We spent 2 nights in Stratford, about a 20-minute drive to Mt. Taranaki in Egmont National Park where we planned to go hiking,
Our accommodations were extremely nice: a very modern and luxurious loft apartment in a renovated shed on a dairy farm.
The dairy business is called Dolly's Milk. Here's their brochure:
Mt. Taranaki is is an active but currently quiet volcano in the Taranaki region on the west coast of the North Island. It last erupted in 1854. The 2518-metre-high mountain is one of the most symmetrical volcanic cones in the world. So despite the inclement weather (we couldn't see "the mountain" at all--completely obsured by clouds), we stopped by the Dawson's Falls visitor's center at the base of the mountain for info about hikes.
One can do really serious treks up, over and around the mountain--there are a few sleep huts--but we wisely decided to just do a couple of short hikes up part of the mountain that took about 3 hours.
This is what it's supposed to look like (thanks Wikipedia):
And this is what we saw. With my trusty walking sticks in hand/s, we hiked over hill and dale through dense forests, muddy paths, and across rocky creeks. It was heaven.
Our accommodations were extremely nice: a very modern and luxurious loft apartment in a renovated shed on a dairy farm.
The Shed
Views of dairy farm from our loft
Heavenly
The dairy business is called Dolly's Milk. Here's their brochure:
Got milk?
Mt. Taranaki is is an active but currently quiet volcano in the Taranaki region on the west coast of the North Island. It last erupted in 1854. The 2518-metre-high mountain is one of the most symmetrical volcanic cones in the world. So despite the inclement weather (we couldn't see "the mountain" at all--completely obsured by clouds), we stopped by the Dawson's Falls visitor's center at the base of the mountain for info about hikes.
One can do really serious treks up, over and around the mountain--there are a few sleep huts--but we wisely decided to just do a couple of short hikes up part of the mountain that took about 3 hours.
This is what it's supposed to look like (thanks Wikipedia):
Mt. Taranaki
And this is what we saw. With my trusty walking sticks in hand/s, we hiked over hill and dale through dense forests, muddy paths, and across rocky creeks. It was heaven.
Along the trail
Wilkies Pools
Waterfalls going into the pools
Waingongoro Fall closer up...
...and from a distance
Amazing vistas (minus Mt. Taranaki)
Incredible gorge!
You can almost see the town of Stratford
Windy view from Stratford Plateau--our final destination--1172 meters
Egmont National Park is another treasure. Exploring hill and dale, forests, paths, creeks and the gorge must have been amazing. Love your dairy farm homey accommodation. I hope you got to taste Dolly's Milk.
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