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Accessibility: EASY
WHAT'S HERE?
Cross-section showing groundwater reservoir within scoria in explosion crater.
Matukutureia/McLaughlin Mt is the southernmost volcano in the Auckland Volcanic Field. The southern half of the lava flow field and the remnant of the mostly-quarried away scoria cone are now preserved with an Historic Reserve accessible to the public. Here you can see a wetland occupying a small explosion crater surrounded by a tuff ring arc with lava flows partly filling it from the north. Matukuturua Stonefields are the second largest remnant of the extensive lava flow gardens that covered much of Auckland in pre-European times.
LEARN ABOUT IT
There are numerous volcanic bombs to look at, but leave them for others to see.
This is the southernmost volcano in the Auckland Field and contains evidence of all three styles of eruption. West of the cone there is a 10-metre-high curved remnant of an originally circular tuff ring that built up around an initial explosion crater. After all the local groundwater was consumed by the wet explosive eruptions, activity switched to fire- fountaining from a vent further to the northeast. This built up the large scoria cone.
Voluminous basaltic lava flowed out from around the base of the cone spreading in all directions to create an apron of lava flows. Lava pouring out from the southern side carried away the scoria rampart creating a U-shaped breached crater. Mounds of rafted scoria give the flows on this side a rough irregular surface. The last phases were fiery explosive eruptions of more pasty, less gaseous lava that produced numerous irregular twisted and elongate bombs and ragged lumps of partly welded scoriaceous basalt that caps the cone.
During the eruptions lava flowed into the explosion crater to the southwest but did not completely fill it. The unfilled arcuate depression between the remaining section of tuff ring arc and the main cone became a freshwater pond that progressively filled with sediment and in recent times has become a seasonally flooded swamp with remnant native wetland plants.
The Māori name for this volcano is Mātukutureia, meaning ‘the careless bittern’. Like all of Auckland’s scoria cones, Mātukutureia was terraced and used as a fortified pa by local Māori in pre-European times. The rich, volcanic-derived soil on the surrounding lava flows was intensively used by them for cultivation and growing kumara and a few other crops. The naturally stony surface of the flows was modified as part of the gardening activities. Larger rocks were heaped into rows or mounds, often on top of natural rock outcrops. In places there are flattened, rectangular enclosures that were probably the sites of whare (dwellings). The 43-hectare historic reserve was created to protect the remnants of the Matukuturua Stonefield gardening site. From 1929 to the 1960s, the Borough of Papatoetoe obtained water from a bore into scoria at the foot of McLaughlin Mountain. The water was stored in a reservoir on the summit of the cone. The first quarrying of the scoria cone began in a small way in the 1850s to supply metal for the nearby Great South Rd. Quarrying on a larger scale did not commence until 1960, first removing all of the cone, except a benched pyramid that was retained to support the reservoir. As the scoria resource ran out, quarrying moved into the surrounding lava flow field and removed most of it except that which is now in reserve.
Voluminous basaltic lava flowed out from around the base of the cone spreading in all directions to create an apron of lava flows. Lava pouring out from the southern side carried away the scoria rampart creating a U-shaped breached crater. Mounds of rafted scoria give the flows on this side a rough irregular surface. The last phases were fiery explosive eruptions of more pasty, less gaseous lava that produced numerous irregular twisted and elongate bombs and ragged lumps of partly welded scoriaceous basalt that caps the cone.
During the eruptions lava flowed into the explosion crater to the southwest but did not completely fill it. The unfilled arcuate depression between the remaining section of tuff ring arc and the main cone became a freshwater pond that progressively filled with sediment and in recent times has become a seasonally flooded swamp with remnant native wetland plants.
The Māori name for this volcano is Mātukutureia, meaning ‘the careless bittern’. Like all of Auckland’s scoria cones, Mātukutureia was terraced and used as a fortified pa by local Māori in pre-European times. The rich, volcanic-derived soil on the surrounding lava flows was intensively used by them for cultivation and growing kumara and a few other crops. The naturally stony surface of the flows was modified as part of the gardening activities. Larger rocks were heaped into rows or mounds, often on top of natural rock outcrops. In places there are flattened, rectangular enclosures that were probably the sites of whare (dwellings). The 43-hectare historic reserve was created to protect the remnants of the Matukuturua Stonefield gardening site. From 1929 to the 1960s, the Borough of Papatoetoe obtained water from a bore into scoria at the foot of McLaughlin Mountain. The water was stored in a reservoir on the summit of the cone. The first quarrying of the scoria cone began in a small way in the 1850s to supply metal for the nearby Great South Rd. Quarrying on a larger scale did not commence until 1960, first removing all of the cone, except a benched pyramid that was retained to support the reservoir. As the scoria resource ran out, quarrying moved into the surrounding lava flow field and removed most of it except that which is now in reserve.
HAVE A LOOK!
The former pumphouse and water reservoir on McLaughlin Mt have now been removed.
As you visit this reserve there are many things to see and questions to ask:
Why was some of the scoria cone not quarried away? Why is the remnant a pyramid-like shape?
What was the former extent of the scoria cone?
Why were pre-European Maori so attracted to this area to live? Can you see the heaps of stone they built up? What benefit was there from making heaps of stones? Can you see rectangular stone enclosures? What might these have been?
Look around near the foot of the cone - can you find some aerodynamically-shaped volcanic bombs? How might these have got here?
To the southwest is a wetland. Why does it not drain away? Was this landform formed before or after the scoria cone?
Why was some of the scoria cone not quarried away? Why is the remnant a pyramid-like shape?
What was the former extent of the scoria cone?
Why were pre-European Maori so attracted to this area to live? Can you see the heaps of stone they built up? What benefit was there from making heaps of stones? Can you see rectangular stone enclosures? What might these have been?
Look around near the foot of the cone - can you find some aerodynamically-shaped volcanic bombs? How might these have got here?
To the southwest is a wetland. Why does it not drain away? Was this landform formed before or after the scoria cone?
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Directions/Advisory
Walking access is over the fence beside the gate down the driveway from McLauglins Rd, opposite 87. Easiest access is over the fence at the end of Wilco Place. To get onto McLaughlins Rd you need to turn down Vogler Drive from the lights on Roscommon Rd - at the end of Vogler there is a T intersection with McLaughlins Rd.
Keep away from old quarry faces. Watch out for barbed wire fences.
Google Directions
Accessibility:
EASY
This Dept of Conservation reserve is open to the public, but it is not obvious. To get access you have to climb over the fence beside the locked gate on the main driveway or an easy access is to climb the smaller fence at the end of Wilco Place. Inside the reserve feel free to explore. Easiest way to climb to the top of the cone remnant is up the informal track from the southwest.
Features
Volcanic
Landform
Matauranga Maori
Geological Age
About 50,000 years
Zealandia Evolution Sequence
Pākihi Supergoup: 5 million years ago – present
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