1 Drive the Forgotten World Highway
The best,
although slowest, way to the Taranaki region is by driving the Forgotten
World Highway (SH43) from Taumaranui to Stratford.
The road may be called Forgotten, but to drive the highway’s winding
150km length is to remember a bygone era of New Zealand’s settler
history. Determined Europeans tried, and mostly failed, to tame this
wild hill country and turn the rugged rainforest-clad land to pasture,
while Maori forged trails through the area to link north Taranaki to the
south. Evidence of both peoples’ endeavours still remain.
You should be able to drive the highway in less than three hours, but by
taking your time you can explore more of the history of the area,
including riverboat landing sites, road tunnels, disused coal mines,
museums, mills, brick kilns and sleepy villages instilled with the
character of yesteryear. 2 Walk Around the Mountain
Accessible
from North Egmont, East Egmont and Dawson Falls – all a short drive from
Stratford – the Mt Taranaki Around-The-Mountain Circuit leaves no excuse
for not pulling those boots on, shouldering a pack and heading off into
the wilderness. The 45km circuit takes five days to complete and is an
ideal warm-up for a summit attempt.
There’s no chance of déjà vu around here – no two sections of the track
are ever alike. Immerse yourself in geological history with volcanic
boulders and bluffs near North Egmont. Heading further around, tussock
travel becomes the order of the day as you steadily trudge uphill
towards the North Ridge. The goblin forest characteristic of Dawson
Falls on the southern end of the circuit makes for an eerie tramping
experience. Of all the huts on the
circuit – and there are a number of them – Holly Hut is undoubtedly one
of the busiest at any time of year. The 20-bunk hut straddles the
intersection of two major tracks and offers incredible views of lofty Mt
Taranaki and the nearby Pouakai Ranges. Keep the camera handy as the
views only get better as you inch towards the end of your
circumnavigation. Take the time to
explore the intricacies of Mt Taranaki’s alpine environment – a plethora
of tracks, changing ecosystems and photo opportunities await.
3 Climb Taranaki
If you’ve
warmed up by doing the around-the-mountain circuit, you can join the
large numbers of people who make an ascent of the mountain in summer,
helping make it New Zealand’s most climbed peak. But that’s not to say
there is no risk. As with all alpine environments, the weather can
change rapidly and those unprepared with the right clothing put
themselves at unnecessary risk.
However, the 2518m summit provides non-mountaineers with an achievable
challenge that can be completed in a day without the ropes, ice axes and
crampons associated with the higher peaks in the South Island and
Ruapehu to the east. The steep
slopes of the mountain are covered in scree and it’s often a case of two
steps forward, one step back, but novices of moderate fitness should be
able to reach the summit in five hours.
If you time your trip between February and April there will be little
snow on the mountain and the climb should be nothing more than a
scramble.
Can’t do it on your own?
Adventure Dynamics’
Don Paterson (P: 06 751 3589; www.
adventuredynamics.co.nz) has climbed Egmont/Taranaki
more times than just about anyone else and would be
happy to guide you to the summit. |
Photo: Rob Tucker
Mount Taranaki |
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