Volcanic Activity Centre. Taupo. New Zealand.
S 38° 38.045 E 176° 05.599
60H E 421085 N 5723438
The Volcanic Activity Centre, just north of Taupo, is a hands-on interactive educational centre that makes learning about the earths volcanic forces easy and fun for all ages.
Waymark Code: WM6N8J
Location: North Island, New Zealand
Date Posted: 06/24/2009
Views: 9
The Volcanic Activity centre is located in the heart of the geothermal and volcanic area of Wairakei, just north of Taupo.
The Taupo Volcanic Zone stretches from the magnificent volcanoes of the Tongariro National Park through Rotorua an active geothermal area to New Zealand’s most active volcano White Island.
The Volcanic Activity Centre is situated next to the Wairakei Research Centre, home to the Wairakei GeoNet Data Centre.
The Activity Centre caters for the general public and provides educational packages for School Trips of all ages. Some of the activities you will encounter include: Wall displays and interactive displays, Cinema/Lecture room, Tornado Machine, Computerised Simulators, Live Seismograph Link, powerful Microscope for crystals and volcanic rocks, and an Earthquake Simulator that knocks out a mighty earthquake of a magnitude equivalent to 6.3 on the Richter scale.
The Volcanic Activity Centre is open 7 days a week, 362.5 days of the year. They are only closed on Christmas Day, Good Friday and Anzac Day morning.
Monday - Friday: 9am to 5pm
Weekends + Public Holidays: 10am to 4pm
There is a small fee to enter. Family $24, Single $9.50 Students with ID $7.
Directions from Taupo: A short five minute drive from Taupo. Continue north up State Highway 1 from Taupo, after the Wairakei International Golf Course on your left, take the next right turn: Karetoto Road. At the next T intersection, the Centre is the red building directly in front of you.
Hours: From: 9:00 AM To: 5:00 PM
Open Year Round?: yes
Interpretive Programs?: yes
Live Animal Displays: no
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Visit Instructions:
Visitors should visit the Nature Center and post a photo of themselves (or GPS unit) either inside or outside of the nature center visited. Logs without photos WILL be allowed if a lenghty description of one's visit and a mention of what they learned is included.