Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
East Egmont has the
Potaema Track
(wheelchair accessible; 30 minutes return) and
East Eg-
mont Lookout
(10 minutes return); a longer walk is the steep
Enchanted Track
(two to three
hours return).
At Dawson Falls you can do several short walks including
Wilkies Pools Loop
(1ΒΌ hours
return) or the excellent but challenging
Fanthams Peak Return
(five hours return), which is
snowed-in during winter. The
Kapuni Loop Track
(one hour) runs to the impressive 18m
Dawson Falls
themselves. You can also see the falls from the visitor centre via a 10-minute
walk to a viewpoint.
The difficult 55km
Around-the-Mountain Circuit
takes three to five days and is for experien-
ced trampers only. There are a number of huts en route, tickets for which should be pur-
chased in advance.
The
York Loop Track
(three hours), accessible from York Rd north of Stratford, is a fascin-
ating walk following part of a disused railway line.
You can tramp without a guide from February to March when snowfalls are low, but at
other times inexperienced climbers can check with DOC for details of local clubs and
guides. It costs around $300 per day to hire a guide. Reliable operators include Mt Tarana-
ki Guided Tours, and the following:
Adventure Dynamics
(
MOUNTAINEERING
06-751 3589;
www.adventuredynamics.co.nz
)
Top Guides
(
MOUNTAINEERING
021 838 513, 0800 448 433;
www.topguides.co.nz
)
DECEPTIVE MOUNTAIN
Mt Taranaki might look like an easy peak to bag, but this cute cone has claimed more than 60 lives. The mountain
microclimate changes fast: from summery to white-out conditions almost in an instant. There are also precipitous
bluffs and steep icy slopes.
There are plenty of short walks here, safe for much of the year, but for adventurous trampers January to March
is the best time to go. Take a detailed topographic map (the Topo50 1:50,000
Mt Taranaki or Mt Egmont
map is
good) and consult a DOC officer for current conditions. You
must
also register your tramping intentions with the
DOC visitor centre (
Click here
), i-SITE (
Click here
) or online via
www.adventuresmart.org.nz
.
Skiing
