Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
4
Rangiwahia & Deadmans Loop (
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)
5
Mt Holdsworth-Jumbo Circuit (
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)
6
Holdsworth-Kaitoke Track (
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)
EGMONT NATIONAL PARK
A classic 2518m volcanic cone dominating the landscape, Mt Taranaki catches the eye like a
magnet. Geologically, Taranaki is the youngest, largest and only active volcano in a chain of
four large volcanoes in an area including Paritutu and the Sugar Loaf Islands, and the
Kaitake and Pouakai Ranges. Its last significant eruption was over 350 years ago and ex-
perts say that the mountain is overdue for another go. But don't let that put you off, because
this mountain is an absolute beauty, and from it there are magnificent views of patchwork
dairy farms, the stormy Tasman Sea and the rugged Tongariro peaks.
The entire mountain, along with the Kaitake and Pouakai Ranges, lies in Egmont National
Park. The park includes 335 sq km of native forest and bush, more than 145km of tracks and
routes, and scattered huts and shelters. There are three main roads into the park; two take
motorists to 900m and the other up to 1140m.
History
Maori believe Taranaki once resided with the mountains of the central North Island. After a
dispute with Mt Tongariro over the maiden Pihanga (a small volcano near Lake Taupo) he
fled his ancestral home, gouging a wide scar in the earth (now the Whanganui River) on his
journey to the west coast. He remains here in majestic isolation, hiding his face behind a
cloud of tears.
Taranaki is a sacred place to Maori - a place where the bones of chiefs are buried and a
place of refuge against marauding enemies. The legendary Tahurangi was said to be the first
person to climb to the summit; when he lit a fire on it he claimed the surrounding land for
his
iwi
(tribe).
It was Captain Cook who named the mountain Egmont, after the Earl he sought to flatter
at that particular time. Cook would later write that it was 'the noblest hill I have ever seen'.
Two years after Cook's visit, Mt Taranaki was the first thing French explorer Marion du
Fresne saw of NZ. Both Cook and du Fresne recorded seeing the fires of Maori settlers, but
never made contact with the people. Naturalist Ernest Dieffenbach did, however, in 1839.
