A classic 2518m volcanic cone dominates the landscape around New Plymouth, Mount Taranaki was the magnet that attracted me to the West Coast. This mountain is an absolute beauty and climbing it was top of my New Zealand tick list. Sadly, my arrival coincided with the arrival of a West Coast Storm (itself a wonder to behold), so I decided to stay in the National Park for a few days to play the waiting game...
First, I wandered along the city waterfront and am instantly mesmerised by Len Lye's wonderful Wind Wand, a kooky kinetic sculpture. Every town or city should have one!
At the end of the coastal walkway is Paratutu Rock, a steep sided crag - a worthy substitute for Mount Taranaki. From the summit, I could see, as far as the clouds permit, all along the western coastline.
With New Zealand's oldest stone church and newest Cathedral (Taranaki Cathedral) temporarily closed for earthquake proofing, my last visit of the day is to Puke Ariki. This excellent museum has an extensive collection of Maori artefacts and an exhibit on Mount Taranaki. Here I learnt that this cute cone is a big killer. Being the tallest things for miles around, the mountain has its own microclimate which changes fast: from clear and crispy to whiteout conditions in almost an instant. At this time of year, there are also steep icy slopes which claimed the life of a French man less than a month ago.
All of this is leading me to rethink my solo summit attempt...
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