The Tongariro National Park was formed in 1887 when Te Heuheu, the Chief of the Ngati Tuwharetoa Tribe gifted the peaks of the volcanoes to the Crown.

Mountains - especially volcanoes are very sacred to the Maori, and this gift was an incredible show of wisdom and forethought to protect the area in a time when Europeans were settling to New Zealand with little awareness of the Maori culture.

Tongariro was the 2nd National Park to be formed in the World after Yellowstone in the United States. The Park has since grown from just the peaks to a much larger area. A visit to the park, by air or ground, will give you an appreciation of the power that nature holds - the ongoing gift of Te Heuheu.