74-573: The Tongariro Alpine Crossing in Tongariro National Park is a tramping track in New Zealand , and is among the most popular day hikes in the country. The Tongariro National Park is a World Heritage site which has the distinction of dual status, as it has been acknowledged for both its natural and cultural significance. The crossing passes over the volcanic terrain of the multi-cratered active volcano Mount Tongariro , passing
148-489: A bridge was built over the Whakapapa River. This led to an influx of tourists and demands for more accommodation at Whakapapa. The hotel Chateau Tongariro at Whakapapa opened in 1929 with 95 bedrooms and associated cheaper lodges for trampers. The road was extended beyond Whakapapa Village after World War 2. Road access to the park was further improved in the 1960s with the development of roads needed for building
222-449: A few years had disappeared. The heather thrived, leading to criticism of its introduction as early as the 1920s because it threatens the ecological system and endemic plants of the park. In 1996, the heather beetle, Lochmaea suturalis , was imported to deal with the invasive heather but initially this was not very successful. Between 1996–2018, only 5,000 ha of heather was damaged by the beetles. However research in 2021 showed that
296-683: A height of 1530 m, where they cover 127.3 km . On this level, one can also find a 50 km beech forest, containing red ( Nothofagus fusca ), silver ( Nothofagus menziesii ) and mountain beech ( Nothofagus solandri var cliffortioides ). Understory species within the forests include ferns such as crown fern ( Blechnum discolor ) as well as shrub species. There is also a 95 km area of scrubland, containing kānuka ( Leptospermum ericoides ), mānuka ( Leptospermum scoparium ), celery-top pine ( Phyllocladus aspleniifolius ), inaka ( Dracophyllum longifolium ), woolly fringe moss ( Rhacomitrium lanuginosum ), small beeches and introduced heather. To
370-616: A nationwide problem. Volunteers and the government have been working since the 1960s to eradicate wilding pines on Mt Ruapehu, since they shut out native plants, consume water and degrade the environment. Tongariro National Park received funding from the National Wilding Conifer Control Programme which was set up in 2016 to produce a coordinated nationwide effort at pine control. By 2023 the Conifer Control Programme had stopped
444-606: A park ranger was appointed. Skiing on the mountains in the park became popular from about 1914, when the Ruapehu Ski Club was established. The first ski hut was built on Mt Ruapehu in 1923 at an elevation of 1770 m, and a ski lift was constructed in 1938–1939. The first motor vehicle reached Whakapapa village via the Bruce Road in August 1925, after the previous rough cart track was upgraded by prison labour and
518-420: A tapu on the area, denying Dieffenbach, Governor George Grey and Hochstetter permission to ascend the volcanoes, and the artist George French Angas was forbidden from sketching the mountains. Mananui and many of his family died in a landslide in 1846. His body was put in a vault at Pūkawa, and later taken to a burial cave on Mount Tongariro. In 1910, Mananui's remains were reinterred in a tomb at Waihī. With
592-709: A whole. During the Last Glacial Period when sea levels were over 100 metres lower than present day levels, the North and South islands were connected by a vast coastal plain which formed at the South Taranaki Bight . During this period, most of the North Island was covered in thorn scrubland and forest , while the modern-day Northland Peninsula was a subtropical rainforest . Sea levels began to rise 7,000 years ago, eventually separating
666-421: Is an unstable, volcanically active zone. The Tongariro Alpine track was closed for 4 days but the other 12 tracks on the mountains were left open. Fumaroles remain active around the active rim of Te Maari crater and there is a strong smell of sulphur gas close to the rim. Tongariro National Park Tongariro National Park ( / ˈ t ɒ ŋ ɡ ə r ɪr oʊ / ; Māori: [tɔŋaɾiɾɔ] ), located in
740-465: Is in the North Island", "my mother lives in the North Island". Maps, headings, tables, and adjectival expressions use North Island without "the". According to Māori mythology , the North and South Islands of New Zealand arose through the actions of the demigod Māui . Māui and his brothers were fishing from their canoe (the South Island) when he caught a great fish and pulled it right up from
814-756: Is managed by the Department of Conservation to ensure the horses' current range does not extend back into the National Park. Alongside a goat control programme in Tongariro Forest adjacent to the Tongariro National Park, the Department of Conservation (DoC) is vigilant about detecting feral goats within the park. In 2024, a helicopter using thermal imaging technology searched 16,000 ha of the park for goats, but none were found. DoC states that regular surveillance and early action
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#1732772418098888-559: Is more cost-effective than trying to root out a population that has already become established. Project Tongariro (formally, the Tongariro Natural History Society) is a conservation group set up by volunteers in 1984 as a memorial to national park staff lost in a 1982 helicopter accident. Since the 1980s the group has undertaken many projects in Tongariro National Park, including ecological restoration at Lake Rotopounamu, restoration of sites used in filming
962-482: Is on the south-western slope. Though it has only nine lifts, the 5 km skiing area is almost as large as Whakapapa's. There is no accommodation at the ski field: the nearest town is Ohakune. These two ski fields came under common management in 2000. The company later went into receivership, and in November 2023, Pure Tūroa, a Māori collective, took over a 10-year lease of Turoa. Management of Whakapapa remained with
1036-474: Is one of the two main islands of New Zealand , separated from the larger but less populous South Island by Cook Strait . With an area of 113,729 km (43,911 sq mi), it is the world's 14th-largest island , constituting 43% of New Zealand's land area. It has a population of 4,077,800 (June 2024), which is 76% of New Zealand's residents, making it the most populous island in Polynesia and
1110-410: Is snow to about 1500 m. Temperatures vary dramatically, even within one day. In Whakapapa, they can fall below the freezing point all year round. The average temperature is 13 °C, with a maximum of 25 °C in summer and a minimum of −10 °C in winter. In some summers the summits of the three volcanoes are covered with snow; on top of Mount Ruapehu, snow fields can be found every summer and
1184-448: The 28th-most-populous island in the world. Twelve main urban areas (half of them officially cities) are in the North Island. From north to south, they are Whangārei , Auckland , Hamilton , Tauranga , Rotorua , Gisborne , New Plymouth , Napier , Hastings , Whanganui , Palmerston North , and New Zealand's capital city Wellington , which is located at the south-west tip of the island. The island has been known internationally as
1258-641: The New Zealand Parliament passed the Tongariro National Park Act in October 1894, the park covered an area of about 252.13 km , but it took until 1907 to acquire the land. In 1908, a scientific party consisting of botanist Leonard Cockayne , forester and surveyor Edward Phillips Turner and geologist Robert Speight spent several months exploring and surveying the park. Their report presented to Parliament detailed
1332-566: The North Island for many years. The Te Reo Māori name for it, Te Ika-a-Māui , also has official recognition but it remains seldom used by most residents. On some 19th-century maps, the North Island is named New Ulster (named after Ulster province in northern Ireland) which was also a province of New Zealand that included the North Island. In 2009 the New Zealand Geographic Board found that, along with
1406-695: The North Island Volcanic Plateau . Directly to the east stand the hills of the Kaimanawa range . The Whanganui River rises within the park and flows through Whanganui National Park to the west. Most of the park is located in the Ruapehu District (Manawatū-Whanganui region), although the northeast is in the Taupō District (Waikato Region, or Hawke's Bay Region to the north). Tongariro National Park stretches around
1480-470: The short- and long-tailed bat . Tongariro National Park also teems with insects like moths and wētā . Also present in the park, as well as the whole of New Zealand, are animals introduced by Europeans, such as black rats , stoats , cats , rabbits , hare , possums and red deer . In the early 20th century, park administrators, including John Cullen , introduced heather to the park for grouse hunting. Grouse were introduced in 1924, but within
1554-590: The 2023 census, 63.1% of North Islanders identified as European ( Pākehā ), 19.8% as Māori , 10.6% as Pacific peoples , 19.3% as Asian , 1.9% as Middle Eastern/Latin American/African, and 1.1% as other ethnicities. Percentages add to more than 100% as people can identify with more than one ethnicity. Māori form the majority in three districts of the North Island: Kawerau (63.2%), Ōpōtiki (66.2%) and Wairoa (68.5%). Europeans formed
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#17327724180981628-604: The Act was passed in 1980. Tongariro National Park has been under the control of the New Zealand Department of Conservation since the creation of the department in 1987. A plaque at the Whakapapa Visitor Centre commemorates Te Heuheu's gift to New Zealand. The first activities in the young Tongariro National Park were the construction of tourist huts at the beginning of the 20th century. But it
1702-820: The Emerald Lakes and along the edge of the Blue Lake. The last two hours of the walk involve a long descent down the northern flank of the volcano, passing the Ketetahi Hot Springs. New Zealand Mountain Safety Council's video on the Tongariro Alpine Crossing Climbing of Mount Ngauruhoe as a side trip from the main crossing is not allowed anymore (as requested by the local iwi ) and track markings were removed. There are no guaranteed fresh water supplies on
1776-555: The Ketetahi end. As of October 2023, the Department of Conservation instituted a booking system for the hike in order to gather better information about its usage. The crossing is a linear journey, starting on the west side of Mount Tongariro and finishing on the north side. Originally, this meant that returning to the western end required retracing the 19.4 km crossing, walking 26 km via State Highways 46 and 47 back to
1850-669: The Lord of the Rings, surveys of blue duck habitats, and restoration of the Hapuawhenua Viaduct in the park. The main activities are hiking and climbing in summer, and skiing and snowboarding in winter. There is also opportunity for hunting, game fishing, mountain biking, horse riding , rafting and scenic flights. The most popular track in Tongariro National Park is the Tongariro Alpine Crossing . Most of
1924-622: The Rings film trilogy ; tours to view these places are commonly arranged by the tour's operators and lodges. Mount Ngauruhoe was also featured in Hunt for the Wilderpeople . Tongariro National Park landscapes were used as backgrounds for Queen Bavmorda's castle in the 1988 film Willow . North Island The North Island ( Māori : Te Ika-a-Māui [tɛ i.kɐ ɐ mɑː.ʉ.i] , lit. 'the fish of Māui', officially North Island or Te Ika-a-Māui or historically New Ulster )
1998-464: The South Island, the North Island had no official name. After a public consultation, the board officially named it North Island, or the aforementioned Te Ika-a-Māui, in October 2013. In prose, the two main islands of New Zealand are called the North Island and the South Island , with the definite article. It is also normal to use the preposition in rather than on , for example "Hamilton
2072-437: The South Island, this is solely due to the North Island having higher natural increase (i.e. births minus deaths) and international migration; since the late 1980s, the internal migration flow has been from the North Island to the South Island. In the year to June 2020, the North Island gained 21,950 people from natural increase and 62,710 people from international migration, while losing 3,570 people from internal migration. At
2146-462: The South Island, with the country's largest city, Auckland, and the capital, Wellington, accounting for nearly half of it. There are 30 urban areas in the North Island with a population of 10,000 or more: The sub-national GDP of the North Island was estimated at NZ$ 282.355 billion in 2021 (78% of New Zealand's national GDP). Nine local government regions cover the North Island and its adjacent islands and territorial waters. Healthcare in
2220-467: The Te Maari (sometimes spelled Te Māri or Te Mari) craters on Mt Tongariro sent a shower of ash and blocks up to 1m in diameter over the track. The blocks damaged the roof of the Ketetahi hut which is 1.5 km west of the explosive craters. No one was hurt. The alpine crossing was temporarily closed as about 75% of the track is within 3 km of Te Maari. The track is usually to windward of Te Maari as
2294-602: The Tongariro Alpine Crossing were allowed to pass by the hot springs, but the Māori owners Ketetahi Springs Trust closed the route because they objected to commercial guides making money from their land. In 2010, the Department of Conservation agreed to re-route the Tongariro Alpine Crossing so that it didn't cross the private land. On the park borders are the towns of Tūrangi , National Park Village and Ohakune . Further away are Waiouru and Raetihi . Within
Tongariro Alpine Crossing - Misplaced Pages Continue
2368-478: The Tongariro Power Scheme. Tongariro National Park covers 786 km stretching between 175° 22' and 175° 48' East and 38° 58' and 39° 25' South in the heart of the North Island of New Zealand. It is just a few kilometres west-southwest of Lake Taupō . It is 330 km south of Auckland by road, and 320 km north of Wellington . It contains a considerable part of
2442-491: The central North Island , is the oldest national park in New Zealand. It has been acknowledged by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site of mixed cultural and natural values . Tongariro National Park was the sixth national park established in the world. The active volcanic mountains Ruapehu , Ngauruhoe , and Tongariro are located in the centre of the park. There are a number of Māori religious sites within
2516-411: The circumnavigation of New Zealand. The maps described the North Island as " Ea Heinom Auwe " and " Aeheinomowe ", which recognises the "Fish of Māui" element. Another Māori name that was given to the North Island, but is now used less commonly, is Aotearoa . Use of Aotearoa to describe the North Island fell out of favour in the early 20th century, and it is now a collective Māori name for New Zealand as
2590-451: The conclusion of the Otago gold rush in the 1860s, New Zealand's European population growth has experienced a steady 'Northern drift' as population centres in the North Island have grown faster than those of New Zealand's South Island. This population trend has continued into the twenty-first century, but at a much slower rate. While the North Island's population continues to grow faster than
2664-415: The crossing is easily accessible, it is walked by large numbers of tourists and casual walkers each year. The Department of Conservation is concerned about trampers being unprepared for the conditions they may encounter and introduced the name change to warn the many poorly equipped visitors of potential hazards. Key hazards are the high wind chill factor, the rapid change in weather and very poor visibility in
2738-652: The eastern base of Mount Ngauruhoe . The full distance of the track is usually 19.4-kilometre (12.1 mi). The Tongariro Alpine Crossing is usually walked from Mangatepopo in the Ruapehu region to Ketetahi Hot Springs, due to the Mangatepopo end being higher in altitude (1,120 m or 3,670 ft) than the Ketetahi Hot Springs end (760 m or 2,490 ft), therefore requiring less climbing. The crossing takes about seven hours of steady walking to complete in good weather, taking longer in winter or if walked from
2812-459: The facilities in Whakapapa, the park is well developed for tourism. These tracks also serve as winter routes, as well as the track to the summit of Mount Ruapehu. Rock-climbing is also an option. The first stage of Te Ara Mangawhero, a cycling and walking track between Mt Ruapehu and Ohakune, opened on 4 November 2024. The 11.4 km loop track was expected to bring tourists to the area. Eventually
2886-442: The flora and fauna and geology of the region, and recommended that the park's boundaries be expanded. Cockayne also noted that it was important to protect the environment from development and introduced pests. When the Act was renewed in 1922, the park area was extended to 586.8 km . Further extensions, especially Pihanga Scenic Reserve in 1975, enlarged the park to its current size of 786.23 km . The last modification to
2960-471: The gap left when Taranaki departed. Māori hold the summits of the mountains to be sacred or tapu. John Bidwill is thought to be the first European to climb Mt Ngauruhoe, in March 1839. His Māori guides refused to take him to the summit because it was tapu, so Bidwill climbed alone. He was met with anger when he returned to the village he had started from. The chief Mananui Te Heu Heu Tūkino II then placed
3034-402: The heather beetles were spreading and had been killing the heather. Since 2018 the beetles have damaged more than 35,000 ha of heather, reducing cover in affected areas by up to 99% and thereby allowing native plants to recover. The NZ Defence Force no longer needs to spray herbicide on large parts of its training ground next to the National Park. A 2024 study of heather in the park found that it
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3108-660: The islands and linking the Cook Strait to the Tasman Sea . The North Island has an estimated population of 4,077,800 as of June 2024. The North Island had a population of 3,808,005 at the 2023 New Zealand census , an increase of 213,453 people (5.9%) since the 2018 census , and an increase of 570,957 people (17.6%) since the 2013 census . Of the total population, 733,893 people (19.3%) were aged under 15 years, 743,154 (19.5%) were 15 to 29, 1,721,427 (45.2%) were 30 to 64, and 609,534 (16.0%) were 65 or older. Ever since
3182-558: The massif of the three active volcanoes Mount Ruapehu , Mount Ngauruhoe , and Mount Tongariro . The Pihanga Scenic Reserve, containing Lake Rotopounamu, Mount Pihanga and the Kakaramea-Tihia Massif , though separate from the main park area, is still part of the national park. Ketetahi hot springs is an area of 39 ha on the northern slope of Mt Tongariro which, although it lies within the park boundaries, has never been part of Tongariro National Park. Formerly, hikers on
3256-627: The most significant chief of the Ngāti Tūwharetoa iwi . Later the peaks of Mount Tongariro , Mount Ngauruhoe, and parts of Mount Ruapehu, were conveyed to the Crown on 23 September 1887, on condition that a protected area was established there. This 26.4 km area was generally considered to be too small to establish a national park after the model of Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming , United States, and so further areas were acquired. When
3330-472: The mountain summits being of great significance to local Māori , and in order to prevent the selling of the mountains to European settlers, in 1886 the Ngāti Tūwharetoa iwi had the mountains surveyed in the Native Land Court and then set aside ( whakatapua ) as a reserve in the names of certain chiefs. One of these chiefs was Te Heuheu Tūkino IV (Horonuku), son of Mananui Te Heuheu Tūkino II and
3404-517: The northwest, and around Mount Ruapehu , between an altitude of 1200 and 1500 m, large areas (around 150 km ) are covered with tussock shrubland and tussock grass . This tussock consists mainly of New Zealand red tussock grass ( Chionochloa rubra ), inaka, curled leaved neinei ( Dracophyllum recurvum ), wire rush ( Empodisma minus ), and bog rush ( Schoenus pauciflorus ), as well as heather and grasses like hard tussock ( Festuca novaezelandiae ) and bluegrass ( Poa colensoi ). Above 1500 m,
3478-557: The other trailhead, or completing the Tongariro Northern Circuit . Nowadays there are many local companies that offer shuttle services between the track end points The track begins at the western end near the Mangatepopo Hut with a low gradient until the foot of the steep Tongariro saddle. After the climb to the saddle, the path takes descents and ascents into and back out of two different craters, passing
3552-740: The park borders and provide easy access. In the west, State Highway 4 passes National Park village, and in the east, State Highway 1 , known for this stretch as the Desert Road, runs parallel to the Tongariro River. State Highway 47 joins these two highways to the north of much of the park, although it bisects the Pihanga Scenic Reserve. The southern link is State Highway 49. The North Island Main Trunk railway from Auckland to Wellington passes National Park village. Like
3626-483: The park borders, the only settlements are the tourism-based village at Whakapapa Village which consists solely of ski accommodation. Two Maori kainga (settlements) Papakai and Otukou are not part of the park but lie on the shores of Lake Rotoaira between the Pihanga Scenic Reserve and the main park area. The bulk of Tongariro National Park is surrounded by well-maintained roads that roughly follow
3700-427: The park, and many of the park's summits, including Ngauruhoe and Ruapehu, are tapu , or sacred. The park includes many towns around its boundary including Ohakune , Waiouru , Horopito , Pokaka , Erua , National Park Village , Whakapapa skifield and Tūrangi . Tongariro National Park is home to the famed Tongariro Alpine Crossing , widely regarded as one of the world's best one-day hikes. In Māori legend
3774-413: The park, including rare endemic species like the North Island brown kiwi , kākā , blue duck , North Island fernbird , double-banded plover and New Zealand falcon/kārearea . Other bird species common in the park are tūī , New Zealand bellbird , morepork/ruru , grey warbler/riroriro , fantail , whitehead/pōpokotea and silvereye . The park also features the only two native mammals of New Zealand,
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#17327724180983848-493: The period July 2022 – March 2023, 9% of international visitors visited the Tongariro National Park. Over-tourism is a problem in the park, particularly on the Tongariro Alpine Crossing where visitor numbers increased from 10,000 in 1990 to 125,000 in 2015. In addition to the difficulties of managing greater numbers of vehicles, rubbish disposal and toilet facilities, the environment becomes degraded and park staff face more callouts for visitors needing rescue. In an attempt to manage
3922-470: The plurality in the Auckland region (49.8%) and are the majority in the remaining 39 districts. The proportion of North Islanders born overseas at the 2018 census were 29.3%. The most common foreign countries of birth were England (15.4% of overseas-born residents), Mainland China (11.3%), India (10.1%), South Africa (5.9%), Australia (5.5%) and Samoa (5.3%). The North Island has a larger population than
3996-423: The prevailing wind is west to south west in this region. When mixed with rain the ash forms a gritty mud. In late November 2012 Te Maari crater again erupted an ash cloud 4,000m high over a 5-minute period. About 100 people were in the vicinity including a group of 20 13-year-old students from Gulf Harbour school but no one was injured. The crater is visible from the Ketetahi area. There are no tracks to Te Maari as it
4070-674: The receivers. Beside these major ski fields, there is also the Tukino ski area , a club ski field open to the public. This ski field is run by Tukino Mountain Clubs Association which is made up of Desert Alpine Ski Club , Tukino Alpine Sports Club and the Aorangi Ski Club on the south-eastern slope. The ski clubs each have a 32 guest club on the field accessed by a 4WD road from State Highway 1. Tukino Ski Area has two nutcracker rope tows, and covers 1.9 km . In
4144-486: The sea. While he was not looking, his brothers fought over the fish and chopped it up. This great fish became the North Island, and thus a Māori name for the North Island is Te Ika-a-Māui ("The Fish of Māui"). The mountains and valleys are believed to have been formed as a result of Māui's brothers' hacking at the fish. During Captain James Cook 's voyage between 1769 and 1770 , Tahitian navigator Tupaia accompanied
4218-416: The situation, in 2023 the Department of Conservation put in place a booking system for those wishing to walk the Tongariro Alpine Crossing. A 1984 feature film, Wild horses , was filmed in the park. The plot centres around conflict between Kaimanawa horse wranglers, deer cullers and park rangers. Mount Tongariro and Mount Ngauruhoe were one of the several locations where Peter Jackson shot The Lord of
4292-497: The spread of wilding pines in the Tongariro area including the national park and removed most sources of seeds. Until the mid-20th century, wild horses descended from animals brought to New Zealand in the 1800s roamed in the national park and surrounding areas. After the population declined due to hunting and habitat changes, the horses, today known as the Kaimanawa horse , came under government protection in 1981. The population
4366-413: The springs is dangerous and a person was badly burned in 2007 when they entered the closed area. Until 2007 the crossing was called the "Tongariro Crossing", but this was changed to the "Tongariro Alpine Crossing" to emphasize the extreme weather on the exposed terrain. Almost the entire length of the crossing is in volcanic terrain with no vegetation and fully exposed to weather – at moderate altitude. As
4440-406: The sudden storms with blinding snow and cloud. In 2006, two people of an estimated 65,000 walkers died on the track. Although the route is marked with poles, it is quite common in poor weather for visibility to be severely reduced. Poles may be snow covered or destroyed by wind gusts in winter. Most of the walk is through raw volcanic terrain. The three volcanoes in the area are all highly active and
4514-595: The summit is glaciated. The park's volcanoes are the southern end of a 2500 km long range of volcanoes, below which the Australian Plate meets the Pacific Plate . These volcanoes have resulted from internal tectonic processes. The Pacific Plate subducts under the Australian plate, and subsequently melts due to the high temperatures of the asthenosphere . This magma, being less dense, rises to
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#17327724180984588-805: The summit of Mt. Ruapehu today, however there is abundant geomorphological evidence for more extensive glaciation in the recent geological past. Glaciers were last present on Tongariro during the Last Glacial Maximum . The Tongariro National Park is a rough and partly unstable environment. To the north and west of the park, a podocarp-broadleaf rain forest near Lake Taupō stretches over an area of 30 km , and up to an elevation of 1000 m. In this rain forest live Hall's totara ( Podocarpus laetus ), kahikatea ( Dacrycarpus dacrydioides ), kāmahi ( Weinmannia racemosa ), pāhautea ( Libocedrus bidwillii ), and numerous epiphytic ferns , orchids , and fungi . Pāhautea trees can be found further on up to
4662-760: The surface and goes through the weak parts of the Earth's crust (the faults) resulting in volcanic processes in the area. Volcanic processes have been building the mountains of Tongariro National Park for over two million years. Three volcanoes (Tongariro, Ngauruhoe and Ruapehu) remain active, while the park's two northernmost volcanoes (Pihanga and the Kakaramea-Tihia Massif) last erupted over 20,000 years ago. They have however produced significant historic mudflows. Erosion and deposition by mountain glaciers has also played an important role in shaping Tongariro and Ruapehu volcanoes. Small glaciers are present on
4736-570: The terrain consists of gravel and stone fields and is accordingly unstable. Nevertheless, some plants occasionally settle there, such as curled leaved neinei, snow tōtara ( Podocarpus nivalis ), mountain snowberry ( Gaultheria colensoi ), bristle tussock ( Rytidosperma setifolium ), bluegrass and Raoulia albosericea , which cover an area of 165 km . Between 1700 and 2020 m there are some isolated Parahebe species, Gentiana bellidifolia and buttercups . Above 2200 m live only crustose lichens . There are 56 significant species of birds in
4810-424: The terrain reflects this. Solidified lava flows , loose tephra , and solidified volcanic lava bombs abound. Large amounts of minerals are brought to the surface and are highly visible in the colours of rocks and ridges. Active fumaroles abound on several sections of the walk, constantly emitting steam and sulphur dioxide gas into the air and depositing yellow sulphur specks around their edges. The lakes and pools on
4884-605: The three volcanoes do not belong to a greater mountain range, but there is still a noticeable rain shadow effect with the Rangipo desert on the Eastern leeward side receiving 1,000 mm of annual rainfall. At Whakapapa Village (1119 m) the average annual rainfall is about 2200 mm, in Ohakune (610 m) about 1250 mm and in higher altitudes, such as Iwikau Village (1770 m), about 4900 mm. In winter there
4958-562: The track is also part of the Tongariro Northern Circuit , a two- to four-day hike, which is one of New Zealand's ten Great Walks . Side trips to the summits of Mount Tongariro and Mount Ngauruhoe are possible on these tracks. Another route is the three- to six-day Round the Mountain Track around Mount Ruapehu. Besides these, there are numerous shorter tracks appropriate for day tramps. With this track net, three camp sites, two emergency shelters, nine public and four private huts and
5032-461: The track is expected to extend towards Turoa Ski Field. Snow season is from late June to early November. The biggest ski area, Whakapapa , is on the north-western slopes of Mount Ruapehu. It has 15 lifts, covering an area of 5.5 km . Directly next to the ski field are 47 ski club huts: most of them also accommodate non-club members. The next settlement is at the base of the mountain, in Whakapapa village. A slightly smaller ski field called Turoa
5106-490: The volcanoes in Tongariro National Park are personified. Various versions of the basic story exist: Tongariro and Taranaki were both in love with Ruapehu or Pihanga and had a great battle. Taranaki lost the battle and fled west towards the coast, carving out the Whanganui River on the way. The Tama Lakes ( Māori : Ngā puna a Tama ), two crater lakes between Mount Ruapehu and Mount Ngauruhoe, are said to represent
5180-436: The walk are deeply coloured by the volcanic minerals dissolved in them. Some areas feature large springs emitting near-boiling water and torrents of steam. The terrain underfoot for most of the walk is either sharp edged new volcanic rock or loose and shifting tephra, mainly ash and lapilli. In some crater areas it is finer ash that has become moist and compacted. In August 2012 a small eruption of 10,000 cubic metres of ash from
5254-437: The walk. Springs in the area are often scalding hot and tainted with minerals and dissolved metals from the volcanic activity. Most natural water in the area is not drinkable. Access is not permitted to Ketetahi Hot Springs, about 10 minutes from the Ketetahi hut. The springs are located on 38 ha (94 acres) of private land owned by the local iwi Ngāti Tuwharetoa that has never been part of Tongariro National Park. The area of
5328-479: The whole of New Zealand, Tongariro National Park is situated in a temperate zone . The prevailing westerly winds gather water over the Tasman Sea . As the volcanoes of Tongariro National Park are the first significant elevations that these winds encounter on the North Island, besides Mount Taranaki , rain falls almost daily. The east–west rainfall differences are not as great as in the Southern Alps , because
5402-408: Was causing the disappearance of native ferns, sedges and rushes and affecting the growth pattern of red tussock. An underground fungus that has a symbiotic relationship with the tussock was also affected by the spread of heather. Pine trees were introduced into New Zealand in the 1930s for forestry and control of erosion, but ' wilding pines ', coniferous trees grown from wind-blown seeds, have become
5476-536: Was not until opening of the North Island Main Trunk railway line between Auckland and Wellington in 1908 and the building of roads in the 1920s that a significant number of people visited the park. This early tourist development explains the rather uncommon existence of a permanently inhabited village and fully developed ski area within a national park. The second Tongariro National Park Act, in 1922, started some active conservation efforts, and in 1923
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