The Pacific and Indian-Australian plates meet beneath New Zealand creating a vast volcanic and geothermal area across the central North Island from the Bay of Plenty to the Tasman Sea. One of the most impressive geothermal areas is Craters of the Moon, north of Taupo. Here, steam-filled craters and boiling mud pools lie among wooded and bush-covered hills and valleys. Small holes in the hillsides belch torrents of sulfurous steam. (Click on the pictures to enlarge.)
Many lakes in this volcanic region, known as the Central Plateau, are actually large volcanic craters that have filled with water. Lake Taupo (at left) is one example having last erupted almost two thousand years ago. The lake is a massive crater measuring almost 20 miles wide and over 25 miles long. Lake Tarawera (at right) is at the base of Mt. Tarawera which last erupted in 1886, devastating the surrounding area. The mud flows from that eruption permanently raised the lake level by over 20 feet. (Click on the pictures to enlarge.)
