The Volcanic Plateau is an area in the Central North Island of New Zealand. It is a relatively uninhabited area of the country that lies to the south of Lake Taupo and is dominated by the volcanic cones of Ruapehu, Tongariro and Ngauruhoe. With a bit of creativity, you may recognize this landscape from Peter Jackson's Return of the King, where it was aided with the liberal use of computer graphics to become Mordor.
