The Central Plateau is the volcanic heart of New Zealand's North Island — a high, dramatic landscape of active volcanoes, vast forests, and the country's largest lake. The three peaks of the Tongariro Volcanic Plateau — Ruapehu, Ngauruhoe, and Tongariro — dominate the skyline, and the Tongariro Alpine Crossing is often called the best one-day walk in New Zealand.
Taupo, on the shores of Lake Taupo (the water-filled caldera of a dormant supervolcano), is the main base for the region. The lake offers world-class trout fishing, and nearby Huka Falls is New Zealand's most visited natural attraction, with over 220,000 litres of water tumbling over the cliff every second.
