Mount Tauhara


Mount Tauhara is a dormant lava dome volcano in New Zealand's North Island, reaching above sea level. It is situated within the Taupo caldera towards the centre of the Taupo Volcanic Zone, which stretches from White Island in the north to Mount Ruapehu in the south. It is east of the town of Taupo, next to the northeastern shore of Lake Taupo.
Formed about 65,000 years ago, Mount Tauhara was not a violently explosive vent, instead slowly oozing a viscous dacitic lava. It is the largest mass of dacite within the Taupo volcano, whose material is 98% rhyolitic. Little evidence of its volcanic past remains today; the peak is covered in dense native bush.
There is a steep walking track to the top of Mount Tauhara, starting at Mountain Road. On a clear day, the summit offers excellent views over the Volcanic Plateau, encompassing the entirety of Lake Taupo in the southwest. The hike is relatively strenuous and takes about an hour and a half each way. The track is not well groomed; being slightly overgrown in some places. However, there is a pristine spring near the top perfect for drinking and the view at the summit is spectacular.
This is the Māori legend about Mt Tauhara:
"Tauhara" is Māori for "alone, or isolated".