Tongariro National Park mountains

Tongariro National Park mountains

In 1887, Ngāti Tūwharetoa chief Horonuku Te Heuheu gifted the peaks of Tongariro (foreground), Ngāuruhoe (middle), and Ruapehu (back) to the Crown. He wanted these central North Island volcanoes included in a national park, to prevent them from being divided and sold. This gift led to the establishment of Tongariro National Park, the country’s first national park, in 1894.