Mystery of Lake Taupo
A massive volcanic eruption created Lake Taupo in the centre of the North Island. However, according to Maori legend it was an upturned totara tree that created the lake.
In 186AD, a string of nine volcanic eruptions over a few minutes shook the islands of New Zealand, throwing up 30 cubic kilometres of poisonous ash, rocks and lava. The fallout was so huge, even the ancient Romans and Chinese told of a darkening of their skies.
Lake Taupo was formed in the crater left by the eruption - at 606 square kilometres (234 square miles) it is the largest lake in New Zealand - and it remains volcanically active today.
However, Maori say the lake was formed when Te Arawa chief Tohunga-Ngatoroirangi hurled a large totara tree into a barren basin to seed a new forest to feed his people. But the totara landed upside down, its branches piercing the ground, and water sprung through the cracks flooding the basin.
Today it is home to thousands of rainbow and brown trout - in fact Lake Taupo is known as the trout fishing capital of the world.
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