Pouakai Circuit Tarns

Soaring over the remarkable black-sand beaches of the North Island’s west coast (as well as its impressive surf), Mount Taranaki is a picture-perfect volcanic cone. The two-to-three-day Pouakai Circuit takes you around its foothills, by crystal-clear tarns, over a sphagnum moss swamp and beside precipitous rock outcrops. The Pouakai Crossing is a day-trip section of the track. For something completely different, pop into New Plymouth’s Govett-brewster Art Gallery for a truly fascinating cultural experience (and some reflections of a different kind).