New Zealand’s north island is home to Mount Taranaki, or Mount Egmont, a 2,518 meter (8,261 ft) tall active volcano. Taranaki is quite young for a volcano, having become active only 135,000 years ago. Its most recent activity was a mere 160 years ago. Mount Taranaki is the center of the Egmont National Park, the circular tree-line boundary of which can be seen in two of the photos below. Visitors to the mountain can enjoy the Manganui ski resort for skiing and snowboarding. Those more adventurous types can trek to the summit during the summer months. The closest major town is New Plymouth, just north of the mountain, where all types of hotels and other accommodation can be found.
