Mount Victoria (Wellington hill)

Mount Victoria, also known as Matairangi and colloquially as Mt Vic, is a prominent 196 m hill immediately to the east of central Wellington, New Zealand. About 4 kilometres due south is a spur named Mount Albert and the two are linked by a ridge. Mount Victoria gives its name to the suburb of Mount Victoria to the west.

History
Mount Victoria's original Māori name is Tangi Te Keo, though Matairangi is also used. The first name derives from a legend in which two taniwha tried to escape from Wellington Harbour which was then an enclosed lake. One taniwha became stranded and died, and its spirit turned into a bird named Te Keo, which flew to the top of the mountain and mourned (tangi). The second name translates as "to examine the sky".

In 1931, the Mount Victoria Tunnel was opened, connecting the suburbs of Mount Victoria and Hataitai.

Television broadcasts began in Wellington on 1 July 1961, broadcast from a transmitter atop Mount Victoria. In 1967, the Mount Victoria transmitter was replaced with a more powerful transmitter at Mount Kaukau.

Amenities
Mount Victoria is a popular walk for tourists and Wellingtonians alike, as from the summit one can see most of Wellington. There are numerous mountain bike and walking tracks on the hill.