Facts & Figures

Lake Taupo region and townships 

• September 1887, Te Heuheu Tukino IV (Horonuku), Chief of the local Maori tribe Ngati Tuwharetoa, gifted the three sacred peaks of Mt Raupehu, Mt Ngauruhoe and Mt Tongariro.
• Lake Taupo's eruption was so huge, ash has been found in ice cores drilled in Greenland.
• In 1885 Brown Trout and in 1898 Rainbow Trout, were released into Lake Taupo.
• The European settlement began with the establishment of an Armed Constabulary redoubt (fort) in 1869.
• Turangi was originally built to accommodate workers associated with the Tongariro Hydro-electric Power Development Programme.
• Taupo has the largest man-made forest, the 'Kaiangaroa Forest' in the world.
• Tongariro National Park is the oldest national park in New Zealand and fourth national park in the world to be established.
• Taupo's name in full is Taupo-nui-a-Tia. 'Taupo' means shoulder cloak, 'nui' means big,'a' means of and 'Tia' is the name of the discoverer of the lake. Therefore the literaly translation is 'the great cloak of Tia'.
• 1946, the Karapiro Dam neared completion. A Hydro-electric Station and temporary township called Mangakino was made. In 1952 the population of Mangakino exceeded 5000, today it sits at 1257.

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