New Zealand’s nature is incredibly diverse and rich. On the territory of the country you can find reserves with their own unique features and completely different from each other. Among them is the Tongariro National Park, whose unusual landscapes attract tourists from all over the world.
General information
Tongariro is one of the oldest reserves in the world, as it was opened in the 19th century. It is also the first national park to be established in New Zealand.
According to historians, the creation of the park is largely due to the chief of the local tribe, who in 1877 gave British settlers three sacred volcanoes with the condition that a protected area would be created around them. Those agreed to fulfill the conditions, and subsequently around the volcanoes grew a full-fledged reserve, the status of which was finally formalized in 1894. Today the area of the national park is approximately 79.5 thousand km². Since 1993, Tongariro has been under the protection of UNESCO.
Relief
A large part of the reserve is made up of deserted rocky areas, among which you can find small areas of greenery and water bodies. In the center of the reserve are three sacred volcanoes (Ngauruhoe, Tongariro and Ruapehu). They are scientifically active, although only the last one erupts.
Lake Rotopunamu
Another geographical attraction of the park is Lake Rotopunamu. It was formed about 10 thousand years ago after a landslide. The peculiarity of the water body is the absence of above-ground runoff.
Flora and fauna
The northwestern borders of the park are occupied by dense tropical forest. You can also see areas overgrown with beech trees. Mountain, red and silver beech are especially common here, as well as manuka, which is very ornamental. Other representatives of the local flora include ferns, mosses and lichens, heather and bluegrass.
Tongariro National Park, waterfall, rocks
The animal world of Tongariro is also unusually diverse. Birds are especially abundant here, and visitors can easily see gray kiwi, tui, gray warbler and New Zealand falcon. The reserve is also home to endemic animals – several species of bats. Ermines, rabbits, rabbits, muskrats and opossums are not uncommon here.
Entertainment and recreation
Tongariro offers its visitors a lot of entertainment. There are many hiking trails in the park. Some routes can be completed in a day, but there are also those that will take at least 3 days. You can relax in numerous lodges and cottages.
Kiwi Bird
The one-day route through the volcanic terrain is particularly popular. Its length is a little over 19 kilometers. You can walk it in 7 and a bit hours in summer, in winter the walk will last a little longer. It is advisable to make the crossing only in clear, dry weather, as there is a risk of serious damage in strong winds or low visibility.
Other activities include rafting, fishing, mountain biking and rock climbing. And in winter, the reserve turns into a popular ski resort. Numerous ski elevators are provided for the convenience of visitors.
Since some scenes from the popular movie “Lord of the Rings” were filmed in the reserve, visitors can go on an excursion to the places where the plot unfolded.
