[3][4] The Tūhua Caldera formed in the >1 km3 (0.24 cu mi) eruptive volume event of 6,340 years ago and also is a partial collapse crater.

[6] It has also been characterised from multiple sea bed cores off the East coast from the Havre trough off the Bay of Plenty to the southern North Island off Cape Turnagain.

However it has been estimated that a worse case tsunami could be 35 m (115 ft) high when it reached Bay of Plenty coastal resorts and the city of Tauranga with possibly only 30 minutes warning.

The Ngāti Whakaue led a military expedition to the island in 1842, after a tribesman was killed by the Whanau a Tauwhao, a hapu of Ngāi Te Rangi[10] The island is considered special by Māori (the indigenous people of New Zealand) partly because of the presence of black obsidian, a volcanic glass created by the rapid cooling of silica-rich lava, prized as a cutting tool.

The area of the Bay of Plenty around the island is renowned for game fishing, with marlin, mako sharks, and swordfish all inhabiting the surrounding waters.

[13] A small number of holiday houses are located in Opo Bay on the south coast of the island, along with a camp ground and a few rental cabins.