Although
we live in the lucky country separated from the world's nastiness by
blue oceans and stunning beaches, we Australians are a little hard
done-by - in the mountain stakes.
Have a think about it. Our highest peak - Mt Kosciusko - is only 2228 metres high, barely bigger than a good-sized hill.
Across
the Tasman Sea they have masses of mountains larger than that and while
nowhere near the tallest Mr Egmont, or Mt Taranaki, is one of the most
spectacular.
It sits centrally on a western cape of the North Island and dominates the Taranaki province like a majestic empress.
She can be obstinate with tourists and has a habit of covering herself in clouds from the Tasman Sea.
One
farmer we chatted with said "She's been out all week, but now she's
staying in." Not very good when you have a limited time in the area and
your No.1 priority is to get one photo of the mountain.
Anyway
after a two day search we finally located Mt Egmont (Mt Taranaki) and
she revealed herself to us on a gorgeous spring afternoon. It was worth
the wait. Against a blue sky her snow-covered crown was inspiring
and sat 2518 metres above the farmland plains below. Mt Egmont looks
remarkably like Mt Fuji in Japan and doubled for her during the making
of The Last Samurai with Tom Cruise. You could sit and look at her for hours but there are plenty of walks and sights to see on her slopes as well.
A
must-see is the Dawson Falls and it happens to be relatively easy to
get to. You can drive to a chalet near the waterfall and then take a
five minute walk down a track and stairs to reach the bottom of the
drop. Standing within a few metres of the fall’s end you
are struck by the power of the water as it pushes out wind and droplets
into your faces. Afterwards you can relax with some toasted sandwiches
and coffee at the chalet’s café.
Another peaceful
spot is in Lucy’s Gully where you can walk or picnic among bush
ferns and redwood trees and gardening devotees should check out the
Hollard Gardens. Not far away in the town of Stratford is a very
unusual bit of machinery – New Zealand’s only Glockenspiel,
or playing clock. It stands in Elizabethan isolation on the main
street and at 10am, 1pm and 3pm every day it opens up to deliver lines
and characters from Romeo and Juliet.
Also in Stratford is the
Taranaki Pioneer Village where visitors can stroll around historic
buildings depicting the days of the early settlers to New Zealand
– some of the earliest landing in Taranaki.
The west coast
of New Zealand is famous for its iron, or black, sands and its surf
beaches stretch for miles and cover 180 degrees – thanks to the
cape.
It has a quality Surf Highway around the coastline and
plenty of small towns in which to grab a bed or a bite to eat. If
motels are not your thing then there are beachside cabins and camping
sites galore. The major surf towns are Opunake and Oakura. As you
make your way along the coastline be sure to stop and have a look at
the Cape Egmont Lighthouse.
Taranaki's main city is coastal
New Plymouth, which has a sedate style to itself. The cafes are good
and the city exudes a self-contained charm.
One of the major
attractions in New Plymouth is Puke Ariki - a combined library and
museum. Just across the road on the Coastal Walkway is the amazing,
bendable sculpture known as the Wind Wand by Len Lye.
Taranaki is a wonderful part of New Zealand and it is well worth taking time out, to chill out there.
