The project had been a long time coming according to MetService observations manager Tony Quayle, with initial horizon profiling taking place six years ago.
The site, built on private farm land (Te Touwai block), had an expansive view of the Far North district, and would provide weather detection across a range of 300 kilometres in every direction.
MetService board member Te Taru White and Mr Quayle had worked closely with Te Touwai to gain the support of the local community through public meetings in Kaeo, meetings with Te Runanga o Whaingaroa, engaging the chairman of Whakaari Pukehuia Marae to provide a cultural impact assessment report for the resource consent application, and a blessing ceremony with representatives of Whakaari Pukehuia and Karangahape Marae prior to making a start on construction.
One of the commitments the MetService had made to the local community was to provide an annual scholarship to support local students with an interest in meteorology or related sciences.
"We want to encourage kids of this area into meteorology," Mr Lennox said.
"Technology can take us to a certain level, but it's the expertise and judgement of meteorologists that makes all the difference."
Lead meteorologist William Nepe, who was born in the Far North, will be visiting schools in the area to talk about weather and the role of the weather radar. Mr Nepe (Ngati Kahu) grew up at Otangaroa, and attended Hato Hohepa Primary School and Whangaroa College.
He has been with the MetService for 12 years, and said he was looking forward to introducing Far North children to the world of meteorology.
"Not everybody is interested in sports, and this is an amazing opportunity for kids who, like me, like science, and one that I am proud to be a part of," he said.
Senior weather radar engineer Neil Urbahn was also there for the opening, answering questions about the radar he built in just two weeks.
The radar apparatus could move 40 degrees in a second, he said, "faster than you could run."
Deputy Mayor Tania McInnes, Karangahape Marae kaumatua Tarzan Hori and his mokopuna Declan Te Mauri McManus unveiled the plaque, while Northland Regional councillor Dover Samuels recalled using the Huia mountain as a landmark for his fishing trips.
"We'd use this maunga as a landmark to find our hapuka spots. If this radar can help the validity of the weather forecasts up here, I'm all for it," he said.
Kaeo Primary School pupils completed the official proceedings with a waiata.
New Zealand's first modern weather radars were built more than 20 years ago to provide coverage of the Auckland, Wellington and Canterbury regions, followed some time later by a Southland installation. The current project has seen new radars established in Taranaki (2008), the Napier/Gisborne region (2009), Bay of Plenty (2010) and Westland (2011).
Once the main fibre communications link has been installed to ensure the regularity of the data feed, the MetService will add images from the Northland radar to its websites (www.metservice.com and m.metservice.com), apps and other products.
