"It's what a volcano is supposed to look like"

The perfect cone of Ngauruhoe is very young - only about 2500 years old, and very active - the most active in New Zealand after White Island, with an eruption every 2-3 years until it's last event in 1975. The crater used to steam continuously but it is thought the vent is now blocked - preventing any further activity. There are two craters on the top of Ngauruhoe, one inside the other. The inside crater was formed during a larger eruption in 1942. Fresh lava flows can be seen on the slopes from eruptions in the '40's & '50's.