Tongariro National Park in New Zealand
About a thousand years ago the forefathers of the Maori discovered the present day New Zealand, the Northern as well as the Southern Island. They called it Aotearoa, the land of the long white cloud. New Zealand has one of the largest volcanic areas in the world. The volcanic plateau on the Northern Island is part of the ring of fire around the Pacific. Tongariro National park is located here. The thermal valleys with its geysers, wells and coloured puddles are always in motion. The earth is literally evaporating here. Tongariro, Waimangu, Rotorua, Taupo, are just a few names where the fluid core of the earth is always present. The west side of Tongariro lies in the shadow of mountains and has a genuine desert climate. It is called Rangipo Desert. The tussock grasses cause a kind of dune formation. Very unusual, Tongariro National Park, volcanos, glaciers and desert, side by side. Tongariro National Park encircles the volcanoes of Tongariro, Ngauruhoe and Ruapehu. It was gifted to the nation by Maori chief Te Heuheu Tukino IV in 1887. Just over a hundred years later, the park was awarded the UNESCO World Heritage Site status. A 28 minutes documentary about New Zealands national parks is part of the tv-series WONDERS of WILDERNESS and is available on DVD.. The 12-part series colourfully introduces a dozen of the worlds most important national parks with their rich flora, fauna and awe-inspiring geological wonders. The series demonstrates the wisdom of the national park <b>...</b>
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