Lake Te Paritu

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Lake Te Paritu
Black Lake
Vulkan Mer (Novaia Zelandiia).jpg
Caldera of the Mayor Island (New Zealand) in 1986
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Disc Plain red.svg
Lake Te Paritu
Coordinates 37°17′29″S176°16′3″E / 37.29139°S 176.26750°E / -37.29139; 176.26750
Basin  countries New Zealand
Surface area3.2 hectares (7.9 acres)

Lake Te Paritu, also known as Black Lake, is one of two small crater lakes on Mayor Island / Tuhua in the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand. It is connected to the larger Lake Aroarotamahine or Green Lake by a wetland, but there is no surface outlet to the sea as both lakes are in a depression. [1]

Black colour

The lake has a black colour due to fine sediment. According to Māori legend, the black is the blood of Tuhua (obsidian) which fought a battle with pounamu (greenstone) who, defeated, fled to the South Island. [2]

References

  1. New Zealand 1:50000 Topographic Map Series sheet BC37 – Mayor Island
  2. Eagles, Jim (17 July 2009). "Bay of Plenty: The island of dark crystal". New Zealand Herald.