2025 marks the 60 year anniversary of some of Kordia’s iconic television towers, including the tower at Mt Kaukau in Wellington, Auckland’s Waiatarua and Christchurch’s Sugarloaf in the Port Hills. Wharite tower in the Manawatu also commenced build in 1965.
Built as part of a national effort led by the New Zealand Broadcasting Corporation (NZBC) to build a nationwide television network, the towers are still in operation today.
While TV broadcasts had been made in NZ by the early 60s, coverage was quite limited and centred around major cities.
Not everyone had access to a signal. The introduction of the big transmission towers enabled networking, which meant that by the early 1970s television coverage was extended to the vast majority of New Zealand. NZBC, which was a forerunner to Kordia, TVNZ and RNZ, was responsible for building and maintaining these towers, and facilitating and producing the content.
Today, Kordia’s towers and sites still play an important role in delivering not only digital terrestrial TV, but other mission-critical services such as FM radio, DMR, emergency service radio communications and more.
At 100 metres high, our Waiatarua tower is perched high into the Waitākere Ranges, on the western fringes of Auckland city.
Perfectly positioned to deliver connectivity and transmission services to communities and businesses in New Zealand’s largest city, Waiatarua is equipped with a diesel generator, to ensure operations and services continue, even in the event of a natural disaster.
At 92 metres high, Kordia’s Wharite tower is one of the highest structures in the lower north island and transmits Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) to a substantial part of the Manawatu area. Located close to the town of Woodville, on a clear day the views from the tower stretch across Taranaki, Tongariro National Park and across to the Hawke’s Bay.
The tower at Mt Kaukau is Wellington’s highest point, located almost half a kilometre above sea level. Located north of Wellington city, the tower is robust enough to withstand the region’s wind and weather. Completed in 1965 to broadcast television to the greater Wellington region, today the tower continues to provide digital terrestrial TV (DTT) broadcasts, as well as FM radio and other critical communications services. It is undergoing a major refurbishment after many years of service to ensure the structure is in top condition for future decades.
The Sugarloaf communications tower stands almost 121 metres tall and has been broadcasting radio and television signals since 1965
The tower and the building are pinned into the bedrock of the Port Hills, high above Christchurch.
The site affords dramatic views across Christchurch city and the Canterbury Plains, all the way to the Southern Alps, and as far as the Kaikoura Ranges in the north.
