The west coast of the North Island is home to an almost perfect looking volcano. Mount Taranaki dominates the land with it’s almost perfect cone structure visible for miles around. You can drive halfway up it to get some stupendous views over the surrounding countryside.

To walk around the entire mountain takes five days so I did the short two hour trip from one camp to another. With the Sun shining you could see for miles around.

 The town of new Plymouth near the base of the mountain was one of the earliest European settlements in New Zealand. It has beautiful gardens in the park climbing up the side of the hill. You realise how young this country is when one if its oldest towns has existed for less than 200 years