Nov 1, 2025 Tokoroa Talking Poles
On the move again! After an early morning soak in the hot spring with coffees!
We packed the car and headed down the road. We stopped in the town of Tokoroa for a mid-morning snack and to see the Talking Poles that the town has become known for. ‘Totem Pole’ art works are scattered throughout the town and tell stories of various aspects of the myriad cultures of the townspeople.
The Talking Poles Forest is in the center of town, along the main street.
A concentration of the poles is in the Talking Poles Forest where we stopped. For detailed descriptions of the many poles around town click HERE. We continued down the road and stopped at a quiet campground along the Waikato River for a lunch break and a nap!
The clouds were beginning to build.
At a lookout viewpoint the clouds were thick enough to almost obscure the mountains we were traveling near.
Mount Ruapehu is the farthest to the right, with a large base and lots of snow. Mount Ngauruhoe is the cone to the left of center with the peak in the clouds, and Mount Tongariro is the lowest mountain to the left, relatively flat topped, below the clouds. All three are active volcanoes;
Volcanic Activity of Mount Ruapehu, Mount Ngauruhoe, and Mount Tongariro
Mount Ruapehu
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Status: Active
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Last Eruption: 1996
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Details: Ruapehu is one of the most active volcanoes in the world. It has had over 60 eruptions since 1945. The volcano features a deep crater lake, which is monitored for changes that may indicate increased volcanic activity.
Mount Ngauruhoe
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Status: Active
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Last Eruption: 1977
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Details: Ngauruhoe is considered the youngest and most active cone of the Tongariro volcanic complex. It has a history of eruptions approximately every nine years until its last eruption in 1977.
Mount Tongariro
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Status: Active
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Last Eruption: 2012 (from Te Maari Crater)
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Details: Tongariro has erupted more than 70 times since 1839. It consists of multiple vents, with the most recent activity occurring from the Te Maari Crater.
Good thing I didn’t read this until after we left the area!