Tongariro National Park. North Is. New Zealand.
S 39° 12.080 E 175° 32.401
60H E 373933 N 5659865
Established in 1887, Tongariro was the first national park in New Zealand and the fourth in the world. It is also a dual World Heritage area, a status which recognises the park's important Maori cultural and spiritual associations as well as its outstanding volcanic features.
Waymark Code: WM4HZG
Location: New Zealand
Date Posted: 08/28/2008
Views: 113
Tongariro was nominated both natural and cultural World Heritage status in 1990 and was inscribed on the heritage list that year for its natural values. The World Heritage Committee added an additional criteria and in 1993 Tongariro National Park became the first World Heritage site to be added to the World Heritage list for its associative cultural values. To Ngati Tuwharetoa and Ngati Rangi the mountains of Tongariro have always been regarded as spiritual and cultural entities.
The three andesitic volcanoes at the heart of the park - the mountains Tongariro, Ngauruhoe and Ruapehu form the southern limits of the Taupo Volcanic Zone. Volcanic activity in the zone started about 2 million years ago and is on-going today. Ruapehu and Ngauruhoe are two of the most active composite volcanoes in the world. Recently, in 1995 and again in 1996 Ruapehu has erupted in spectacular fashion sending clouds of ash and steam skyward and mantling the surrounding snow fields and forest with a thick film of ash.
It is a land of strong contrasts. Chaotic, barren lava flows, winter snowfields, hot springs and active craters can be seen side by side. Its plants too vary considerably, from alpine herbs to thick swathes of tussocks and flax, from the hardy, low-growing shrubs of the Rangipo gravel-field to dense beech forests. It is a harsh environment for plants; poor pumice soils and volcanic activity slows the development of diverse forests yet some pockets of magnificent podocarp forest can be found. They survived the eruption of Lake Taupo (1800 years ago) because they were sheltered on southwest slopes of Ruapehu.
The Tongariro Alpine Crossing is a world-renowned trek. It is rated as the best one day trek in New Zealand and listed by many in the top 10 day treks in the world.
Type: Natural
Reference number: 421bis
|
Visit Instructions:
Please upload at least one photo.