
Taupō supervolcano and caldera
Our biggest volcano isn’t a cone. It’s Lake Taupō, formed about 25,500 years ago in the massive Ōruanui eruption.
Free museum entry for New Zealanders and people living in New Zealand
Open every day 10am-6pm
(except Christmas Day)
Free museum entry for New Zealanders and people living in New Zealand
Enter the realm of Rūaumoko, god of volcanoes and earthquakes, and explore the geological forces that shape our shaky land and experience what an earthquake feels like in our quake house in Te Taiao | Nature.
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Ko Puna-te-waro, ko Rakahore, ko Hinepuia, ko te moko whakangaotanga o te whenua nā Rūaumoko e ngunguru nei ī au au aue ha!
What massive pressures lift Aotearoa New Zealand’s mountains, and trigger our volcanoes and earthquakes? How are we getting active in response to our active land?
Visit Te Taiao | Nature at Te Papa and follow the path of volcanoes down the North Island – blazed by two fire taniwha guardians. Discover the creative gifts of Rūaumoko: tā mokotā moko tattooing and tāniko weaving.
Hear people remembering the recent Canterbury quakes, and share your response.
Quake House: It’s back to give you a shake-up, so get ready to drop, cover, hold.
Tsunami Tank: Trigger a tsunami in a wave tank and watch its effects.
Erupt a Volcano: Crank up the pressure and cause an eruption.
Taupō Super-volcano: See an animation of the most ferocious super-volcano in the world, the creator of Lake Taupō.
Canterbury Resilience: Videos and an original chalkboard show how the community shared their feelings after the quakes.
Our biggest volcano isn’t a cone. It’s Lake Taupō, formed about 25,500 years ago in the massive Ōruanui eruption.
Watch a series of interviews about creative and community responses to the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes in Canterbury, New Zealand.
Restless whenua, strong people. Rūaumoko, god of earthquakes and volcanoes, lays his challenge – his restless rumblings present us with taonga as well as hazards. A country where colliding and subducting plates cause quakes, volcanoes, tsunami, and landslides.