Tongariro National Trout Centre Tongariro National Trout Centre Review

[zooboy28]

The Tongariro National Trout Centre, located near Turangi in the Central North Island is a trout-rearing facility run by the Department of Conservation and the Tongariro National Trout Centre Society to promote trout fishing and the protection of the freshwater environment. Trout are reared here, to stock a childrens fishing pond on site and apparently as a back up in case a major natural disaster, eg volcanic eruption, was to wipe out wild stocks...

Anyway, until recently the National Trout Centre consisted of free-entry grounds and a paid-entry fishing museum, but a new attraction was built in 2010 (and possibly 2011). This new attraction is a freshwater aquarium with native and introduced fish, which is discussed here first, followed by the free-grounds.

I visited on 9/4/2011.

Genesis Energy Freshwater Aquarium

So this new aquarium costs $10 for adults, under 16s free, which includes entry to the fly-fishing museum, which is quite interesting and includes displays on trout and the native blue duck. This is expensive for what you get, although acceptable as you are getting the grounds too, but then you can get into this for free anyway. I think they should charge a small amount for just entry to the grounds, but anyway. Interestingly, the aquarium is sponsored by Genesis Energy, a state-owned energy company that has a number of hydroelectric generating stations in the Tongariro Power Scheme, that concentrates flows from several catchments into a few rivers to generate maximum energy. This has had negative affects on a number of freshwater species and ecosystems, so their sponsorship is a bit hypocritical IMHO. But I digress....

The aquarium is one large room, with 10 tanks, 9 arranged around the perimeter and one long central tank, with a U-shaped path leading down around the tanks. The walls include a lot of mock rock and theming, but I think it looks really good. The overall idea is that, as you walk down the ramp you move down-river, from the high-energy rocky mountain streams to the slower broader lowland rivers. The first tank is a very rocky and has a large waterfall above it, which will soak you if you get too close. It would probably be suitable for Torrentfish, but is currently empty. Tank 2 had Koaro. Tank 3 is the long central tank, which is open-topped and holds Upland, Redfin and Common Bullies. Tank 4 has Brown Mudfish. Tanks 1, 2 and 4 are smallish tanks.

http://www.zoochat.com/679/freshwater-aquarium-overview-tongariro-national-trout-210547/
http://www.zoochat.com/679/brown-mudfish-tank-tongariro-national-trout-210544/

Tank 5 has Koura (freshwater crayfish), Crans Bully, Banded & Giant Kokopu. This is a bigger tank, and has some pretty big fish - by NZ standards. Tank 6 is the eel tank, and holds two native species: longfin and shortfin eels. It is quite tall, and the eels were swimming with their heads near the surface and their talls near the bottom (ie vertical not horizontal), which I thought was a bit weird. Tank 7 has native and exotic freshwater plants for comparison.

http://www.zoochat.com/679/large-kokopu-tank-tongariro-national-trout-210545/

Tanks 8 and 9 were for introduced freshwater fish, the first has Gambusia and the second has Catfish. Finally, Tank 10 is another large open-topped exhibit, with a big school of Koaro, and some Kakahi (freshwater mussels). Exiting the aquarium at the bottom of the ramp, you enter the Trout Hatchery, but you can look back into Tanks 7 and 8 and into the aquarium. From this you enter the grounds...

http://www.zoochat.com/679/gambusia-tank-tongariro-national-trout-centre-210546/
http://www.zoochat.com/679/koaro-kakahi-tank-tongariro-national-trout-210548/

Trout Centre Grounds

The grounds are quite large, but don't have many things to see, so it only takes half an hour to see everything. You can buy fish food to feed the trouts. You first walk down along the Waihukahuka Stream, and see a few things like a fish pass, stripping pens, fishing traps and an underwater viewing, which gives great views of swimming trout.

http://www.zoochat.com/679/trout-underwater-viewing-tongariro-national-trout-210549/

The next stop is the Childrens Fishing Pond, where young fish can be caught and released by kids, I did it when I was 6 I think. You then walk up the banks of the Tongariro River, past some quite cool stuff, including an old river-wide electric fish trap. Finally you reach the Rearing Ponds, large concrete O-shaped holes, allowing a current to flow around the outside, providing optimal conditions for young trout.

http://www.zoochat.com/679/childrens-fishing-pond-tongariro-national-trout-210550/
http://www.zoochat.com/679/trout-rearing-pond-tongariro-national-trout-210551/

Overall, it is well worth a visit on your way somewhere (being basically in the middle of the North Island, on the main road North and South) if you have a spare hour, and is certainly the best aquarium for New Zealand freshwater fish in the country (RIP Southern Aquarium).

Website here: Tongariro National Trout Centre : Home

The website includes info on future plans, such as a Blue Duck breeding centre:

The Tongariro National Trout Centre is working closely with Genesis Energy and the Department of Conservation on a preservation programme and breeding enclosure for nationally endangered Whio, an iconic waterfowl species that lives in river habitats. The breeding enclosure would be based at the Centre.