Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jul 5, 2026

Mount Grey

Mount Grey is a 934-metre (3,065 ft) mountain 15 kilometres west of Amberley in New Zealand. It is named after Sir George Grey who was governor of New Zealand when English surveyors climbed it in 1849. In Te Reo Māori, the mountain is called Maukatere, 'floating mountain', from where the spirits of the dead leave on the long journey to Cape Reinga.

Last revised
Jul 5, 2026
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Mount Grey / Maukatere
Image a mountain from a nearby hill on an overcast day, with a view over the city of Christchurch in the background
Mount Grey / Maukatere, looking towards Christchurch
Highest point
Elevation933 m (3,061 ft)1
Coordinates43°07′02″S 172°32′51″E / 43.117316°S 172.547586°E / -43.117316; 172.547586
Naming
EtymologyNamed for George Grey, and from Ngāi Tahu Māori for floating mountain2
Native nameMaukatere (Māori)
English translation
Floating mountain
Defining authority
New Zealand Geographic Board
Geography
Mount Grey / Maukatere
Location in New Zealand
Country
New Zealand
Region
Canterbury
Climbing
AccessMt Grey Track, Red Beach Track

Mount Grey (officially Mount Grey / Maukatere) is a 934-metre (3,065 ft) mountain 15 kilometres (9.3 miles) west of Amberley in New Zealand.3 It is named after Sir George Grey who was governor of New Zealand when English surveyors climbed it in 1849.4 In Te Reo Māori, the mountain is called Maukatere, 'floating mountain', from where the spirits of the dead leave on the long journey to Cape Reinga.2

Maukatere is a significant mountain for the Kaiapoi-based Ngāi Tūāhuriri, a hapū (subtribe) of Ngāi Tahu.5 Maukatere marked the inland boundary of the Crown purchase of the Canterbury and Otago area recorded in "Kemp's Deed" in 1848.6

In 1998, the Ngāi Tahu Claims Settlement Act 1998 changed the official name of the mountain to Mount Grey / Maukatere.74

References

References

  1. "Place name detail: 21 November 2021". New Zealand Gazetteer. Land Information New Zealand.
  2. "Mount Grey/Maukatere Conservation Area". www.doc.govt.nz. Department of Conservation Te Papa Atawhai. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
  3. "Mt Grey/Maungatere walking tracks". Department of Conservation.
  4. "Place name detail: Mount Grey/Maukatere". New Zealand Gazetteer. Land Information New Zealand. Retrieved 18 July 2022.
  5. "Atlas — Cultural Mapping Project — Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu". www.kahurumanu.co.nz. Retrieved 17 July 2022.
  6. "Protecting Ngai Tahu History — Cultural Mapping Project — Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu". www.kahurumanu.co.nz. Retrieved 17 July 2022.
  7. "Ngāi Tahu Claims Settlement Act 1998" (pdf). Parliamentary Counsel Office.