View source for Pihanga

{{Short description|Volcano in Tongariro National Park, New Zealand}}
{{Use New Zealand English|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox mountain
| name = Pihanga
| photo = Pihanga 3.jpg
| photo_caption = 
| elevation_m = 1326
| elevation_ref = 
| map = New Zealand North Island
| map_caption = 
| label_position = right
| listing = 
| location = [[Taupō Volcanic Zone]], [[New Zealand]]
| coordinates = {{coord|39|02|29|S|175|46|07|E|type:mountain_scale:100000|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
| coordinates_ref = 
| topo = 
| type = [[Stratovolcano]]
| age = 
| last_eruption = at least 20,000 years ago<ref name="Topping1974">{{cite web|title=Some Aspects of Quaternary History of Tongariro Volcanic Centre|first1=Wayne William|last1=Topping|url=https://researcharchive.vuw.ac.nz/xmlui/handle/10063/1233|year=1974}}</ref> 
| first_ascent = 
| easiest_route = 
| map_image ={{#tag:mapframe|[{{Wikipedia:Map data/Northern North Island Volcanics}},{{Wikipedia:Map data/Mount Tongariro}},{ "type": "Feature", "properties": { "marker-size": "small", "marker-color": "#ff0000", "marker-symbol": "volcano", "title": "Hauhungatahi" }, "geometry": {"type": "Point", "coordinates":[175.768611, -39.041389]} }]|frameless=1
| align =center
| text =Map of volcanic features near Pihanga (red marker). Surface volcanic deposits are shaded. To its immediate south west is [[Lake Rotoaira]] and beyond is [[Mount Tongariro]] with its recent vents active in the last 15,000 years shaded {{legend-inline|#fdbc3b|orange-yellow}}, with craters in {{legend-inline|#ffff00|yellow outline}}. Lakes in vents are outlined in {{legend-inline|#0000ff|blue}}. [[Rhyolite|Rhyolitic]] [[ignimbrite]] surface deposits are from eruptions of the [[Taupō Volcano]]. {{Wikipedia:Map data/Northern North Island Volcanics/key}}  
| width =250 
| height =250 
| latitude =-39.041389
| longitude =175.768611
| icon =no
| zoom =10
}}
}}

'''Pihanga''' is a {{Convert|1326|m}}<ref>Index Mundi: New Zealand: Mountains: [http://www.indexmundi.com/zm/nz/2020.htm Pihanga to Poarangitautahi]</ref> [[andesitic]] [[volcano|volcanic]] peak in the [[North Island Volcanic Plateau]], located to the north of [[Mount Tongariro]], between Tongariro and [[Lake Taupō]]. The nearest town to Pihanga is [[Tūrangi]].

[[Lake Rotoaira]] lies to the south-west of Pihanga, and the smaller [[Lake Rotopounamu]] is situated on the south-western flank of the volcano, near Te Ponanga Saddle. Across the saddle to the west is the volcanic peak of [[Kakaramea-Tihia Massif|Tihia]]. 

Pihanga and Lake Rotopounamu are part of the 5,129ha Pihanga Scenic Reserve, which in 1975 was added to the [[Tongariro National Park]]. 

Pihanga appears to have a large crater, but this is in fact the result of erosion, and the "crater" quickly narrows into a steep gorge.

==Geology==
Eruptions from Pihanga last occurred more than 20,000 years ago.<ref name="Topping1974"/> An age of 123 ± 10 ka has been challenged and potentially redating suggests first formation greater than 180,000 years ago.<ref>{{cite thesis| last1 =Pure| first1 = Leo| title = The volcanic and magmatic evolution of Tongariro volcano, New Zealand| publisher =Te Herenga Waka-Victoria University of Wellington|year= 2020| url=https://openaccess.wgtn.ac.nz/articles/thesis/The_volcanic_and_magmatic_evolution_of_Tongariro_volcano_New_Zealand/17145692/1/files/31704299.pdf |access-date=6 December 2023}}</ref>{{rp|pp=13,284}} The more recent eruptions are consistent with the north-north-east to south-south-west alignment of the present southern [[Taupō Volcanic Zone]] rifting. Just to the east is the [[Poutu Fault Zone]].

==Biology==
Its slopes are covered in native bush and currently part of a major nature conservation project.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tongariro.org.nz/rotopounamu-restoration-project|title=Rotopounamu Pihanga Restoration|access-date=2022-08-07}}</ref>

==Māori mythology==
In Māori mythology, Pīhanga was the female mountain whom [[Mount Taranaki|Taranaki]] and Tongariro fought over, at a time when Taranaki was also located among the [[North Island Volcanic Plateau|central North Island mountains]].  Tongariro's victory resulted in Taranaki's banishment to the west coast, with his movement creating features such as the [[Whanganui River|Whanganui]] and [[Pātea River]]s, and the [[Ngaere swamp]].

==The Keepers of the Wai==
In Māori custom, the Pihanga Maunga became the responsibility of the Matapuna people (a mix of Tuwharetoa, Tama Kopiri/Upper Whanganui whanau/Tu Hope - Descendants of Te Rere Ao, the First of Tuwharetoa) of the Tuwharetoa people, who have traditionally been the keepers of the wai (Keepers of the Water) and Maunga Kaitiaki (Protectors of the Mountain).  The Pihanga mountain was an important water resource for the whole of the Tuwharetoa, Tainui, Whanganui and some parts of the East Coast [[rohe]], are all catchments of this water source.

Some members of the chieftain line of the Matapuna people, who held mana, were given the honor of being buried on the mountain.  One such chief, Pakau, interred his son, who was killed in battle, in one of the burial caves. Pakau was known to have mourned for many months over the death of his son.<ref>Kahui Maunga Vol. 1 Page 125, Page 126 A history of the Tuwharetoa People</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of volcanoes in New Zealand]]

==References==
<references />

==External links==
* United Nations Environment Programme: Parks and Protected Areas: World Heritage Sites: [https://archive.today/20081205002758/http://www.unep-wcmc.org/sites/wh/tongarir.html Tongariro National Park]
* Best, Elsdon. The Maori - Volume I, [https://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-Bes01Maor-t1-body-d5.html V Myth and Folk Lore]. p205.
* Peter Thomson: Walks, GPS Tracks and many photographs: New Zealand: [http://www.peter-thomson.co.uk/new_zealand/rotopounamu.html Rotopounamu]

{{Tongariro National Park}}
[[Category:Volcanoes of Waikato]]
[[Category:Tongariro Volcanic Centre]]
[[Category:Ruapehu District]]
[[Category:Taupō Volcanic Zone]]
[[Category:Protected areas of Waikato]]
[[Category:Tongariro National Park]]