Tongariro National Park

Originally a gift to Queen Victoria from the Tuwharetoa Maori chief Te Heuheu Tukino IV in 1887, Tongariro National Park was the first national park in New Zealand and the fourth oldest in the world. The park is of religious and cultural importance to the Maoris who first occupied the area in the ninth century when they arrived from Polynesia. They believed the region's mountains had god-like ancestors, and the core of the park centres around three active volcanoes, Tongariro, Ngauruhoe and the largest, Ruapehu, which erupted in a spectacular fashion in 1995 and again in 1996. Some areas resemble a lunar landscape, which has been created by flowing lava, alongside forests and tussock lands. The Tongariro Crossing (www.doc.govt.nz), completed by about 70,000 hikers every summer, is considered to be one of the best one-day walks in the country, offering magnificent volcanic scenery and fine views of Lake Taupo and Mount Taranaki.