.

A new geothermal area near Taupo which developed after the Wairaki Geothermal Power Station opened

Wairaki a geothermal power station located in the central North Island, at the North end of lake Taupo.It is one of the few in the world that use steam from underground hot springs for generating electricity.  High pressure steam is piped to turbines from wells that have been drilled as deep as 4,000 feet into the hot earth.   It is built along the banks of the Waikato river. The Waikato river is the longest river.  It floes 270 miles through the centre of the North Island to the tasman Sea. Several  New Zealand river systems provide hydro electric power.
 
 

Travelling further south we come to another lake called Taupo, the country's largest lake, and a beautiful little town. the lake over looks the mountains in the distance, and to the south west of the lake.
The Taupo Region is centered around Lake Taupo which is New Zealands biggest lake and is actually a crater of a huge volcanoe. The Taupo Region is a volcanic zone and contains
some of the most violent thermal activity in the country. In fact LakeTaupo was the scene of the worlds biggest volcanic eruption approximately 50 times bigger than Mt St Helens. But it is hard tobelieve, as the lake is so serene but there are tell tale signs such as pumice stones on the shores. Today the lake is ideal for swimming, boating and it is world famous for its trout fishing. 

South of Lake Taupo is Tongariro National Park. Tongariro is situated on a high plateau
and its main feature are the 3 volcanoes, MtTongariro, Mt Ngaurahoe and Mt Ruapehu.The latter volcanoe erupted as recently as 1995 and 1996. One spectacular eruption produced a column that climbed rapidly to25,000 feet (7,500 m) and threw lava blocks more than 0.6 mile (1 km) from the crater. The Ash plumes drifted over the North Island and closed down many airports including Auckland International Airport on a couple of occassions. The eruptions also closed down

snow capped Ruapehu, Tongariro, and Ngarahoe are active volcanoes located in Tongariro national park in the central North Island. These mountains are located in the Tongariro national park.

The most famous walk in the park is the Tongariro Crossing. National Geographic classed this walk in the top ten one day
walks in the world and when you see it for yourself you understand why. With spectacular volcanic scenery, thermal activity,
views of Lake Taupo and Mt Taranaki and with a mix of barren and rainforest terrain this one day walk is hard to beat.
The Tongariro National Park is a World Heritage Park and was chosen for its unique beauty and cultural importance. The park
was gifted to the nation by a far sighted Maori Chief who decided the best way to preserve this special place from the likes of
farming would be to give it away as a park that would be protected for all time.
 

CLICK HERE to continue the tour
 
 
 
 
 

North Island Tour	Te Puke - Gisborne	Napier - Rotorua	Wairakei -Taupo	Wellington
South Island Tour	Wanaka-West coast	Westcoast	Christchurch	Picton