New Zealand's Volcanic Plateau

The Volcanic Plateau stretches south-west from the Bay of Plenty coast to Mt Ruapehu in the central North Island. Rotorua and Taupō are the main towns. Volcanic forces created the dramatic landscapes of the Volcanic Plateau. Māori have long taken advantage of the lakes and geothermal areas, with their hot steam, bubbling pools and distinctive sulfur smell. Since the 19th century, tourists have been drawn to the thermal activity near Rotorua, and the volcanic peaks of Tongariro, Ngāuruhoe and Ruapehu.

Māori settlement

Māori arrived in the region from about 1300. They settled around the lakes and geothermal areas, where they could use the fresh water, hot pools and steam. There are two main tribal groups: Te Arawa, around Rotorua, and Ngāti Tūwharetoa, around Lake Taupō. Both are descended from the people who came to New Zealand on the Te Arawa canoe.

Tourism

From the 19th century, tourists visited the geothermal areas – especially the Pink and White Terraces, lost when Mt Tarawera erupted in 1886. The government built a town at Rotorua for tourists to stay in. Māori often guided visitors around Rotorua’s thermal areas, especially Whakarewarewa, and Māori concert parties put on shows.

Bathhouses were built so people could soak in hot pools, which were thought to cure sickness. In 1887 the Tūwharetoa tribe gave Mts Tongariro, Ruapehu and Ngāuruhoe to the Crown to make sure they were not sold off. They became Tongariro National Park – the country’s first national park. Trout were put into the lakes and rivers, and fishing became popular. Many people visit the lakes in summer and enjoy swimming, boating and relaxing.