Pihanga is a
andesitic
Andesite () is a volcanic rock of intermediate composition. In a general sense, it is the intermediate type between silica-poor basalt and silica-rich rhyolite. It is fine-grained (aphanitic) to porphyritic in texture, and is composed predomin ...
volcanic
A volcano is a rupture in the crust of a planetary-mass object, such as Earth, that allows hot lava, volcanic ash, and gases to escape from a magma chamber below the surface.
On Earth, volcanoes are most often found where tectonic plates a ...
peak in the
North Island Volcanic Plateau
The North Island Volcanic Plateau (often called the Central Plateau and occasionally the Waimarino Plateau) is a volcanic plateau covering much of central North Island of New Zealand with volcanoes, lava plateaus, and crater lakes. It contains ...
, located to the north of
Mount Tongariro
Mount Tongariro (; ) is a compound volcano in the Taupō Volcanic Zone of the North Island of New Zealand. It is located to the southwest of Lake Taupō, and is the northernmost of the three active volcanoes that dominate the landscape of th ...
, between Tongariro and
Lake Taupo
A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much larger ...
.
Lake Rotoaira lies to the south-west of Pihanga, and the smaller
Lake Rotopounamu is situated on the south-western flank of the volcano, near Te Ponanga Saddle. Across the saddle to the west is the volcanic peak of
Tihia. Pihanga and Lake Rotopounamu are part of the 5,129ha Pihanga Scenic Reserve, which in 1975 was added to the
Tongariro National Park
Tongariro National Park (; ) is the oldest national park in New Zealand,Department of Conservation"Tongariro National Park: Features", retrieved 21 April 2013 located in the central North Island. It has been acknowledged by UNESCO as a World H ...
. Pihanga appears to have a large crater, but this is in fact the result of erosion, and the "crater" quickly narrows into a steep gorge.
Geology
Eruptions from Pihanga last occurred more than 20,000 years ago.
The more recent eruptions are consistent with the north-north-east to south-south-west alignment of the present southern
Taupo Volcanic Zone rifting. Just to the east is the
Poutu Fault Zone.
Biology
Its slopes are covered in native bush and currently part of a major nature conservation project.
Maori mythology
In Maori mythology, Pīhanga was the female mountain whom
Taranaki
Taranaki is a region in the west of New Zealand's North Island. It is named after its main geographical feature, the stratovolcano of Mount Taranaki, also known as Mount Egmont.
The main centre is the city of New Plymouth. The New Plymouth D ...
and Tongariro fought over, at a time when Taranaki was also located among the
central North Island mountains. Tongariro's victory resulted in Taranaki's banishment to the west coast, with his movement creating features such as the
Whanganui
Whanganui (; ), also spelled Wanganui, is a city in the Manawatū-Whanganui region of New Zealand. The city is located on the west coast of the North Island at the mouth of the Whanganui River, New Zealand's longest navigable waterway. Whang ...
and
Pātea Rivers, and the
Ngaere swamp.
The Keepers of the Wai
In Maori custom, the Pihanga Maunga 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). The Pihanga mountain was an important water resource for the whole of the Tuwharetoa, Tainui, Whanganui and some parts of the East Coast rohe, are all catchments of this water source.
Some members of the chieftain line of the Matapuna people, who held mana, were given the honor of being buried on the mountain. One such chief, Pakau, interred his son, who was killed in battle, in one of the burial caves. Pakau was known to have mourned for many months over the death of his son.
[Kahui Maunga Vol. 1 Page 125, Page 126 A history of the Tuwharetoa People]
See also
*
List of volcanoes in New Zealand
References
External links
* United Nations Environment Programme: Parks and Protected Areas: World Heritage Sites
Tongariro National Park* Best, Elsdon. The Maori - Volume I
p205.
* Peter Thomson: Walks, GPS Tracks and many photographs: New Zealand
Volcanoes of Waikato
Tongariro Volcanic Centre
Ruapehu District
Taupō Volcanic Zone
Protected areas of Waikato