Hiking and Fishing in Taranaki

Finally, our first great New Zealand trek! We picked out the Pouākai Circuit as our first overnight hiking trip. The hike is in the Te Papa-Kura-o-Taranaki, formerly known as Egmont National Park. The park is set around the iconic Taranaki Maunga (Mt. Taranaki) – the perfectly symmetrical dormant volcano. The volcano is so special, it was granted legal personhood in 2025.

Pouākai Circuit

The circuit is advertised as a 2-3 day hike. So we planned to do it in two days. Day 1 – North Egmont visitor’s center to Pouākai Hut. Day 2, Pouākai Hut back to the visitor’s center. The trek is 25 km (15.5 miles) total. That doesn’t sound too bad, if you forget about the elevation gain of 1,451 meters (4,760 feet)! One of us may have overlooked that it was also rated as an advanced hike. Best not to read too much into the details.

The hike was truly beautiful. We got so many different views of Mt Taranaki. And the open plains and forests were incredible. It may be difficult to climb, but the views are oh so worth it.

We made it to the Pouākai Hut just before dark. And to call this a “hut” is underselling it. The communal space had sinks, tables and chairs, counterspace, a fireplace, and these beautiful stained glass windows! There were 4 cabins that each held 8-10 people apiece. Because we visited in the off season, we had a whole cabin to ourselves.

Day Two

After a surprisingly good night sleep, we started out for day two, which would be a 12 km (6.9 mile) hike. The morning was chilly and there was frost on the boardwalk path. The iconic Pouākai Tarn was just a short walk away and it did not disappoint. Luckily, we caught it on a calm, clear day and were rewarded with the mirror reflection of Mt Taranaki. Stunning!

From here we hiked to Henry’s Peak at 1224 meters (4,015 feet). At the end of the climb we marveled at the 360 views of the national park. Well worth the effort.

Next, we descended down lots of steps and entered the goblin forest, beautiful lush native bush that felt completely different from the first part of the circuit. We thought we had accomplished something by summiting the highest peak, but there was a lot of hike left. The trail was difficult at times with steep drop-offs, gnarled tree roots, mud, ladders and swing bridges.

Finally, we made it to a car park, but not our car park. Just another 45 minute walk up the road to finally rest. We were so very happy to finish. Next stop hotel and shower!

New Plymouth

We headed straight for our room at the King and Queen Hotel in New Plymouth. The lovely hotel is connected with the White Hart Courtyard – a food court of sorts with lots of bars and restaurants to choose from. If you ever find yourself in New Plymouth, definitely stay at the King and Queen.

Our friend from Palmy was in town, and he met us out. We found ourselves at Itch Wine Bar and tried great cocktails. But the best part was the bar. In Palmy, none of the restaurants have a traditional bar, where you can sit and talk to the bartenders and other customers. We miss that! So enter Itch, with a proper bar and friendly bartenders. They pointed us in the direction of Shining Peak Brewing for dinner and we feasted on great pub food and craft beer. Just what we were craving post-hike. Once we told them our bartender had sent us, we got the best treatment. The food was really good and the atmosphere was even better.

Of course we went back to Itch to report our positive experience and to soak in the bar atmosphere once more. This time we struck up a conversation with a couple sitting next to us, Sarah and Simon. They live in New Plymouth and couldn’t believe we were there from Palmy. After a few glasses of wine and whiskey for the guys, they asked if we were up for fishing in the morning. Ummm yes, of course! We exchanged numbers and made plans to meet up at 8 the next morning.

The next morning, we wondered if they were really serious about taking strangers fishing. But sure enough, they were keen. What good luck! We met at Simon and Sarah’s beautiful home and rode to the marina to get on the boat and head out.

We had different views of Mt Taranaki throughout our hike. Mt Taranaki from the water is pretty spectacular too!

Simon was the best host – not only did he take us to the best fishing spot, he baited our hooks, helped us reel the fish in, and decided which we could keep and which to throw back. Dusty was able to do these things himself, but Lauren was more than happy for the help!

I know what you’re thinking, what kind of fish is that!? A red gurnard. We caught lots of those, snapper, and kahawai. And boy did we catch a lot of fish. There were four of us fishing at the same time, and someone always seemed to be reeling in a fish. Lauren even caught two fish at one time – twice!

We had the absolute best time! After fishing, Sarah and Simon invited us back to their home for a barbeque. Honestly, they are some of the kindest people we have ever met.

After a delicious meal, Simon and Dusty cleaned the fish. We were sent home with fresh fish fillets and a jar of Simon and Sarah’s delicious Pouatu manuka honey. We were sad to go back home after an amazing weekend. But we had sweet Poppy waiting for us and looking to snuggle.

Thank you for reading along and let us know if you like what you see!