Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
While working for the New Zealand Company, which had been awarded large tracts of land
and was responsible for the English settlement of them, Dieffenbach told the local Maori of
his plans to climb to the summit. The native tribes tried passionately to dissuade him, but
Dieffenbach set off in early December. Although the first attempt was unsuccessful, the nat-
uralist set out again on 23 December and, after bashing through thick bush, he finally
reached the peak.
The volcano soon became a popular spot for trampers and adventurers. Fanny Fantham
was the first woman to climb Panitahi (also known as Te Iringa and Rangitoto, depending
on the
iwi
) - the cone on Mt Taranaki's southern side - in 1887, and it was quickly renamed
Fanthams Peak in her honour. A year later the summit route from the plateau (Stratford Plat-
eau) was developed. In 1901, Harry Skeet completed the task of surveying the area for the
first topographical map. Tourism boomed.
To protect the forest and watershed from settlers seeking farmland, the Taranaki provin-
cial government set aside an area of roughly 9.5km radius from the summit. The national
park was created in October 1900.
Mt Taranaki eventually reclaimed its name, although the name Egmont has stuck like,
well, egg. The mountain starred as Mt Fuji in
The Last Samurai
(2003), the production of
which caused near-hysteria in the locals, especially when Tom Cruise came to town.
Environment
Volcanic activity began building Mt Taranaki around 130,000 years ago and it last erupted
around two centuries ago. It's estimated that significant activity occurs approximately every
340 years, leading vulcanologists to conclude that, rather than Mt Taranaki being extinct, the
near perfectly symmetrical cone you see today can be described as a slumbering active vol-
cano.
It won't be like this forever though. Even if volcanic rumblings peter out to the odd puff
of smoke and belch of ash, Taranaki will eventually be worn down by rain, wind and ice, as
has happened to the deeply eroded stumps of the Kaitake and Pouakai volcanoes that now
form the ranges to the northwest.
The very high rainfall, and Taranaki's isolation from NZ's other mountainous regions,
have created a unique vegetation pattern. Species such as tussock grass, mountain daisy,
harebell, koromiko and foxglove have developed local variations, and many common NZ
mountain species are not found here; in particular, trampers will notice the complete ab-
sence of beech.
