New Zealand is home to many wonders of nature, including plenty of active volcanoes. Lots of tourists enjoy this thrilling experience of touring them regardless of the potential risks it hides. You have already probably seen enough photos and videos to know that an active volcano is a mesmerizing sight. Imagine what it feels to be physically present at the site. It is a genuine feast of all senses with the lava bubbling, fiery rivers trickling down the ashy soil, all the tremble and cracking; your ears filled with the rumble, and your eyes stinging from the smoke.
If you are into this kind of adventure, we have excellent news for you: New Zealand offers you the possibility to set foot on some of the world’s most fascinating active volcanoes. To give you a better idea of what you might expect, we have compiled a list with our recommendations below.
Kermadec Islands
The Kermadec Islands are among the most attractive destinations for volcano lovers. They are located approximately 1,000 km northeast of New Zealand, and you can get there only with a special permit, so make sure to have your documents straight before you head off. The reason for this measure is that the Kermadec Islands are of international conservation significance. They are not populated and can only withstand a limited number of visitors.
Apart from the abundance of volcanoes, the Kermadec Islands are known for breeding large colonies of seabirds. There are a total of 14 seabird breeding species at present, of which 10 breed nowhere else in New Zealand. The Islands are also home to 5 of the world’s 7 sea turtle species.
Ngauruhoe
Ngauruhoe is New Zealand’s youngest and historically most active volcano. Located within the Tongariro National Park, this stratovolcano boasts more than 70 eruptions from 1839 to 1975. In fact, the cooling of the temperature of the crater floor suggests that the main vent is becoming blocked.
If you are interested to learn a little more about the volcano’s history, let’s start with the name. Ngauruhoe can be interpreted as “throwing hots stones.” According to a local legend, a high priest named Ngatoroirangi was once caught in a blizzard on his way up Mount Ngauruhoe. To survive, he prayed for his sisters to send him fire so he could warm up. His prayers were heard and his sisters threw flames across White Island, Rotorua, and Taupo.
Ngauruhoe and the Mount of Doom
A fun fact about Ngauruhoe is that it played the part of Mount Doom in the Lord of the Rings movie trilogy. Mount Doom is the place where the Dark Lord Sauron originally forged the One Ring, thus making it the only location where it is possible to destroy the Ring. As such, it is the ultimate destination of Frodo Baggins’ quest.
Seated in the Black Land of Mordor, Mount Doom is almost impossible to reach, and the tiny hobbit faced a lot of perils on his way. J. R. R. Tolkien also calls it “fiery mountain” and “mountain of fate.”
Taranaki
Speaking of big-screen productions, there is another New Zealand volcano that boasts Hollywood fame. Taranaki “played the part” of Mount Fiji in Tom Cruise’s The Last Samurai. Apart from being a “movie star,” this volcano is also breathtakingly beautiful, and you just have to see it in person even if only from a distance.
To get a bit of background history, Mount Taranaki is the youngest, biggest, and most active volcano in a long chain comprising Paritutu, Kaitake and Pouakai Ranges, and the Sugar Loaves. Its volcano activity began some 130,000 years ago. It is interesting to note that major eruptions happen about 500 years apart, while smaller eruptions typically occur within 90 years. There are several ways to get to Taranaki. You can take the summit track to reach the 2,500 m peak, or enjoy some of the more relaxed routes from the Taranaki/Egmont National Park Visitors Centre.
Taupo
New Zealand’s Taupo volcano possesses a fierce eruptive force. It has produced two of the world’s largest eruptions in recent geological history. To give you an idea, about 26,500 years ago, the Oruanui eruption scored a Volcanic Explosivity Index of 8, thus becoming the most severe eruption in the past 70,000 years. It generated a caldera, which is now partially filled with the waters of Lake Taupo.
The Hatepe eruption happened around 1,800 years ago and became the world’s largest eruption for the past 5,000 years. That being said, nowadays Lake Taupo is a hot tourist destination due to its abundance of on-water activities. You can also stroll along the shore, do some mountain biking, and splash in the thermal pools.
Tongariro
This spectacular volcano is located within the Tongariro National Park and comprises several craters. Te Maari, the youngest one, erupted dramatically in 2012.
In fact, Tongariro lies only 20 km away from Taupo, so you can easily manage to visit both sites in a single day. If you wish to get a more comprehensive view, you should take the Tongariro Alpine Crossing. The views are absolutely breathtaking, and you can indulge in different activities, such as biking, rafting, and hiking.
5 More Active Volcanoes Worth Seeing
To further extend your volcano hunting experience, we offer you a choice of 5 more hot destinations:
- Mayor Island
- Tarawera
- Rangitoto Island
- Ruapehu
- White Island