Mount Taranaki

Mount Taranaki is a solitary, 2518 m high volcano with a perfect cone shape pointed to the west of the North Island in New Zealand in the same region. He is regarded as geologically relatively young volcano, said to have become active until just 135,000 years ago. The last eruption dates back to 1854 and is supposed to be gone hand in hand next to lava flows with five major eruptions.

The named Māori have always Taranaki mountain was renamed by James Cook after the Earl of Egmont in Mount Egmont. However, the mountain was given back its old name, and only the surrounding him Egmont National Park is reminiscent of the nobles, who had never been in New Zealand.

In the summer months from December to March, the most climbed peak of New Zealand also be reached without climbing equipment. However, the very changeable weather and the sometimes inexperienced climbers have their share of the highest death rate on all New Zealand mountains.

Māori mythology

In the mythology of the Māori Te Maunga o Taranaki is a mountain god who lived together peacefully for many centuries the center of the North Island with the other gods, Tongariro, Ruapehu and Ngauruhoe. Through the love of Taranaki to the overgrown with green forest Pihanga it came to battle with Tongariro, who also claimed her love. During the battle shook the earth, and the sky was black, until finally Pihanga presented on page of Tongariro. The Angry and deeply sad Taranaki left the other mountains to settle in the direction of the sun on the coast, where he was trapped in his sleep by the Poukai mountain range and remained there forever. From the inflicted wounds of the Tongariro sprang from a stream of clear water, which represents the present Whanganui River. Furthermore, it is to come to peace on earth, as soon as the quarreling gods tolerated again. Just then, Taranaki will return to the vicinity of the other gods but one.

Geology of the region

The environment of Taranaki, was characterized by numerous extreme mud and debris avalanches, called lahars, which range up to 40 km into the surrounding countryside. Numerous small hill in the flat prairie bear witness to these events.

Others

• The Taranaki formed a backdrop (as a replacement for the Fujiyama ) in the film drama The Last Samurai ( The Last Samurai ), the American director Edward Zwick from the year 2003.
• As a first ascent of the volcano are Ernst Dieffenbach, a German physician and naturalist and James Heberley, both of which reached the summit on 23 December 1839. Heberly should be but rather arrived 20 minutes.