Mount Taranaki

Standing tall and keeping a watchful eye is the picture-perfect Mount Taranaki. Maori legend has it that Mount Taranaki was initially located in the centre of the North Island, but lost a mighty battle with another mountain for the heart of pretty Mount Pihanga. Banished west to his current position, it is still said that when the 2518m peak is hidden by clouds, the Mountain is hiding the tears he sheds for lost love.

Mount Taranaki is an ever-present part of the landscape and home to more than 200km of walking and hiking trails, a ski field and cafes. A visit to the mountain should be on everyone’s bucket list – to climb to the summit, traverse the Pouakai Crossing, make a snow man in winter, stroll through the Goblin Forest or to ride the natural waterslides at Wilkies Pools on a hot summers day.