Ruapehu District

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Ruapehu District
Population: 13,569
(territorial)
(2006 census)
Main town: Taumarunui
Other towns: Raetihi, Ohakune, Waiouru, Horopito, Tangiwai, National Park
Territorial Authority
Name: Ruapehu District Council
Mayor: Sue Morris
Chief Executive: David Hammond (commenced 19 March 2007) replaced Chris Ryan (who had served for 10 years)
Extent: S of Te Kuiti to Waiouru; Raetihi to Mt Ruapehu
Land Area: 6,730.185 km² (2,598.54 sq mi)
Website: http://www.ruapehudc.govt.nz
See also: Manawatu District, Wanganui
Regional Council
Name: Manawatu-Wanganui (Horizons Regional Council)
Website: http://www.horizons.govt.nz

Ruapehu District is a territorial authority near the centre of New Zealand's North Island.

It has an area of 6,730.185 square kilometers and a population of 13,569 at the 2006 census (down 18.96% from 1996 census).

[edit] Features

The District is landlocked, and contains Mount Ruapehu, Tongariro National Park, and the Raurimu Spiral on the North Island Main Trunk railway line.

The tourist towns of Whakapapa, National Park and Ohakune are also located here.

Waiouru, with an elevation of 815 metres, is in the extreme east of the district and houses the large Waiouru Army Camp.

The infamous Desert Road section of State Highway 1 starts in the district at Waiouru, and it passes Ruapehu, Ngauruhoe and Tongariro before ending at Rangipo.

The crater lake of Mount Ruapehu was the immediate cause of the Tangiwai disaster, with the loss of 151 lives, when the Tangiwai railway bridge across the Whangaehu River collapsed. In 2007 the lake had again filled with water, which was released on Sunday 18 March.

[edit] External links

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