Mount Tauhara is a dormant volcano on the edge of the Taupo caldera (Lake Taupo) and overlooks Taupo town. Tauhara volcano is thought to have last erupted about 65,000 years ago. Eruptions that built the volcano probably involved the relatively peaceful extrusion of dacite lava compared to the highly explosive 182AD Taupo eruption. The top of Tauhara volcano appears to be covered by a thick mantle of rhyolite pumice, I suspect derived from the Taupo eruption. The path near the top is deeply eroded into this pumice layer. The walk up is relatively easy and a return journey can be made in about two hours. The reward for the climb up this 1088m peak is the spectacular 360 degree view of the central plateau!