Volcanoes From The Sky

Tuesday, January 5, 2010     Taupo, New Zealand

Today Paula and Tyler got high!

Taupo lies on the northeast corner of Lake Taupo, a beautiful scenic lake in the caldera of a volcano that last erupted in 180 AD with an explosion that was 50 times bigger than Mt Saint Helens.  South of Lake Taupo is the Tongariro National Park, home of three volcanoes that are still active, one of which erupted in 1996.  North of Lake Taupo is the city of Rotorua with its geothermal features, and Mt Tarawera which erupted in 1886 wiping out two Mauri villages and killing about 120 people.  This we had to see from the air.  So we drove to the Taupo airport, pulled in at the little building advertising Taupo Air Charter, and asked if he would take us up.  We flew around the area for two hours, taking photos and video almost continuously.

Here are a couple of shots of the three volcanoes, looking roughly south.  In the foreground is the complex, flat-topped Mt Tongariro.  In the mid-distance is the classic conical-shaped volcano Mt Ngauruhoe, which was featured prominently throughout the recent Lord of the Rings trilogy as Mount Doom in the land of Mordor.  In the background is the most recently active Mt Ruapehu, the only one of the three that is covered with snow.  Mt Ruapehu is the one that blew in 1996.

Here are several shots of the menacing Mt Doom (Mt Ngauruhoe).

Mt Ngauruhoe first appears as we fly over Mt Tongariro.  Mt Ruapehu in background left.

The desolate cone of the volcano.

Here is Mt Ruapehu at its best.

The crater lake of Mt Ruapehu.

Mt Tarawera is the volcano that blew in 1886 in a series of eruptions that opened a rift along the ridge.

Taupo also has a very nice waterfall, Huka Falls, which is actually more of a rapids than a real waterfall, but it's pretty anyway.