Turangi

The Lake Taupo Region

Turangi is a region on North Island on the Tongariro River, near the great central Lake Taupo.

The Lake Taupo region

This large round lake in the center of North Island is the remnant of a large-scale volcanic eruption 25,000 years ago.

A classic British ‘pillar box’ for mail

Waimangu

Another geothermal region on North Island, not far from Rotorua. This lake is colored red by hot-water algae.

A boiling river
This leaf is the Māori treatment for an upset stomach
Frying Pan Lake, four acres in size, and superheated
A superheated stream that still supports the growth of algae
Blue-green algae growing in the hot stream
This lake of hydrochloric acid is at the head of the boiling stream. Every two weeks it burps acid into the stream, killing all life in it. The algae promptly starts growing again.

Lake Rotomahana

“Warm lake” as this translates has steam eruptions all around it, and in the 19th century had tinted gypsum terraces. These were wiped out by a volcanic eruption in 1886. New Zealand remains one of the most geologically active countries in the world.

The Wairakei geothermal power plant
Geothermal power constitutes 19% of New Zealand’s energy mix.
Huka Falls on the great Waikato River, the outlet of Lake Taupo

The Tongariro

This river flows into Lake Taupo and is renowned for its trout fishing

The cutthroat trout is not native, but is one of the few exotic species that has proven popular in New Zealand
The tub or parson-bird, which is like a raven
The trout hatchery office at Tongariro
The trout hatchery
These diverters create a current flow inside the hatchery for best trout growth