Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Most walks are accessible from North Egmont, Dawson Falls or East Egmont. Check
out DOC's collection of detailed walk pamphlets ($1 each) or the free
Taranaki: A Walke
r's Guide booklet for more info.
From North Egmont, the main walk is the scenic
Pouakai Circuit
, a two- to three-day,
25km loop through alpine, swamp and tussock areas with awesome mountain views.
Short, easy walks from here include the
Ngatoro Loop Track
(one hour),
Veronica Loop
(two hours) and
Nature Walk
(15-minute loop). The
Summit Track
also starts from
North Egmont. It's a 14km poled route taking eight to 10 hours return, and should not be
attempted by inexperienced people, especially in icy conditions and snow.
East Egmont has the
Potaema Track
(wheelchair accessible; 30 minutes return) and
East Egmont 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 re-
turn), 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
experienced trampers only. There are a number of huts en route, tickets for which should
be purchased in advance.
The
York Loop Track
(three hours), accessible from York Rd north of Stratford, is a
fascinating 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
Taranaki 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
)
