Egmont National Park

Egmont National Park is situated close to the west coast of North Island, around five hours north of Wellington by road. It mainly consists of thick bush around Mt. Egmont, with main access to the mountain from the East and North ends. Mt. Egmont is also known by it's Maori name, Mt. Taranaki.

The trip to the park was quite a memorable one, and I am looking forward to heading back as soon as I can. I drove up from Wellington, stopping at Wanganui on the way and stayed in a motel in New Plymouth. New Plymouth is on the west coast and apart from the beaches and attractions that New Plymouth has to offer, it's also a great place to stay as getting to the mountain is only a short drive away. The approach from the East and the North is quite similar as there is a long, windy drive through the bush that seems to last forever. Moreover, the road is only wide enough for one vehicle in most bits, so it's neccessary to drive at low speeds. But, the drive is definitely worth it once you approach Mt Taranaki. The mountain suddenly appears out of nowhere as you approach the car park ...... It's fascinating!

The Eastern approach led me to the Information Centre, lots of bush walks including the tramp up to the summit. On a good day, it's possible to climb to the summit and back within a few hours. The other attraction of course was Dawson Falls. It's just a few minutes down to the Dawson Falls lookout and a few more minutes down to the base of the falls.

I had heard a lot about "The Plateau" at Egmont National Park. There is a two hour bush walk to The Plateau from the Information Centre. The other option is to drive out and around the National Park and approach it from the Northern End. The plateau is fairly high up and the weather can close in very quickly, like it did that day. From the plateau, one can walk up to the ski field. The walk goes up the mountain, across the Manganui gorge and then up again to the ski field. The ski field is deserted during summers and the walk up to the ski field can be an extremely relaxing experience, as long as you don't mind being the only one on the mountain!