Lake Tarawera
| Lake Tarawera | |
|---|---|
Lake Tarawera | |
Bathymetric map of Lake Tarawera | |
| Location | Rotorua Lakes, Bay of Plenty Region, North Island |
| Coordinates | 38°12′S 176°27′E / 38.200°S 176.450°E |
| Lake type | volcanic |
| Primary inflows | Tarawera Peak Stream, Te Whekau Stream, Orchard Stream, Spencer Road Ford Stream multiple springs and subsurface |
| Primary outflows | Tarawera River and subsurface |
| Catchment area | 143.8 km2 (55.5 sq mi): 56 |
| Basin countries | New Zealand |
| Max. length | 11.4 km (7.1 mi) |
| Max. width | 9.0 km (5.6 mi) |
| Surface area | 41.0 km2 (15.8 sq mi) |
| Average depth | 57.0 m (187.0 ft) |
| Max. depth | 87.5 m (287 ft) |
| Surface elevation | 298 m (978 ft): 55 |
| References | |
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Lake Tarawera is the largest of a series of lakes which surround the volcano Mount Tarawera in the North Island of New Zealand. Like the mountain, it lies within the Ōkataina Caldera. It is located 18 kilometres (11 mi) to the east of Rotorua, and beneath the peaks of the Tarawera massif i.e. Wahanga, Ruawahia, Tarawera and Koa. Tarawera means "Burnt Spear", named by a visiting hunter who left his bird spears in a hut and on returning the following season found that both his spears and hut had been turned to ashes.