Taranaki – Sandy's Views

I was looking at my photography blog and realised I hadn’t put a post up for a while. I was also considering the rubbish weather we have had over the past few weeks. I seem to remember the sun coming out, and staying out all day one Saturday.

For no good reason I decided to create a new post about one of our most iconic mountains. I titled this ‘The Lonely Mountain’ because Mt Taranaki occupies a place all by itself, far from other mountains. There is a Maori legend you might like to look up about how Mt Taranaki got all the way over to where it is, so far from the other large Volcanoes in the North Island. Mt Taranaki is actually a live volcano but it’s last activity was in 1860. It’s a pleasingly symmetrical mountain.

lake-view-taranaki — A nice photo of some Geese and Ducks in Lake Mangamahoe, with extra Mountain for effect.

te-rewa-rewa-bridge-sunrise — The Te Rewa Rewa Bridge is quite famous for looking like a Whale’s skeleton or something.

taranaki-distance — On a clear night you can see for miles. About 200 kilometres in this instance as this image of Mt Taranaki was taken from the Central Plateau.

taranaki-road-trip-2 — Road trip, the road less travelled.

taranaki-from-himi-2 — Like the earlier photo of Mt Taranaki really far away, this is farther. About 230 kilometres from Himatangi Beach.

mt-naki-triumph-cheese — They don’t make that anymore.

mt-naki-derelict — Cardiff. True story, not the Welsh Cardiff though.

mt-taranaki-from-plateau — That’s also really far away. I just can’t remember where from.

mt-naki-african-tree — Looks like Kilimanjaro.

mt-naki-barn — I like a nice barn in my photos.

mt-naki-hydrandeas — Hydrangeas but not in anyones garden. Opunake side.

So there you go. Epic Symmetrical live volcano, all by itself in Taranaki. Mt ‘Naki, as I like to call it, which is probably frowned upon by those who value pronouncing things properly, is mostly covered in cloud, so this lot took a while to accumulate. The mountain actually makes it’s own clouds. You’ll see that happening while you are driving around looking for a good place to take it’s picture.