Mt Tongariro is the smallest of three major volcanoes in the Volcanic Plateau of the Central North Island in New Zealand. When I say it is the smallest this has not also been so. It was actually the largest of the volcanoes in the area until an eruption way back in time blew the top off it. The summit can be accessed from a road leading into the area just south of Turangi. The area is dominated by Lake Taupo which itself is a massive volcanic crater which erupted in biblical times creating an ash cloud which was recorded all around the world. This was truly a massive eruption on a scale which could not be comprehended. There are three major volcanoes in the area the largest of which is Mt Ruapehu. An eruption from Mt Ruapehu washed out a railway bridge back in the day causing the Tangiwai disaster where a packed passenger train went into the river killing 151 people. Mt Ngaruahoe is the next volcano and a truly spectacular cone which last erupted in 1969 in a very spectacular way without loss of life. There is a hot springs area on the side of Mt Tongariro called Ketatahi Springs. I certainly would not recommend going there at the moment. It is very interesting as White Island off the eastern coast has been erupting recently as well. This island is on the same fault line as the volcanos mentioned already. This faultline runs through White Island, Mt Tarawera east of Rotorua which erupted in 1886 killing many and destroying the pink and white terraces, Mts Tongariro, Ngaruahoe, Ruapehu and then out to the West where Mt Taranaki an absolutely gorgeous mountain sits all by herself. According to Maori legend Mt Taranaki moved west away from the other mountains as the result of a lovers tiff. Mt Taranaki was for a long time known as Mt Egmont. When I was a child there was a firework called Mt Egmont.
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