Ngāuruhoe: the fiery history of Aotearoa's once-most active volcano
Most who have travelled through the winding Desert Road in the central North Island, will be familiar with the striking steep-sided cone of Ngāuruhoe volcano.
Until 1975, Ngāuruhoe was the most active volcano in Aotearoa New Zealand, erupting every few years on average.
Mt. Tongariro is a large complex of volcanic cones and craters formed by eruptions from at least 12 vents over more than 275,000 years, known today as the Tongariro volcano complex.
The cone of Ngāuruhoe is about 9000 years old, making it the youngest and highest (2291m high) portion of the Tongariro Volcano complex. It is considered to have a different source of magma to other recently active vents on Tongariro.