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Taranaki is home to a unique natural environment that has been a destination for artists, adventurers and escapists for centuries.
According to Maori legend, Mount Taranaki was banished to the West Coast from the Central Plateau, after losing a battle with Tongariro for the heart of pretty Mount Pihanga. Today the brooding peak offers a spiritual beacon for the Taranaki people, standing in the centre of the region and taking a commanding role in the region's geography and weather patterns.
'The Mountain' as it is respectfully referred to by the locals, has shaped Taranaki's unique natural environment. The Whanganui River to the south was created during Mt Taranaki's mythical journey to the region. To the north of the province lie the Mokau and Awakino rivers, offering fishing, kayaking and boating adventures, and whitebaiting and surfing at the river mouths. The Patea River, weaving through central Taranaki into the spectacular Rotorangi Hydro Lake, has its headwaters high up the mighty mountain.
The region is also home to many other lakes that have become popular playgrounds. Rotokare and Rotomanu are destinations for water skiers and wakeboarders, and Rotokare a spectacular scenic picnic spot.
Taranaki is fringed by a dynamic coast, home to world-class surf breaks, pristine empty black sand beaches, and two protected marine parks that have shaped the way the people of Taranaki live.
Between the coast and the mountain lie rich plains, offering fertile dairying pastures, bush-clad river valleys, and countless parks, reserves, historic sites, and award winning gardens, each with their own story to tell.
But the highlight of the region's unique environment is undoubtedly the iconic Mt Taranaki. From the vivid green of the lower slopes to the stunning views from the 2518m summit, Taranaki offers a range of experiences unique to the region, and easily accessible from anywhere in the province. The Maunganui Skifield offers skiing and boarding in the winter months, and a range of Taranaki tour guides offer expert guidance for those keen to reach the summit of this spectacular peak.
Taranaki's landscape is designed to be experienced and enjoyed. Where else in the world can you go skiing and surfing in the same morning, with a latte in between?
From the peak of picture-perfect Mt Taranaki to the wild west coast, Taranaki is an adventure playground that is hard to ignore, and even harder to forget.
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