The Kakaramea-Tihia Massif is an
andesitic volcano in the central
North Island
The North Island, also officially named Te Ika-a-Māui, is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the larger but much less populous South Island by the Cook Strait. The island's area is , making it the world's 14th-largest ...
of
New Zealand. It extends from the peak of Kakaramea at in the west to the peak of Tinui at . The term Kakaramea means many colours in Maori and relates to rock/soil colour on parts of the massif so is a common place name in New Zealand. The massif is located in the
North Island Volcanic Plateau, to the south of
Lake Taupo.
Lake Rotoaira
Lake Rotoaira (sometimes written ''Lake Roto-aira'') is a small lake to the south of Lake Taupō on the North Island Volcanic Plateau in New Zealand. It covers an area of 13 km².
Lake Rotoaira is one of the few privately owned lakes in New Z ...
lies to the south-east as does further away
Mount Tongariro and to the east is
Pihanga
Pihanga is a andesitic volcanic peak in the North Island Volcanic Plateau, located to the north of Mount Tongariro, between Tongariro and Lake Taupo. Lake Rotoaira lies to the south-west of Pihanga, and the smaller Lake Rotopounamu is situated ...
on the other side of the Te Ponanga Saddle from Tihia.
Geology
Eruptions from the Kakaramea-Tihia Massif last occurred more than 20,000 years ago and the most recent appears to be from a vent west-south-west of Tihia.
The older formations were from vents aligned north-west to south-east but the more recent eruptions are consistent with the north-north-east to south-south-west alignment of the present southern
Taupo Volcanic Zone rifting. It is adjacent to the
Waihi Fault Zone
The Waihi Fault Zone is a seismically active area of the central North Island of New Zealand whose earthquakes have been associated with significant loss of life.
Geology
The intra-rift Waihi Fault Zone extends at least from Little Waihi at L ...
which lies almost directly under Kakaramea.
Biology
It is one of the habitats where
Dactylanthus taylorii
''Dactylanthus taylorii'', commonly known in English as wood rose and in Māori as te pua o te rēinga, is a fully parasitic flowering plant, the only one endemic to New Zealand. The host tree responds to the presence of ''Dactylanthus'' by form ...
a very rare endangered fully parasitic flowering plant is found. This is pollinated by the endangered
New Zealand lesser short-tailed bat
The New Zealand lesser short-tailed bat (''Mystacina tuberculata'') is a small-sized omnivorous mammal endemic to the islands of New Zealand. It is one of two extant and three overall terrestrial mammal species unique to New Zealand. The NZ lesse ...
.
The Keepers of the Wai
In Maori custom, the area became the responsibility of the Matapuna people (a mix of Tuwharetoa, Tama Kopiri/Upper Whanganui whanau/Tu Hope - Descendants of Te Rere Ao, the First of Tuwharetoa) of the Tuwharetoa people, who have traditionally been the keepers of the wai (Keepers of the Water) and Maunga Kaitiaki (Protectors of the Mountain).
[Kahui Maunga Vol. 1 Page 125, Page 126 A history of the Tuwharetoa People]
See also
*
List of volcanoes in New Zealand
This is a partial list of active, dormant, and extinct volcanoes in New Zealand.
Kermadec Arc and Havre Trough
North Island
Taupō Volcanic Zone
Elsewhere
Mangakino Culdera
South Island
Other
Ross Dependency
New Zealand a ...
References
External links
* United Nations Environment Programme: Parks and Protected Areas: World Heritage Sites
Tongariro National Park* Best, Elsdon. The Maori - Volume I
p205.
Mt Tihia Tramp
{{coord, 38, 59, 20, S, 175, 42, 30, E, region:NZ_type:mountain_source:GNS-enwiki
Volcanoes of Waikato
Tongariro Volcanic Centre
Ruapehu District
Volcanism of New Zealand
Taupō Volcanic Zone