[1] Motutaiko Island is formed out of a column of rhyolitic lava, connected to the geologic systems of the Taupō Volcano.

[2][3] There has recently been little volcanic seismicity directly under Motutaiko Island compared to adjacent areas of Lake Taupō.

[6] Its bellbird population was preserved during the species great dieback after European colonisation and may have allowed more rapid repopulation in the Taupō area.

[8] Te Rangi-tua-matotoru, a major chief of the Ngāti Tūwharetoa, was buried in a sacred cave on the island in the late 18th century.

[5] The taniwha of Lake Taupō, named Horomatangi, is said to live in a cave on the island's northeastern face.