Te Heuheu

The Waikato River has its source on the flanks of this peak, which presents quite different characteristics when viewed from its different aspects. From Whakapapa it is a huge bulk, a formless mass rather than a peak. From the north-east, on the Desert Road, it is the most distinctive of Ruapehu’s summits, an elegant cone. Seen from Tukino, Te Heu Heu is a grand peak, capped by intimidating rows of bluffs. These leaning bluffs are still more impressive when looking up at the peak’s short, steep southern faces from the Summit Plateau.