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Mt Taranaki in New Zealand: an intelligence test and practical info

Gosia — Sun, 22 Feb 2026 16:15:10 +0000

I arrived at Egmont National Park in the afternoon. The main star of the show, Mount Taranaki, was of course hidden in the clouds so it did exactly what I’d expected. There was no point in attempting a longer hiking, so I opted for the light version: Dawson Falls and Wilkies Pools. As soon as I crossed the park boundary, it felt like I had stepped into an entirely different reality. A narrow, winding road led through a dense green tunnel, creating an almost fairytale-like landscape. To save time, I decided not to drive all the way to Dawson Falls Visitor Centre and stopped earlier, right at the trailhead. A short walk through the moss-covered forest felt like travelling through another dimension, as if designed by someone on a heavy psychedelic trip. Soon after, an 18-metre waterfall appeared. It looked incredible, without even a drop of exaggeration 😉 The trail to Wilkies Pools was a pleasant change. It led through a more “civilised” forest and across a suspension bridge. Wilkies Pools are tiny waterfalls with overflow pools, perfect for a natural spa. On the way back, the clouds finally parted, and I caught sight of Taranaki in the distance. It was late, so trekking was off the table, but I headed to the viewpoint at North Egmont Visitor Centre. And that’s when it hit me how utterly surreal this place is. The road was as flat as an IKEA table, and then, suddenly, a perfect volcanic cone rose right in front of my car. Absurdly close, far too close for something that should ideally be admired from a safe distance—or at least in the photo. I had never seen anything so unreal. The closer I got, the more it dominated the landscape. Clouds hung over it as if it was about to erupt. There was something beautiful and slightly terrifying about it. Enchanted, I drove back to my accommodation, watching Taranaki in the rear-view mirror. I left the rest of the points for the next day, unaware that fate had a little intelligence test in store for me… one that I spectacularly failed. The next morning, I rose at dawn. I planned a trek to Pouakai Reflective Tarn, followed by a drive to the coast near New Plymouth. However, while eating breakfast, I decided to complicate the day for myself. How else can one describe the attempt to remove an avocado stone with a knife? Result? I stabbed my hand with full determination. I’ll spare you the gruesome details, but watching the scene made me feel faint… really faint. The cut was narrow but deep, opening with every finger movement and hinting at an “exciting” day ahead. Giving up on the planned route was out of the question—I had bandages and zero common sense. Thanks to having an automatic car, I could even reach the trail start. Driving with one hand wasn’t too tricky, but tying my hiking boots felt like relearning shoelaces after years of Velcro. The frustration was total and absolute. The trail was single-themed: wooden boardwalk, steps, more steps, even more steps. The weather was cloudy, hope for Taranaki’s reflection in the water – minimal. Blood pumped, bandages disappeared quickly. Still, I pressed on with the hope of seeing one of New Zealand’s most photogenic spots. In perfect conditions, Mount Taranaki reflects in the water of Pouakai Reflective Tarn like a mirror. In my case, perfect conditions exist only in theory. Dense clouds made it almost impossible to see anything, and the “large” tarn turned out to be a small pond. The descent was even worse. Bandages ran out, blood dripped, and I started attracting more and more curious hikers. The steps felt endless; my only focus was to get back to the car and head to a pharmacy. The pharmacy solved the problem with special plasters that sealed the wound enough to avert further crisis. Was it worth it? Absolutely. Would I do it again? Of course. Will I use a spoon next time? Definitely 😀 Trail Info Wilkies Pools & Dawson FallsThe trailheads are marked on the map below. Both can be done as a longer loop. The Wilkies Pools & Dawson Falls Loop is just under 4 km, with a 225 m elevation gain, taking 1.5–2 hours. Pouakai Reflective TarnSeveral trails lead to Pouakai Reflective Tarn. A popular option is the Mangorei Track Trailhead. I initially planned the Pouakai Circuit starting at Kaiauai Car Park, but reviews suggested it was more challenging. Given my earlier misadventures and general survival instinct, I chose the easier route from Mangorei Road Car Park.One-way is 6 km; standard return time is 5–6 hours. I did it in 3 hours plus 30 minutes of bandage changes, which effectively threw off my rhythm. Most of the trail is wooden planks, which get slippery when wet. Monotonous and tedious, but without them, it would be a mud bath.The first stop is Pouakai Hut (about 5 km in), with free toilets. From there, just 1 km to Pouakai Reflective Tarns along a relatively flat path.

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Haleakala, Hawaii – the house of the rising sun

Gosia — Sun, 25 Feb 2024 17:33:21 +0000

Haleakala is one of the best places which I visited in Hawaii. This was the most sublime spectacle I’ve ever seen…- that’s how Mark Twain describes Haleakala in his book Roughing it. I think that it doesn’t need a better recommendation. This is an exceptional place, which must be visited especially at sunrise and sunset while in Hawaii. Dormant vocano The Haleakala National Park includes two volcanoes that form the Hawaiian island of Maui. The beginnings of Haleakala volcano are about a million years back. At that time the volcano began to raise above the Pacific Ocean creating Maui island. Actually, Haleakala isn’t a crater, what you can see from the top is nothing more than two separate parts of a volcano that collapsed on each other creating a valley. Haleakala is 7,5 mile wide, 2,5 mile long and 3000 ft deep. It’s now considered a dormant volcano. Haleakala – one of the highest mountains in the world Haleakala is one of the highest mountains in the world. Although Mount Everest is assumed to be the highest, two Hawaiian mountains are actually higher, as long as we measure them from the sea bottom to the top. One of them is Mauna Kea, which I wrote about here, while the other is Haleakala on Maui Island. Halekala reaches 10,023 ft from sea level, while counting from the bottom of the ocean it reaches 30,000 ft tall, Mont Everest height is 8 848 m. Closer to the stars The first astronomical observatory in Hawaii was located at the top of Haleakala. Lack of light pollution and transparent air provide excellent conditions for space observation. In fact, Haleakala is one of the best places to observe space from the surface of the Earth. There’s Solar Mees Observatory that explores solar flares and their impact on energy flow and radiation. On the other hand, the second observatory – Maui Space Surveillance Site identifies and tracks all human-made objects in space, including space waste. Sensitive plants There are many endangered plants and animal species living in Haleakala. With some luck, you can see there famous Nene known also as Hawaiian goose. There’re also Silverswords – endemic plants, typical only for Haleakala Park. They can be recognised by characteristic silver hair. Although they can survive extreme weather conditions and live up to 90 years, they are extremely sensitive to the touch of people. Touching Silversword destroys small hair, protecting them from light and radiation damage – which result in immediate death. Altitude sickness The good news is that Haleakal’s summit is very easy to reach. You can walk here on the Halemau Trail or go by car. The road to the top is very winding and narrow in some places, and the whole route from Kahului’s town takes between one and a half to two hours. This road offers spectacular views, while at the very top of Haleakala the panorama spreads over 160 km. Moreover, it’s important to remember that Maui island has around 17 different climate zones and most of them are located in Haleakala park. At the top, the weather can change unexpectedly any time. Furthermore, it’s important to know that reaching the summit in such a short time may involve the risk of an altitude sickness. I had this on Mauna Kea and I don’t recommend it. Pain and dizziness, nausea, dehydration and breathing problems are a signal to evacuate from the top immediately. Being at a lower height relieves most of these symptoms, but drinking a lot of water is necessary to hydrate the body. The House of the (raising) Sun The first Polynesian settlers treated this place as sacred. In Hawaiian, Haleakala means House of the Sun. This name is inspired by the legend of the semi-god Maui who trapped the sun to extend the day. People have been coming to Haleakala since the earliest days to see the sunrise. I managed to see this place twice, during the day and just before the sunset. Unfortunately, the weather wasn’t good during the day, because there was thick fog over Haleakala. On the other hand, what I saw just before sunset was one of the most beautiful experiences of my life. As we were going to the top, the landscape was becoming increasingly barren. Green meadows were giving up place to mountain views. The setting sun and clouds made an amazing impression. When we got there I felt as if I were on the highest peak in the world. I literally had clouds under my feet, and a spectacular sunset ahead of me. Mark Twain describing his feelings from this place wrote: I felt like the last man, neglected of the judgment, and left pinnacled in mid-heaven, a forgotten relic of a vanished world. It was the sublimest spectacle I ever witnessed, and I think the memory of it will remain with me always. Like this post, check out more here 🙂

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Pieniny – Love at first sight!

Gosia — Tue, 08 Dec 2020 19:33:04 +0000

I’ve always avoided going to the same places. I love exploring new spots, and staying in a one I’ve seen just bores me. On the other hand, Pieniny is one of a few exceptions. I love them and every time I miss them enough, I jump into the car to see once again the characteristic pine tree at the top of Sokolica Mountain. Actually, I can’t explain why Pieniny are so special to me. Maybe it’s a matter of the diverse landscape of this place. The mountain trails are green here and aren’t as monotonous as in the Tatra Mountains. At the same time Pieniny is an excellent observation point for the Tatra Mountains. To this day I’m getting back to August mornings, when drinking my morning coffee I had such views in front of me. I love driving on local winding roads, looking for an opportunity to take nice photos. I also like to wake up early, watch sunrise and enjoy being the only person on a trail. Unfortunately, the tourist trails in Pieniny are quite popular. To reach the summit of Trzy Korony (Three Crowns) or Sokolica, you must often wait in a long queue. On the other hand, I like to contemplate the beauty of these mountains alone. I love Czorsztyn Lake, which isn’t actually a lake but an artificial retention reservoir. Everytime I’m here, I take a detour around it. Then I visit famous town – Czorsztyn, where you can see the remains of the former village of Maniowa, flooded with water for the purpose of building a retention reservoir. A characteristic wooden architecture from the turn of the 19th and 20th century, is located in the most beautiful place of Czorsztyn Lake. The panorama of the Tatras and Pieniny as well as the Castle in Czorsztyn and Niedzica is the best from here. Right next to it, you can visit Czorsztyn Castle, although it is quite ruined, it is still a great viewpoint. On the other side of the lake, there’s a much better preserved castle in Niedzica. The castle looks best from the dam. The dam is another attraction of Czorsztyn Lake. It plays a very important role in the water management of the area, as it creates a retention reservoir that regulates water level. Thus it protects adjacent areas from drought and flood. A pumped hydroelectric energy storage is also located here. It stores the surplus of produced electricity, pumping water from the lower to upper tank. On the other hand, during increased demand, this process is reversed to produce electricity. Since 2011 on the dam you can see an interesting 3D mural called ′′ The Power of Elements”. To see this three-dimensional picture, you have to stand in a strictly marked place. In fact, the main reason for my return to Pieniny is one beautiful trail leading through the most beautiful peaks of Pieniny: Trzy Korony (Three Crowns), Castle Mountain and Sokolica. Although the Three Crowns look best from the Slovak side, it’s worth climbing this summit because with any luck, you can see an amazing view of the Tatra Mountains from here. Last time I wasn’t so lucky, but on the other hand the persistent fog and clouds created an amazing atmosphere. The further route I take from the Three Crowns leads through the Castle Mountain and then to Sokolica. This trail is very diverse, leading through the forest and quite steep rocks, while the views along the way are amazing. The last point – Sokolica, in my humble opinion, is the most beautiful peak of Pieniny. There you can admire a beautiful view of the green hills and meandering Dunajec river. Additional charm of Sokolica is added by a dwarf pine, which is actually a symbol of this mountain. A trip to Pieniny can’t be completed without climbing the highest peak of Pieniny – Wysoka, which also belongs to the Crown of the Polish Mountains. This is the highest peak in Pieniny, with an amazing view of the rest of this range, Tatra Mountains and Babia Gora. Unfortunately, during my visit, the weather wasn’t very good and apart from dense fog I didn’t see virtually anything, but this unpredictiable character of the mountains attracts me the most. An additional attraction of this route is the Homole Gorge, which leads through a number of bridges and footbridges. Steep canyon walls, interestingly carved stones and water cascades, are the main reason to explore it. Being in Pieniny, it’s also worth visiting the famous spa – Szczawnica – Zdrój. This is a perfect place to relax after mountain climbing. On the other hand, if someone doesn’t have enough, they can always use a chair lift to the top of Palenica. From the summit there is a beautiful view of Szczawnica and its surroudnigs. Less than 3 km from Szczawnica, you can see Zaskalnik falls. It’s a popular place, especially in the summer you can meet many people cooling in cold water here. Pieniny is an amazing place worth visiting even for an longer weekend break. I am convinced that I will come back here again ?

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Waimea – the Great Canion of Pacific

Gosia — Mon, 13 Jul 2015 01:29:45 +0000

My love for the mountains has started since the moment I made the first step. Every holiday I used to spend with my father traversing mountain trails. These vacations were so much so that monothematic that in fact I went to the seaside at the age of 14. To some extent these experiences have formed my stubborn character. They also helped me to distance myself from some bad experiences which are sometimes beyond control. Mountains hide incredible mystery, beauty combined with nature unsteadiness, admiration co-occurring with thrill and what’s the most important: climbing effort rewarded by amazing views. It’s no wonder that before my trip to Hawaii, I knew that Kaua’i Island would be one of “these” places. This island with the population of 60 thousands residents and the area of 1,4 thousand sq m is relatively small but it hides spectacular, even surrealistic landscapes. Here you can find everything, starting from steep cliffs look like cut almost by godlike intention, huge waterfalls and ending with wonderfully carved valleys. To top it all off everything almost sinks in the lush greenery. Justifably Kaua’i is called The Garden Island. One of the main tourist attractions is Waimea Canyon. It’s approximately 16 km long, 2 km wide and up to 900 m deep. Although its relatively small dimension, it is called The Grand Canyon of Pacific. This natural wonder was created around 5 million years ago by the process of volcano collapse. Lava flow almost intentionally formed horizontal stripes on the crater walls. The rest of this magnificent creation was made by erosion, mainly in form of the floods which went down from the peak of Waialeale mountain. Waialeale Mountain with an elevation of 1569 m is the wettest place on Earth. Annual rainfall reaches here approximately 12 000 millimeters. Waimea in Hawaiian language means “red water” but besides red color it stuns by its orange, yellow, green and brown shades. We can reach it by serpentine Canyon Drive. There are a lot of vantage points along this way. The most beautiful are: Waimea Canyon Lookout, Pu’u Hinahina and Pu’u O Kila Lookout. But nothing compares to “meeting this phenomenon face to face”. The most popular and beautiful is Canyon Trail, starting from Pu’u Hinahina Lookout. It’s quite easy trail. It takes 2 hours and leads to Waipio waterfalls. Just before the waterfalls there’s a short but very steep slope. Walking there after rain can be really dangerous and it can lead to fast and close “meeting” with the canyon floor. After crossing this slope ironiccaly it can happen that you won’t see the main point of this trail – Waipio Falls because of the rainfall shortage. But in my opinion these waterfalls are not as spectacular as the whole trail winding along amazing canyon walls. Views from its peak are amazing and seems even unreal.

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Honolulu – Diamond Head

Gosia — Sat, 11 Jul 2015 21:46:54 +0000

Diamond Head is something for hiking and picture – perfect views lovers. In Hawaii every terrain unevenness is the result of volcanic processes so that our Diamond sticks to this rule. This dormant volcano deserves attention not only for its majestic look but also in view of its interesting history not only connected with physical geography. Let’s start from its name… Originally it was called „Le’ahi” which in Hawaiian means “brow of the tuna”. Hawaiian imagination deserves credit because in fact it looks like it.This name was really relevant but it was changed later as fishing gave way to precious stones. In 19th century British sailors mistook calcite crystals founded there with diamonds but in the memory of this big disappointment the name Diamond Head has remained till now. But it’s not the end. In the primeval Hawaiian times it was also the high place. Apparently the landscape inspired Hawaiians to place there a shrine in veneration of the god of the war- Ku. This martial tendency was continued by Americans who built up stronghold on its top, called later Fort Reuger. The stronghold consisted of tunnels network, buildings and vantage points. Although it was additionally braced during World War II, it wasn’t used. Practical information: In view of the fact that it’s one of the main Honolulu tourist attractions is better to go there early in the morning. Then we can avoid crowd and hiking in the heat. The park is open from 6 am to 6 pm, admission costs 5$ per car or 1$ per person. It’s possible to go there by public transport but the way from the bus stop takes 20 minutes so it’s better to go by car. The way is only 1,5 km length and it isn’t tough. The peak of the volcano is at the height of 232 m. On the path you can find 3 tunnels: the first consists of 74 steps and the second of 99. These sections are separated by observation deck where you can rest and admire beautiful landscape. The last tunnel is basically a spiral staircase ending on a beautiful vantage point. Unfortunately it is not the end. You must go up another 54 steps but it’s really well worth it! On the top you can admire amazing Honolulu and famous Waikiki Beach panorama. Landscaped is diversified by bunkers and lighthouse. In winter you can spot there whales. ” order_by=”sortorder” order_direction=”ASC” returns=”included” maximum_entity_count=”500″]

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