Tongariro National Park, New Zealand
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Tongariro National Park, New Zealand
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Voting closes Friday, February 22nd, at 11am CET.
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Want a new adventure in 2022?
New Zealand’s national park could be yours for $1 billion.
The Tongariro National Park is one of New Zealand’s most popular tourist attractions. But the government wants to sell off half of the land – including some of the most iconic locations like Mount Doom, where Gandalf battled Lord Sauron in JRR Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings.” If you’re looking for an adventure, now might be your chance.
The sale price is set at NZ$1 billion ($711 million). And while the auction closes in January 2021, the government says it’s willing to accept offers up to three times the reserve price.
If you want to bid, you’ll need to put down NZ$150,000 ($101,000) as a deposit. You’ll also need to prove that you’ve visited the park before.
You can learn more about bidding here.
Stay & Play at Tongariro National Park
Tongariro National Park is home to three active volcanoes and offers visitors the chance to explore the park’s unique landscape, including the famous Tongariro Crossing – one of New Zealand’s most spectacular routes.
The village of National Park lies at the heart of this stunning national park, offering everything you need for a memorable holiday experience. There are plenty of great options for accommodation, dining and entertainment.
You can choose from a variety of accommodation types to suit every budget and style. From family friendly units to backpackers hostels, there’s something for everyone.
There are many opportunities to enjoy the outdoors here, whether it’s relaxing by the poolside or exploring the hiking trails around the area.
For those looking for a little excitement, there are plenty of adrenaline pumping activities to try out like bungy jumping, jet boating, quad biking and even skydiving.
Plan Your Visit
The Tongariro National Park is one of New Zealand’s most popular tourist destinations. With over 500km of tracks to explore, there is plenty of scope to enjoy some of the best hiking in the world. But it’s important to plan ahead to make sure you have the best experience possible. Here we take a look at what visitors need to know about getting to and around the park.
Getting To Tongariro National Park
Visitors are strongly recommended to not use their vehicle at either end of the Alpine Crossing track. This is because the road is closed to traffic during winter months. There are no public buses running into the park, so visitors must rely on shuttle bus services operated by local tour companies. These run every hour throughout the day and cost $25 per person.
Parking At Both Ends Of The Track
There are no car parks within the national park itself. However, there are several car parks located outside the park boundaries. You can find information about where to park here.
Transport In And Around The Park
Tongariro Village is the gateway to the park and is well serviced by both public and private transport options. Public transport includes buses to Turangi and Waiouru, while private operators offer shuttles to Whakapapa Village and Ohakune.
Three Mighty Mountains
Mt Ruapehu is one of New Zealand’s best known mountains. It’s the second highest peak in the North Island and the tallest mountain outside of the Alps. This video shows how it looks like during wintertime.
The world famous Tongariro Alpin Crossing is a 19km walk across Mount Tongariro. It leads you from Taupo to National Park Village.
Tongariro is New Zealand’s youngest and historically most active volcanic cone. It lies within the central North Island and is often covered in snow.
Mt Ngauruhoe is located close to Lake Taupo and is New Zealand’ s third highest mountain.
History
Māori people descend from
Polynesian peoples whose ancestors emigrated from Taiwan about 3,000 years ago. This migration occurred around the same time as the arrival of Austronesian speakers in Southeast Asia. The earliest known settlements of New Zealanders are located along the coastlines of Northland and Southland. By 1500, there were permanent settlements throughout much of the islands. These early settlers were called Maori, meaning “the original inhabitants.”
The Maoris arrived on the island of Aotearoa (New Zealand), which translates to “Land of the Long White Cloud,” sometime between 300 and 500 AD. They settled primarily in the areas now known as Northland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Gisborne, Hawke’s Bay, Taranaki, Wellington, Nelson, Marlborough, Canterbury, Otago, West Coast, Buller, and parts of Southland. The Maori population grew rapidly during the period of European exploration, contact, and settlement. In 1840, approximately 250,000 Maori lived in New Zealand; by 1845, that number had fallen to 170,000. Today, the total population of Maori is estimated to be around 350,000.
Polynesia is a region comprising several archipelagos in the Pacific Ocean. Its name derives from the Greek word πολυπνία (polypna), meaning “many islands”. The term is used because it refers to the large number
Government and politics
New Zealand is a constitutional monarchy and a parliamentary democracy. Its parliament consists of the Queen and the House of Representatives, which includes members elected directly by voters under proportional representation. In addition, there is an upper house, the Senate, consisting of appointed senators.
The government is led by a prime minister, while ministers are responsible for the administration of departments. Cabinet comprises the heads of each department; it meets weekly to discuss policy issues.
A general election must be held within three years of the dissolution of the previous parliament. Elections are usually scheduled every four years, though special elections may occur sooner. Voters choose representatives of political parties to form governments, who serve terms of up to five years. Governments normally require support from one party or another to remain in office.
Foreign relations and military
New Zealand was founded as a colony of Great Britain in 1840. Its constitution was adopted in 1852, and it gained full independence in 1907. New Zealand is a parliamentary democracy, with a bicameral legislature. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II. The current prime minister is Jacinda Ardern. The capital city is Wellington.
The Treaty of Waitangi was signed in February 1840. This treaty established the relationship between Maori and Europeans. The government of New Zealand is based on the Westminster system. The executive branch consists of three branches: the cabinet, headed by the prime minister; the ministry, headed by ministers appointed by the prime minister; and the civil service, headed by the secretary of state for internal affairs. The judiciary is independent.
In 1901, New Zealand entered into the Commonwealth of Australia, becoming one of six dominions within the empire. New Zealand is part of the Anglosphere group of nations.
Local government and external territories
The early European settlers divided New Zealands colonies into provinces, which had some degree of autonomy. However, because of financial pressures and the wish to consolidate railroads, schools, land sales, and many other policies, government became centralized and the provinces were abolished.
Since 1876, various councils administer local areas under legislation determined centrally. In 1989, the government reorganized local government into the current system of two tiers – regional councils and district councils.
Climate
New Zealand’s climate is predominantly temperate marine (Köppen climate classification: Cfb). This type of climate occurs where there are warm summers and cool winters; however, it does not occur in every part of the world. In general, the temperature range is small compared to tropical climates. For example, the average January high temperature is about 11°C (52°F) and the average July high temperature is about 17°C (63°F). However, the difference between the coldest month and hottest month is relatively large, with the mean monthly temperature being 5°C (41°F) in Auckland and 13°C (55°F) in Wellington. Rainfall is concentrated in summer months, especially December–March. On average, the wettest month is June, with an average total precipitation of around 2,100 millimetres (80 inches).
The dominant wind system is the subtropical anticyclone, which brings moist air masses from the Tasman Sea and Pacific Ocean towards the interior of the South Island. These winds blow most days during winter, bringing heavy rain showers and strong gales. During summer, the dominant wind systems are the subtropical high pressure system over Australia and the midlatitude westerlies over Antarctica. These bring dry conditions and clear skies.
Auckland lies within the tropics, and thus experiences hot humid
