Rangipo Desert

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Te Onetapu, commonly known as the Rangipo Desert, is a barren desert-like environment located in New Zealand, located in the Ruapehu District on the North Island Volcanic Plateau; to the east of the three active peaks of Mount Tongariro, Mount Ngauruhoe, and Mount Ruapehu, and to the west of the Kaimanawa Range.

The Rangipo Desert receives 1,500–2,500 mm (59–98 in) of rainfall per year, but resembles a desert because of its location on the volcanic plateau adjacently east of Ruapehu, a poor

lowering the temperature below 0°C (32°F) for days on end.

Much of the desert lies at an altitude of over 600 m (2,000 ft), and a considerable proportion of it is over 1,000 m (3,300 ft) above sea level.

The region is largely uninhabited, possibly due to the unproductive nature of the extreme winter climate. The town of

.

Many of the North Island's largest rivers have their headwaters in the area, particularly around the slopes of Mount Ruapehu, the North Island's

.

The desert is bisected by only one sealed road, a section of

New Zealand State Highway network

.

The

were shot

in the Rangipo Desert in 2000.

Tongariro

(right)

References

External links

• Deserts and Sand Dunes of New Zealand
• The Round the Mountain Track, Tongariro National Park
• New Zealand Small Town travel guide - Waiouru

39°14′34″S 175°43′48″E / 39.2428°S 175.73°E / -39.2428; 175.73