Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Two kilometres off SH5, this was a spectacular part of the Waikato River until the
government plonked a hydroelectric dam across the waterway, shutting off the flow. But
the spectacle hasn't disappeared completely, with the floodgates opening from October to
March at 10am, noon, 2pm and 4pm, and from April to September at 10am, noon and
2pm. You can see the water surge through the dam from two good vantage points. Drive
here or take a leisurely four-hour return (30km) bike ride along the river from town.
MAORI NZ: THE CENTRAL PLATEAU
The North Island's central region is home to a group of mountains that feature in several Maori legends of lust
and betrayal, which end with a few mountains fleeing to other parts of the island (refer to Mt Taranaki's sad tale).
Long after all that action was over, the
tohunga
(priest) Ngatoro-i-rangi, fresh off the boat from Hawaiki, ex-
plored this region and named the mountains that remained. The most sacred was Tongariro, consisting of at least
12 volcanic cones, seen as the leader of all the other mountains.
The major
iwi
(tribe) of the region is
Ngati Tuwharetoa
(
www.tuwharetoa.co.nz
)
, one of the few
iwi
in NZ
that has retained an undisputed
ariki
(high chief). The current
ariki
is Sir Tumu Te Heuheu Tukino VIII, whose
great-great-grandfather, Te Heuheu Tukino IV (a descendent of Ngatoro-i-rangi), gifted the mountains of Tongari-
ro to NZ in 1887.
To discover the stories of local Maori and their ancestors, visit Taupo Museum (
Click here
), the carved cliff
faces at Mine Bay (
Click here
), or Wairakei Terraces (
Click here
)
.
Geothermal Area
Volcanic Activity Centre
MAP
(
www.volcanoes.co.nz
;
Karetoto Rd; adult/child $10/6; 9am-5pm Mon-Fri, 10am-4pm Sat & Sun)
What's with
all the geothermal activity around Taupo? This centre has the answers, with excellent, if
text-heavy, displays on the region's geothermal and volcanic activity, including a live seis-
mograph keeping a watch on what's currently going on. A favourite exhibit with kids is
the Earthquake Simulator, a little booth complete with teeth-chattering shudders and jar-
ring wobbles. You can also configure your own tornado then watch it wreak havoc, or see
a simulated geyser above and below ground. A small theatre screens footage of local erup-
tions and a 10-minute film of the 2011 Christchurch earthquake.
MUSEUM
Craters of the Moon
MAP
THERMAL AREA
