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Story: Taranaki region

Ahukawakawa swamp

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Ahukawakawa swamp

The alpine Ahukawakawa swamp is in Te Papakura o Taranaki (formerly Egmont National Park) at an elevation of 920 metres. It was created by a lava extrusion known as the Dome, which, combined with a later debris flow, blocked the Stony River (Hangatahua). The swamp contains a wide range of plants that can survive in acidic soils at low temperatures. Its outlet forms the 30-metre Bells Falls. This view from the Pouākai Range shows the Dome in the centre.

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by Jock Phillips

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How to cite this page

Ron Lambert, Taranaki region – Native plants and animals, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/25272/ahukawakawa-swamp (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Ron Lambert, published 23 February 2010, updated 1 August 2015.