▁la kes . ▁The ▁three ▁highest ▁vol cano es ▁are ▁Mount ▁R ua pe hu ▁( ), ▁Mount ▁Tar an aki ▁() ▁and ▁Mount ▁N ga uru ho e ▁( ). ▁R ua pe hu ' s ▁major ▁er u ptions ▁have ▁histor ically ▁been ▁about ▁ 5 0   year s ▁apart , ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 5 , ▁ 1 9 4 5 ▁and ▁ 1 9 9 5 – 1 9 9 6 . ▁The ▁ 1 8 8 6 ▁er u ption ▁of ▁Mount ▁T ara wer a , ▁located ▁near ▁Rot or ua , ▁was ▁New ▁Zealand ' s ▁largest ▁and ▁dead liest ▁er u ption ▁in ▁the ▁last ▁ 2 0 0 ▁years , ▁killing ▁over ▁ 1 0 0 ▁people . ▁Another ▁long ▁chain ▁of ▁mountains ▁runs ▁through ▁the ▁North ▁Island , ▁from ▁Well ington ▁to ▁East ▁Cape . ▁The ▁ranges ▁include ▁Tar ar ua ▁and ▁Ka iman awa . ▁ ▁The ▁lower ▁mountain ▁s lop es ▁are ▁covered ▁in ▁native ▁forest . ▁A bove ▁this ▁are ▁shr ubs , ▁and ▁then ▁t us sock ▁grass es . ▁Al pine ▁t und ra ▁consists ▁of ▁c ush ion ▁plants ▁and ▁her bf ield s ; ▁many ▁of ▁these ▁plants ▁have ▁white ▁and ▁yellow ▁flowers . ▁ ▁C aves ▁ ▁New ▁Zealand ' s ▁cave ▁systems ▁have ▁three ▁main ▁orig ins , ▁the ▁chemical ▁weather ing ▁of ▁lim estone ▁by ▁water ▁( kar st ), ▁la va ▁c aves ▁and ▁er os ion ▁by ▁waves ▁(