Mount Taranaki

In the west of the North Island, in Egmont National Park, lies Mount Taranaki. Pascal really wanted to do the Fanthams Peak Track there. I wasn't so sure about it yet. It is estimated to take 5-6 hours and with an ascent of 1,098 meters, it's not exactly an easy walk. Fanthams Peak is a sub-peak of Mount Taranaki, from where a spectacular view is expected.

So we first went to Egmont National Park. Somehow it felt like we were the only ones who had this idea. It was a totally rainy day, the clouds were low, everything was full of fog and the streets were deserted. But we didn't let that discourage us and delved into the depths of the rainforest until we reached the information center. It was already closed and there were only 2 more cars in the parking lot. So we found ourselves a spot and when the clouds cleared, we could see it, up close. We were basically at the foot of the active Mount Taranaki and could enjoy our dinner with an incredible panorama :) Later, a few more cars joined us. The night was very cold, unlike what we were used to. I always have a cuddly blanket in the car, which I usually have under the regular blanket :D but it didn't really help much either. There was so much fog at night that you could hardly recognize the car next to you. How cool is it to spend the night in such a place?! We were totally excited about it.

The next morning, Pascal got up early and set off. I had a nice breakfast and then walked to Stratford Plateu, from where I had the perfect view of the volcano on one side and the sea on the other. Until the clouds once again covered the mountain like a veil and blocked the view, I could enjoy the view all by myself. After that, I went back down and had a hot tea. Shortly afterwards, Pascal returned from his hike.

So everyone made the best of their day and even though we love each other, it was nice to go our own ways and report back at the end of it :)