Scenic Viewpoints & Parks

This collection highlights the volcanic geography of the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Tongariro National Park and the surrounding Taupō caldera. It features the vibrant, mineral-rich Emerald Lakes and the sacred Blue Lake, alongside the steep terrain of the Devil's Staircase. The list includes the Tama Lakes, situated in explosion craters between Mount Ruapehu and Mount Ngāuruhoe, and the Waipahihi Botanical Reserve, which showcases native flora. These locations offer a direct look at the region’s geothermal activity and New Zealand's largest freshwater lake.

Tongariro National Park

Tongariro National Park is the oldest national park in New Zealand, located in the central North Island.

Emerald Lakes

Three water-filled explosion craters located near the highest point of the Tongariro Alpine Crossing. The distinctive green color is caused by dissolved minerals washing down from the surrounding thermal area.

Blue Lake

A cold, acidic lake occupying an old vent of the Tongariro volcano. Known to Māori as Te-Whaiau-ia-te-Rangi, the lake is considered tapu (sacred).

Devil's Staircase

A steep, 200-meter climb on the Tongariro Alpine Crossing that connects the Mangatepōpō Valley to the South Crater, crossing ancient lava flows.

Lake Taupo Scenic Lookout

Elevated viewpoint on the edge of the Taupō caldera, offering views across New Zealand's largest lake toward the volcanic peaks of Tongariro National Park.

Mount Doom

Mount Ngāuruhoe, an active stratovolcano that served as the filming location for Mount Doom in The Lord of the Rings film trilogy.

Upper Tama Lake

An alpine lake situated in an explosion crater between Mount Ruapehu and Mount Ngāuruhoe, accessible via a track from the Taranaki Falls walk.

Lower Tama Lake

One of two ancient explosion craters located on the saddle between the region's major volcanoes, surrounded by alpine tussock herbfields.

Ngāuruhoe Inner Crater

The active vent at the summit of Mount Ngāuruhoe, characterized by steep scree slopes and sulfurous steam vents.

Waipahihi Botanical Reserve

A 35-hectare park established in 1966, featuring collections of rhododendrons, azaleas, and native New Zealand forest species on the slopes overlooking Lake Taupō.

Lake Taupo

New Zealand's largest lake by surface area, filling a massive caldera created by the Oruanui eruption approximately 25,600 years ago.