Mt Ruapehu - NZ volcano

Travelling from Wellington to Taupo you drive along a road called the Desert Rd. It's a wild barren landscape, and is lined with 3 active volcanoes - Ruapehu, Tongariro and Ngarahoe.

Tongariro is the latest one to erupt, with ash clouds causing problems, but no real damage or loss of life. Vulcanologists seem to be expecting Ruapehu to be next.

There are ski fields on the mountains, and there have been times when skiers have had to be evacuated as an eruption has started.