Mount Tauhara
Encyclopedia
Mount Tauhara is a dormant stratovolcano
, reaching 3,569 feet (1,088 m) above sea level, situated within the Taupō caldera towards the centre of the Taupō Volcanic Zone
, which stretches from White Island in the north, to Mount Ruapehu
in the south, to Mount Taranaki
in the west. . It is 6 kilometres (4 mi) east of the town of Taupo
, New Zealand
, next to the northeastern shore of Lake Taupō
.
Formed about 65,000 years ago, Mount Tauhara was not a violently explosive vent, instead slowly oozing a viscous dacitic lava. It is the largest mass of dacite
within the Taupō volcano, whose material is 98% rhyolitic
. Little evidence of its volcanic past remains today; the peak is covered in dense native bush.
This is the Māori legend about Mt Tauhara:
The warrior mountains of Taranaki, Pūtauaki, Tongariro and Tauhara were deeply in love with Pīhanga
the mountain that stands above Turangi
at the southern end of Lake Taupō. A battle erupted to win Pīhanga's favour and the victor was Tongariro. At their defeat, the other mountains decided to leave Tongariro's domain, travelling as far away as they could in the course of one night. Taranaki fled west towards the setting sun, and Pūtauaki and Tauhara fled north towards the sunrise. Pūtauaki moved fast and is now located near Whakatane
and is also known as Mt Edgecumbe. But Tauhara was sad and with a heavy heart he traveled reluctantly. When overtaken by dawn he had only reached the north eastern shore of Lake Taupō. Here he stands to this day looking mournfully across the lake towards his lost love, Pīhanga .
Tauhara is the point to which Ngātoroirangi
, the high priest of Te Arawa
canoe, and ariki-ancestor of Tūwharetoa
, climbed when he first came to the region seeking lands for his followers .
There is a steep walking track to the top of Mount Tauhara, starting at Mountain Road. On a clear day, the summit offers excellent views over the Volcanic Plateau
, encompassing the entirety of Lake Taupo
in the southeast.
"Tauhara" is Māori
for "alone, or isolated".
Stratovolcano
A stratovolcano, also known as a composite volcano, is a tall, conical volcano built up by many layers of hardened lava, tephra, pumice, and volcanic ash. Unlike shield volcanoes, stratovolcanoes are characterized by a steep profile and periodic, explosive eruptions...
, reaching 3,569 feet (1,088 m) above sea level, situated within the Taupō caldera towards the centre of the Taupō Volcanic Zone
Hatepe eruption
The Hatepe eruption around the year 180 CE was Lake Taupo's most recent major eruption, and New Zealand's largest eruption during the last 20,000 years. It ejected some of material , of which was ejected in the space of a few minutes...
, which stretches from White Island in the north, to Mount Ruapehu
Mount Ruapehu
Mount Ruapehu, or just Ruapehu, is an active stratovolcano at the southern end of the Taupo Volcanic Zone in New Zealand. It is 23 kilometres northeast of Ohakune and 40 kilometres southwest of the southern shore of Lake Taupo, within Tongariro National Park...
in the south, to Mount Taranaki
Mount Taranaki
Mount Taranaki, or Mount Egmont, is an active but quiescent stratovolcano in the Taranaki region on the west coast of New Zealand's North Island. Although the mountain is more commonly referred to as Taranaki, it has two official names under the alternative names policy of the New Zealand...
in the west. . It is 6 kilometres (4 mi) east of the town of Taupo
Taupo
Taupo is a town on the shore of Lake Taupo in the centre of the North Island of New Zealand. It is the seat of the Taupo District Council and lies in the southern Waikato Region....
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, next to the northeastern shore of Lake Taupō
Lake Taupo
Lake Taupo is a lake situated in the North Island of New Zealand. With a surface area of , it is the largest lake by surface area in New Zealand, and the second largest freshwater lake by surface area in geopolitical Oceania after Lake Murray ....
.
Formed about 65,000 years ago, Mount Tauhara was not a violently explosive vent, instead slowly oozing a viscous dacitic lava. It is the largest mass of dacite
Dacite
Dacite is an igneous, volcanic rock. It has an aphanitic to porphyritic texture and is intermediate in composition between andesite and rhyolite. The relative proportions of feldspars and quartz in dacite, and in many other volcanic rocks, are illustrated in the QAPF diagram...
within the Taupō volcano, whose material is 98% rhyolitic
Rhyolite
This page is about a volcanic rock. For the ghost town see Rhyolite, Nevada, and for the satellite system, see Rhyolite/Aquacade.Rhyolite is an igneous, volcanic rock, of felsic composition . It may have any texture from glassy to aphanitic to porphyritic...
. Little evidence of its volcanic past remains today; the peak is covered in dense native bush.
This is the Māori legend about Mt Tauhara:
The warrior mountains of Taranaki, Pūtauaki, Tongariro and Tauhara were deeply in love with Pīhanga
Pihanga
Mount Pihanga is a 1325m volcanic peak in the North Island Volcanic Plateau, located to the north of Mount Tongariro, between Tongariro and Lake Taupo. Lake Rotoaira lies immediately to the west of Pihanga, and the smaller Lake Rotopounamu is at the north-west foot of the mountain. Mt...
the mountain that stands above Turangi
Turangi
Turangi is a small town on the west bank of the Tongariro River, 50 kilometres south-west of Taupo on the North Island Volcanic Plateau of New Zealand. It was built to accommodate the workers associated with the Tongariro hydro-electric power development project and their families...
at the southern end of Lake Taupō. A battle erupted to win Pīhanga's favour and the victor was Tongariro. At their defeat, the other mountains decided to leave Tongariro's domain, travelling as far away as they could in the course of one night. Taranaki fled west towards the setting sun, and Pūtauaki and Tauhara fled north towards the sunrise. Pūtauaki moved fast and is now located near Whakatane
Whakatane
Whakatane is a town in the eastern Bay of Plenty Region, in the North Island of New Zealand, and is the seat of the Bay of Plenty Regional Council. Whakatane is 90 km east of Tauranga and 89 km north-east of Rotorua, at the mouth of the Whakatane River.The town has a population of , with...
and is also known as Mt Edgecumbe. But Tauhara was sad and with a heavy heart he traveled reluctantly. When overtaken by dawn he had only reached the north eastern shore of Lake Taupō. Here he stands to this day looking mournfully across the lake towards his lost love, Pīhanga .
Tauhara is the point to which Ngātoroirangi
Ngatoro-i-rangi
In Māori tradition, Ngātoro-i-rangi is the name of a tohunga prominent during the settling of Aotearoa by the Māori people, who came from the mythical homeland Hawaiki.-Rangiātea:...
, the high priest of Te Arawa
Te Arawa
Te Arawa is a confederation of Māori iwi and hapu based in the Rotorua and Bay of Plenty areas of New Zealand, with a population of around 40,000.The history of the Te Arawa people is inextricably linked to the Arawa canoe...
canoe, and ariki-ancestor of Tūwharetoa
Ngati Tuwharetoa
Ngāti Tūwharetoa is an iwi descended from Ngātoro-i-rangi, the priest who navigated the Arawa canoe to New Zealand. The Tūwharetoa region extends from Te Awa o te Atua at Matata across the central plateau of the North Island to the lands around Mount Tongariro and Lake Taupo.The iwi is identified...
, climbed when he first came to the region seeking lands for his followers .
There is a steep walking track to the top of Mount Tauhara, starting at Mountain Road. On a clear day, the summit offers excellent views over the Volcanic Plateau
Volcanic plateau
A volcanic plateau is a plateau produced by volcanic activity. There are two main types: lava plateaus and pyroclastic plateaus.-Lava plateau:...
, encompassing the entirety of Lake Taupo
Lake Taupo
Lake Taupo is a lake situated in the North Island of New Zealand. With a surface area of , it is the largest lake by surface area in New Zealand, and the second largest freshwater lake by surface area in geopolitical Oceania after Lake Murray ....
in the southeast.
"Tauhara" is Māori
Maori language
Māori or te reo Māori , commonly te reo , is the language of the indigenous population of New Zealand, the Māori. It has the status of an official language in New Zealand...
for "alone, or isolated".