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There are three main types of volcano in New Zealand
Volcanic Fields
Volcanic fields such as Auckland and Northland, are where small eruptions occur over a wide geographic area, and are spaced over long periods of time (thousands of years). Each eruption builds a new single new volcano, which does not erupt again. Mount Eden and Rangitoto Island are examples in Auckland.
Cone Volcanoes
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.Cone volcanoes such as Ruapehu, Egmont and Ngauruhoe have lots of smallish eruptions from one location. The products from the successive eruptions over thousands of years build the cones. This is Mt Ruapehu during one of its minor eruptions. You can see the ash cloud extending a long way, being pushed by the wind.
Caldera Volcanoes
Caldera volcanoes such as Taupo and Okataina (which includes Tarawera) have a history of infrequent but moderate to large eruptions. The caldera forming eruptions create super craters 10-25 km in diameter and deposit cubic kilometres of ash and pumice volcanoes. Taupo was an enormous eruption, and possibly the biggest one ever to happen in New Zealand.