Wednesday 20th March

We travelled Clockwise round the Taranaki Volcano (South from a New Plymouth) today. The volcano was completely obscured by cloud to begin with. The clouds moved across the top and we managed a few photos of the summit.

First stop was Dawson Falls. You ascend the volcano via road up Manaia Road near Kaponga. The road is easy to climb by car and walks up to the volcano are clearly marked. We parked up nearby the falls and followed the path. It went very steeply down the mountain side with uneven deep steps. There was a viewing platform above the Dawson Falls.

We decided to bite the bullet and descend to the bottom of the falls. Even more very steep steps to climb down, but it was worth the effort. The sun was blazing down and that made it difficult to photograph but this is what I managed.

The walk/climb back up was something else! But proud I did it all. The Dawson waterfall has a 18 metres drop.

We called for lunch by the coast at Opunake, this is a quirky little town with a few shops and pubs. Back along the surf highway.

At Cape Egmont we saw the lighthouse. We hoped we would be able to see the volcano behind the lighthouse but the cloud had obscured the mountain again.

It didn’t take long to reach New Plymouth and we sat in a park above the South Bay enjoying the sunshine. There are conical islands just out to sea. If we walked the New Plymouth coastal walkway from here we could get to our motel and beyond the Te Rewa Rewa Bridge but it is a very long pathway!

We are both very tired today, our travels are catching up with us I think. Soon be home and time to rest then.

xxxxx