Exploring Taranaki

  

Long weekend for me is an opportunity to go out and explore the outdoors more in depth than the normal weekends. I love long drive to rural places, exploring the nooks and crannies of New Zealand. So this past long weekend, I went to Taranaki region, which was about 5 hours drive from Auckland. I worked on Friday and left early afternoon to beat the hideous traffic on the motorway. My boss is so understanding :) Approaching Taranaki, the road was windy with beautiful gorge on my left and right. I simply love the drive in New Zealand, it’s an endless postcard view to say the least! Taranaki region is famous for Mount Egmont or Taranaki (in Maori word) that sits at 2518m. Its cone that almost perfectly shape in symmetry makes this mountain to be one of the most well-known volcanoes in the world. It was last erupted over hundred years ago so let’s not be worried to do some hikes here as it’s now classed as dormant. Phew!

For the four days I was there, I based myself in New Plymouth which is the major city in Taranaki region. I stayed at Sunflower Backpackers which is part of YHA chain hostels and got membership price so it was good. As usual, I got to know the girls in my dorms. One of them has been staying at the hostel for a month as she works for few hours a day in exchange for free lodging. Lots of people do that when they travel New Zealand for long term in order to save some money. 

Spooky looking tree

The drive to Mt Taranaki took about an hour from my backpackers as I was heading to the East side of the mountain. It’s shorter if you go to the north side. Weather wise, there was scattered rain on the way up to the mountain however still doable for hiking. At the visitor centre there was a map that shows variety of hikes ranging from as short as 30 minutes to multiple days. There was a lovely lady at the office who explained furthermore about what to expect on the tracks, so it was good to give some ideas when choosing which hikes I wanted to do in the end. I opted for Wilkies Pools track to begin with, it’s a hike to a gorgeous series of mini pools that were slowly carved by tumbling water and swirling gravel from thousands of years ago. Its cascading looking formation started all the way from the top. By climbing some boulders, I managed to follow the chain of pools with some small falls in between. It was quite misty up there but I loved it as the effect of fog lifted up the excitement even more!

 

Wilkies Pools

Wilkies Pools

From here I proceeded to another hike that leads to Dawson Falls. Most of the walks around Mt Taranaki are passing through the infamous Goblin Forest, which was one of inspirations of Lord of the Rings movie trilogy. What makes this forest stands out is the trees that shaped so gnarly with curly branches that tangled up and fully covered in moss. There was lots of mist in the forest that time because I started the walk early, also up in the mountains the fog intend to stay longer, I was on my own there so I couldn’t help feeling a bit eerie just by looking at the trees. However I also thought what a magical and mystical place it was. I kept following the tracks passing through streams, at times I was certain Gollum was about to show up from nowhere and gave a cheeky tap on my shoulder before disappearing to the woods. I did have some scenarios playing in my head of what could have happened if he was there lol. The track finally brought me to Dawson Falls, a wonderful falls hidden in the lush forest. I stayed there for a while enjoying the serenity with nothing but the sound of roaring falls before me. Then I had my morning tea that I have prepared that morning. It was just a humble snack with magnificent view of the falls. From here, I went for another hike called Stratford Plateau, it was lovely four hours hike through yet another lush forest that emerging in subalpine plateau offering an unobstructed view of Stratford and the mountain.

Goblin Forest

The next day, weather was much better and this time I headed towards the North side of the mountain. Shortly after leaving New Plymouth, I saw a woman in her late 40's waving on the side of the road. So I pulled over and asked her where she wanted to go, we happened to go to the same destination so I told her to hop in and we drove away. She’s backpacker from Germany who’s been traveling New Zealand for almost three months. She said this was the first time she hitchhiked and it was funny because I told her, it was my first time to pick up a hitchhiker. What a small world! She said normally she rented a car however now that it’s getting to the end of her travels, her budget runs a bit low so that’s why she hitchhiked.

 

Fog surrounding Dawson Falls

Eerie look at Goblin Forest

  

On the northern side of mountain, I did Maketawa tracks that leads to Maketawa Hut, I had a nosy and went inside the hut just to see how it looked like. The hut is basic but it does the job for overnight climbers who attempting to climb to the summit. It’s strategically situated overlooking amazing view of Mount Taranaki. Another popular day hike is Veronica Loop Track, this was an uphill hike through subalpine forest and offering view of the mountain and the coast. In the afternoon, I drove back to New Plymouth with tired legs yet content heart.

Sunset overlooking Mount Taranaki

  

I went to see movie in the cinema that evening and opted for “The Danish Girl” It’s an interesting plot based on true story of famous Denmark painter based in Copenhagen who despite happily married, somehow down the line he believed that he was a woman trapped in a man’s body. Setting in 1930s, he was one of the first people who went under the knife for sex reassignment surgery. I won’t spill too much beans here. I quite enjoyed it actually.

Cushioned-like ground in Goblin Forest. Soft and bouncy

After the movie, I went for a walk around town centre and checking out some fascinating murals. Then I drove to Te Rewa Rewa bridge that is quite well-known for its unique design as well as a great spot to admire the view of Mt Taranaki. I stayed there until after sunset leaving me with fiery sky before I headed back to my backpackers. Last night in Taranaki and I spent it with the Mount himself. It was just what I hoped for the day to end.

Uniquely designed Te Rewa Rewa Bridge

Mural in town centre

The next morning, my long weekend escapade was over, it was time for a long drive back to Auckland. I made a stop at Three Sisters and Elephant Rocks however it was high tide unfortunately, so I can’t do coastal walk to reach the rocks. It was a shame really as I was expecting to see this fascinating rock formation. Oh well, I was still grateful for the amazing time I spent in this region, admiring the landscape and enjoying the hikes in yet another unspoiled gem of New Zealand.

“Once you have travelled, the voyage never ends, but is played out over and over again in the quietest chambers. The mind can never break off from the journey” – Pat Conroy