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Story: Volcanic Plateau region

Lake Taupō and volcanic peaks

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Lake Taupō and volcanic peaks

Charles Barraud painted this watercolour, ‘Looking across Lake Taupo with Mounts Tongariro, Ngauruhoe and Ruapehu in the distance’, in 1874. By that time adventurous travellers were finding their way into the central North Island. Motutaiko Island is in the middle distance, below the rounded shape of Pīhanga.

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library

Reference: C-007-005

by Charles Decimus Barraud

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page

Malcolm McKinnon, Volcanic Plateau region – Overview, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/artwork/15130/lake-taupo-and-volcanic-peaks (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Malcolm McKinnon, published 2 March 2009, updated 1 May 2015.