“I didn t even get out of the car because I thought it was going to be cold,” Needs said. The snow had reached as low as Tahurangi Lodge at 1500 metres and was the result of the southerly weather system moving up the country, he said.
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Rob Needs, of Taranaki Mountain Shuttles, said he could feel the chill while at the North Egmont Visitors Centre on Sunday morning. Dawson Falls Mountain Lodge manager Dean Kira said he couldn’t see the snow when he arrived at 9am because of the low cloud but knew the temperature had fallen. “It was certainly cold this morning. It still feels cold now,” Kira said about 12.30pm.
Why go: On a clear day, the soaring highlight of Egmont National Park is the key reason you should always ask for a window seat on the right-hand side of the plane when flying from Auckland to Wellington. Punctuated by the smaller Fanthams Peak, Mt Taranaki s perfect volcanic cone is surrounded by an equally symmetrical forested circle prescribing the rugged and protected limits of New Zealand s second-oldest national park. Soon to be officially named Taranaki Maunga, after three centuries of being called Mt Egmont and 34 years of Taranaki/Mt Egmont, the peak visible across the region marks the location of one of New Zealand s best one-day walks.