Reo	10

^{[8] [note 1]}

Radio frequencies

Radio Station	Owner	Transmit Frequency	Tower	Power (kW)
Radio New Zealand Concert	Radio New Zealand	89.0 MHz	Main	40
Kia Ora FM	National Māori Radio Network	89.8 MHz	Main	1
ZM	New Zealand Media and Entertainment	90.6 MHz	Main	40
Radio Rhema	Rhema Media	91.4 MHz	South	4
More FM	MediaWorks New Zealand	92.2 MHz	South	80
The Edge		93.0 MHz	South	5
The Sound		93.8 MHz	Main	40
Channel X		94.6 MHz	South	5
The Rock		95.4 MHz	South	5
Mai FM		97.0 MHz	South	5
The Hits	New Zealand Media and Entertainment	97.8 MHz	Main	40
The Breeze	MediaWorks New Zealand	98.6 MHz	South	8
Newstalk ZB	New Zealand Media and Entertainment	100.2 MHz	Main	40
Radio New Zealand National	Radio New Zealand	101.0 MHz	Main	8
PMN 531	Pacific Media Network	103.4 MHz	South	8
Magic	MediaWorks New Zealand	104.2 MHz	South	5
Coast	New Zealand Media and Entertainment	105.8 MHz	Main	12.5

^[8]

Former analogue television frequencies

The following frequencies were used until 29 September 2013, when Wharite switched off analogue broadcasts (see Digital changeover dates in New Zealand).

TV Channel	Transmit Channel	Transmit Frequency	Band	Power (kW)
TV One	2V	55.25 MHz	VHF	100
TV2	4V	175.25 MHz	VHF	200
TV3	7V	196.25 MHz	VHF	100
Four	11V	224.25 MHz	VHF	16
Māori Television	46V	671.25 MHz	UHF	250
Prime	62V	799.25 MHz	UHF	250

Climate

Climate data for Wharite Peak (1971–2000)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	15.3 (59.5)	15.4 (59.7)	13.9 (57.0)	11.0 (51.8)	8.1 (46.6)	6.0 (42.8)	5.2 (41.4)	5.7 (42.3)	7.1 (44.8)	9.4 (48.9)	11.4 (52.5)	13.7 (56.7)	10.2 (50.3)
Daily mean °C (°F)	11.8 (53.2)	12.0 (53.6)	10.9 (51.6)	8.5 (47.3)	5.9 (42.6)	4.2 (39.6)	3.4 (38.1)	3.5 (38.3)	4.8 (40.6)	6.5 (43.7)	8.3 (46.9)	10.3 (50.5)	7.5 (45.5)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	8.3 (46.9)	8.6 (47.5)	7.9 (46.2)	6.0 (42.8)	3.7 (38.7)	2.5 (36.5)	1.5 (34.7)	1.4 (34.5)	2.4 (36.3)	3.7 (38.7)	5.1 (41.2)	7.0 (44.6)	4.8 (40.7)
Average rainfall mm (inches)	151 (5.9)	149 (5.9)	202 (8.0)	188 (7.4)	187 (7.4)	173 (6.8)	182 (7.2)	194 (7.6)	170 (6.7)	193 (7.6)	169 (6.7)	207 (8.1)	2,165 (85.3)
Source: NIWA (rainfall 1951–1980)[9]

Notes

1. The table does not include hour-delayed or music television stations.