Tongariro National Park

New Zealand's Oldest National Park

At the centre of the North Island lies Tongariro National Park — New Zealand's oldest national park and the fourth oldest in the world. The heart of the nearly 800-square-kilometre area is formed by three active volcanoes: Tongariro (1,968 metres), Ngauruhoe (2,291 metres) and Ruapehu (2,797 metres). The vast mountain massif stretches over 18 kilometres in length. On a larger scale, the three volcanoes form the southern end of a 2,500-kilometre chain of volcanoes created by the collision of the Pacific and Indo-Australian tectonic plates. The park boasts one of the most contrasting landscapes in New Zealand: emerald-green lakes, flowering alpine meadows and rugged volcanic terrain define the area.

The Nature of the National Park

The flora and fauna found in the park are superbly adapted to the conditions of a harsh and partly unstable habitat. While the lower mountain slopes are still covered in forest and scrub, above 1,500 metres the landscape consists almost entirely of rocks and scree. The forests, with their mountain herbs, grasses, flax and low-growing shrubs, provide a habitat for many native bird species. More than 50 different species can be discovered here. The park is also home to New Zealand's only native mammals: the short-tailed and long-tailed bats.

Exploring Tongariro National Park

In summer, the national park draws hikers and mountaineers; in winter, it is a popular destination for skiers and snowboarders. The terrain also offers plenty of opportunities for mountain biking, rafting, horse riding, fishing and hunting. A scenic flight over the national park promises stunning views from above.

Hiking

A dramatic volcanic landscape with smoking craters, extinct lava flows and hot springs, along with magnificent views of Lake Taupo and Mount Taranaki — that is what the Tongariro Alpine Crossing promises. With around 70,000 hikers each year, this full-day tour is one of the best-known routes in the national park, crossing along the slopes of all three mountains. Multi-day treks such as the Tongariro Northern Circuit, one of New Zealand's Great Walks, and the Round the Mountain Track also lead through the park. For day-trippers, there are numerous shorter walks to waterfalls or volcanic features such as the crater of Ruapehu. In winter, the hiking routes can be tackled as alpine high-altitude tours, and there are also many mountaineering opportunities.

Skiing

Mount Ruapehu is home to two popular ski areas. Whakapapa on the western slope and Turoa to the southwest offer excellent skiing and snowboarding conditions from late June to early November. Non-skiers can enjoy the snow by tobogganing and sledding. The stunning views of the surroundings alone make the journey up Ruapehu worthwhile.

Water Fun

Exhilarating white-water rafting tours are offered on the Tongariro River. Several sets of rapids promise plenty of fun and action. Anglers and fly fishers, meanwhile, are drawn to the abundant rainbow trout in the park's streams.

Sacred Sites of the Māori

The volcanoes of Tongariro National Park hold special spiritual significance for the Māori people, who revere the mountains as sacred. Legend has it that the high priest Ngātoro-i-rangi froze during a snowstorm while exploring Tongariro and called upon Hawaiki, the traditional Polynesian homeland of the Māori, to send him fire. His prayer was answered, and the volcano erupted along the Pacific Ring of Fire.

The Lord of the Rings in Tongariro National Park

Fans of the Lord of the Rings film trilogy will already recognise parts of Tongariro National Park, as the 2,797-metre Ruapehu served as the backdrop for Mordor and Emyn Muil — the dangerous enemy landscapes in the southeast of Middle-earth. The almost perfectly conical shape of Mount Ngauruhoe provided the basis for Mount Doom.

For the Māori, the indigenous people of New Zealand, the summits of the three volcanoes hold great significance. To prevent their exploitation by white settlers, Te Heuheu Tukino IV (Horonuku), paramount chief of the Ngāti Tūwharetoa, gifted the core of what is now the national park to the British Crown on behalf of his tribe in 1887 — on the condition that a protected zone be established there. Since the original area of 26.4 square kilometres was considered too small, additional land was gradually purchased. Under the Tongariro National Park Act of 1894, passed by the New Zealand Parliament, the park was intended to cover approximately 250 square kilometres. The land purchases to achieve this, however, continued until 1907. When the act was renewed in 1922, the area was nearly doubled to almost 590 square kilometres. Over time, further land acquisitions have seen the park grow to its present size of 795.98 square kilometres. A good hundred years after its founding, UNESCO declared Tongariro National Park both a World Cultural and World Natural Heritage Site. The park is administered by the Department of Conservation.

By car

As the national park is encircled by several well-maintained roads, it is fairly easy to reach. To the west, SH4 passes by National Park Village; to the east, SH1 runs parallel to the Tongariro River coming from Taupo. The two state highways are connected by SH47 (Desert Road) to the north and SH49 to the south.

By public transport

National Park Village lies on the railway line between Auckland and Wellington.