Taupo-Nui-A-Tia
Korero Purakau
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Ngati Tuwharetoa Tradition relates that the great tohunga or priest
Ngatoroirangi and a chief, Tia, arrived in the Arawa canoe that made
landfall at Cape Runaway and its people settled in the Bay of Plenty inland
from Maketu.
A well known Ngati Tuwharetoa whakatauaki describes the extent of the
mana whenua that the iwi or tribes who descend from the Arawa canoe enjoy.
It says "Mai Tongariro ki Maketu" or "From Tongariro to Maketu".
Tia was the first to explore inland and came across the eastern side of
Taupo. He noted that a formation of rock resembled his heavy cloak and hung
the cloak, or taupo, on a post and claimed the area as Taupo nui a
Tia, which means the Great Cloak of Tia.
Ngatoroirangi arrived soon after and headed further south to the then
lifeless mountains. He climbed to the top of one of the peaks and was
almost overcome by the terrible cold. He called upon his sisters overseas
in the ancestral home of Hawaiki to send him heat for warmth.
The fire gods answered the sisters prayers and the fire came, travelling
under the sea and land. At the coast of New Zealand, the fire broke through
the surface as volcanic or thermal activity and ran as a line through White
Island, Rotorua, Taupo and down to the mountains which erupted as volcanoes.
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Taupo-Nui-A-Tia Map (source
Environment Waikato)
Lake Taupo Land Cover Map
Statistics
Here are some statistics about Taupo-Nui-A-Tia (source
Environment Waikato):
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Lake Taupo was formed by
a series of eruptions, the most recent of which - around eighteen hundred
years ago - blasted out about 60 cubic kilometres of earth, rock and mud,
leaving a massive crater.
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More than 30 rivers and
streams flow into the Lake, with only one outlet – the Waikato River.
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The full name of the Lake
is Taupo–nui–a–Tia – the great cloak of Tia. Tia, one of the great
fighting chiefs of the Arawa Canoe, is credited with discovering the Lake.
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Lake Taupo is 30 km wide
and 40 km long, its deepest point is 158 metres, it contains 59 cubic
kilometres of water and is 359 metres above sea level.
How Clean is the Lake?
Environment Waikato tests the water from both the Lake’s edge and a deep
water site. Check out
its
monitoring results that show that Lake Taupo continues to
have high quality, clear water that is safe to swim in.
However, since the mid 1970s, nitrogen has built up in
the bottom waters of Lake Taupo. This could lead to reduced water clarity,
blooms and scums of algae and could affect the amount of dissolved oxygen
needed by the plants and animals that live in the Lake.
Find out about the importance of
dissolved oxygen in the EW glossary.
Ecosystems at Risk
Lake Taupo is home to many native plant species, at least 31 species of
aquatic birds and a number of native and introduced fish, including:
- koaro
- the common bully
- the common smelt
- rainbow trout
- brown trout.
Catfish have been recorded in the Lake since 1985. Catfish are a pest
because they feed on freshwater snails, koura, bullies and smelt. They have
been known to attack juvenile trout.
Native plant species don’t compete well with introduced aquatic weeds.
Oxygen weed, pondweed and hornwort are a growing problem in the Lake. These
water weeds spread rapidly. Waternet is present in Kinloch marina, but low
nutrient levels in the Lake mean it is not likely to become a problem weed.
Keeping the Lake clean and weed free
Everyone can help look after Lake Taupo’s water quality
by being careful about what they put into the stormwater drains. Stormwater
is not treated and drains straight into the Lake, or into rivers and streams
that flow into the Lake. Taupo District Council aims to reduce pollutants
going into the Lake, local rivers and streams through stormwater drains.
Landowners living around the Lake can help by planting
and fencing stream banks. Plants help to filter out nutrients and sediment
in runoff, as well as providing shade and habitat for wildlife. Fencing
streams prevents stock from:
Boat–owners also need to carefully wash down boat keels,
motors and trailers before putting boats into Lake Taupo. This reduces the
chances of introducing water weeds.
If boats have seam leaks or loose stern glands, oily
bilge water often dribbles into the Lake. Automatic bilge pumps can release
dirty water directly into the Lake. To prevent these problems, boaties need
to keep boat bilges clean and dry and ensure they dispose of rubbish and
sewage on–shore. |
