Great Peak for Photographs (Taranaki) Egmont National Park, North Island, New Zealand
By Phronimos on 23-Jan-15. Waypoint GC5GKVM

Took a bit of searching for the track along the way. Beautiful sight on top. Tftc!

This is another cache staring at me from my nearby home location as it’s needed to fill a grid spot. I wanted to get it last time but my group wasn’t keen…muggles what can I say! Luckily today I had some other people keen to sign it off too. Was a cool walk up here, loved the spongy moss! And a gorgeous day too. TFTC

Having found Shanks Pony Rest down the hill, we continued up and stopped at the junction for morning tea then carried on up here for the view and the cache. In the Leatherwood area we lost and refound the path, but did not need a machete. Go_Zz found this one. Tftc

Took a while. Eventually found it out in the open. Rehidden in where I presume was the right location. Tftc.

ElliotMarkTuck, a thorough search of a random selection of my geocache logs suggests you did not actually visit those geocaches and I am therefore deleting your logs. Should you be able to supply evidence to the contrary I will happily reinstate your logs. Cheers, Phronimos

After scrambling up Maude peak and then the stairway 2 Henry I caught up with family near the tarn only to leave them once again at pouakai hut to race up and get this. Unfortunately the cloud has blown in and was no good for photos. Rushed back to the hut to catch up with family and made our way down to Mangorei rd carpark.

A nice clear still morning so I decided to head up the Mangorei Track. The mountain was clear and there were nice photo opportunities at the tarns. Also lots of tourists getting that instagram shot. I then headed up the photograph peak. Getting to GZ was not as difficult as I expected. The 'track' was a bit difficult to spot but the terrain was ok and the final climb up the rocks to the peak is not that difficult. But by the time I got there the mountain was obscured by cloud so my photos aren't so spectacular, but it's great spot. The cache was easy to find once I identified the correct prominent rock.Thanks Phronimos.
[#962]

Pretty sure we were in the right place and had a good look around. Couldn't find it today. Good views though

An excellent excursion to the this peak as part of our trip up to the yarns today.
SL TFTC

On our way back we took another interestng wee detour. Love being shown these places! Easy to find the way up and back - there are a few routes all ending up in the same place. Cache was out in the open and there was nothing that seemed to be a photographic essential around so that may have gone AWOL. Like Maud Peak, a lot of non-cacher have enjoyed finding this cache accidentally and signed the logbook. One person removed it as rubbish, then brought it back when she realised it was a cache!
We met up with local guide Ian McAlpine again going down and he showed us the oldest graffiti in the park. On the rocky part of the track, the rock slab beside the track. S39 13.703 E174 02.235 approx. We think it reads MOAR 1881
J W OLIVER 1890. It's pretty covered in moss so hard to read. He was an engaging raconteur... the grassy clearing in the bush at the right as you begin walking up was the site of another hut. Apparently the track up here is a public road, since it was developed as a bridle track early on, so the bit of road at the beginning of the track is not 'private road' as labelled.

found it on the tour to Taranaki viewpoint and Pouakai Hut.

Thanks, Malta-Dinger

What an amazing day to go up the mountain with 2bulbars, I didn't know what the tarck would be like or how far and long it was, I had never tramped any where in this area so it was a whole knew experience for me. We finally arrived just after 9am and started on our way so many cars were already here so thats a good sign we will see people but will have to watch out for muggles. Gee if was a long way before needing to find the first cache both of us had the same co ordinates me on my phone and 2bulbars on the GPS. now it was time to get to the hut had some lunch found the cache there then we off to the never never lands to get caches no luck with two such a shame after a great effert to get up here, I started bush bashing through the leather jacket tripping on long grass climbing up rocks. sometimes a track to follow sometimes no track. I was really tired by now but I ploded along saying a few unpleasant words, but finally I reached ground zero and yes a quick find here signed the log and placed it back exactly as I found it, cache was all good here. views were amazing it was a clear day so you could see for miles the whole way around. so worth it. now to get my second wind and return back down. going down was no where near as though as going up lucky for small steps.
Thank you for placing the cache here it helps with me trying to complete my grid of terraine andd difficulties. gets a favorite from us deffinately. TFTC

Earlier in the week the invite goes out from Phronimos to see if anyone was interested in joining him on a maintenance run up in the ranges. A guided tour to a couple of the higher terrains caches in the area (yay D/T Matrix) and a test of my fitness level for a future exploration of the area, too good to pass up.

On our way out and I managed to let myself be convinced, one more cache. Left our bags at the track junction and set off without them. Wow so much lighter, still tired but this detour felt really quick and again provided excellent views. Sometimes it pays to be persuaded.

End of the day a good score of caches logged, a good bit of exercise and good reason to come back.

Cheers, thanks for the invite and guidance.
Naturally I over packed, next time I’ll know better or at least be more strategic in my choices.

Doing a Maintenance run with Scoria. Last cache for him on way down to road end. Some muggles saw us up here on the ridge and decided to try and follow us. They succeeded. Another muggle was here yesterday, found the geocache and signed the log, “What is this?” Fortunately that muggle put it back where it was, so all good here. Great views today.

Once upon a time there was finally a sale between CHC and NPL, and I managed to grab a seat! The anticipation of the holiday was killing me, as this was to be the first time I set foot in Taranaki, the last unchartered territory in NZ for me. Since the wait for the dates was unusually long, I even got a chance to do some planning and pick a few nice caches to look for. I was hoping to go for a few walks also.
Today was a big day, with over 32km and 403 floor levels climbed apparently! A very wet start that turned into cloudy/sunny later. I was not quite sure how far the day would take me, I only had a few times in my mind that I did not want to overstep - even though I was prepared for a late return. I decided that there was plenty of time to head up here before returning to the car, and I even located the 'path' easy enough. Nice little clamber up the top, but then it took me ages to locate the cache!! I think I took the hint too literally, but I was not going to give up in a hurry. I had enough food, water, spare clothes, a couple of torches with me in any case. So there I was, searching, with the clouds coming and going, when all of a sudden the maunga unravelled from the cloud! If I found the cache any quicker I would have missed out on the view completely!! Great spot to visit, TFTC!!

Claimed a bed in the hut and decided to go after this cache while waiting
for others in our group to arrive for an over night stay in the Pouakai hut
lost count of the number that stayed overnight 25 + and only 16 beds.
Found by chance went to far back tracked and looked down there it was.

What a stunning location for a geocache. Happy that this is my 250th. Cloud has cleared from mt taranaki as well to the coast. Chur bey. Tftc

Down in the 'Naki for a few days break and managed to do a spot of caching. Had a great walk up to the hut, and then decided to walk up here for the cache. What a great spot, scores a favourite from me, TFTC

Good views when cloud clears

Didn't take as long as it looked from the hut. Good climb, view well worth the effort. Wouldn't have come to this spot without geocaching. TFTC

Had plenty of time to get over to this one. Great views all around as the cloud had finally cleared. Cache nice and dry despite not being under shelter.

Hell of a scramble

Curriepie and I had two nights in Pouakai hut, deciding to climb the peak before we headed back down to the car. Good views but too cloudy to see the central mountains. tftc

On the way down after 2 nites & great weather on the tops with Ozzawazza. TFTC. Great views from here & an easy little scramble.

We'd been wanting to do this one as it's a D/T rating we don't have. We almost did it on a previous walk here, but wasn't entirely sure of the route to it & time was running short, so flagged it pretty quickly.
We made our way here on our way down from going to the Pouakai trig. The weather was not the best, so it was pretty wet pushing our way through the scrub, but we got to GZ OK, & the cache was quickly located. Unfortunately it was not a great peak for photographs today - no view what so ever. But, at least it was a great peak for a geo cache.
Thanks for putting this here Phronimos. Left a pet rock - a lion.

31 December 2015 11:26. With the expert guidance of the CO, the ascent was soon made (although a touch slower than his 11 mins a few days earlier). As promised, the cache was a quick find and is worthy of a FP for the location, plus for filling a gap in my D/T grid. TFTC, my attached photo doesn't do the views justice.

Checked out on 28km cache placing mission. Everything in order here, ready for Goodbye 2015 New Year's Eve-nt at Pouakai hut. Note the "something no photographer can do without" has come adrift of the container.

Walking up here in the rain and saw this one on the GPS but we seemed to go around it then when we got to the hut the weather cleared and we could see the peak so off we went. A friend spotted it first but the camo had her fooled so she walked away many thanks for placing this here making the trip more enjoyable

Indeed a great peak for taking photographs... And the mountain was out in all its glory... All the snow made it tricky to find the cache but I was lucky to pick the right spot to first up to start digging... And my frozen fingers somehow managed to make the pen sign the log... Thanks for the cache

Forgot to upload photo...

Found with alpenmilch80, KiwiLeon, Paultaps on a two night hike on Mt Taranaki.

Oops, I turned this into a T5 for the rest of the crew! ><

Spotted the wrong turn that was made on the way out.

Thanks!

Found Paultaps, Alpenmick80, TucanoVic and Slieschke while staying in the Pouakai hut.
After a long day walk and released from our heavy packs we made our way up the hill. We made a slight detour through some have overgrown scrub (looked like an old track)
It luckily didn't take too long to find the cache.
The clouds cover the view in all direction but down looking at our feet.
Would love to see the view from here on a cloudless day.
TFTC

Decided with Paultaps, KiwiLeon, TucanoVic and Slieschke to have a go at some geocaches on Mt Taranaki over the long weekend. A three day tramp was planned with two nights in huts.
The first leg started with meeting at the visitor carpark in the early cold morning hours to make our way up to the Pouakai Hut. Last find for the day with taking the hard way in (or following the wrong person ) and the easy one out. TFTC

Everything yesterday pointed to today being a nice day for a walk, and it seemed to be only a bit of light cloud when I set off. I left the car-park at 9.30 and climbed at a fairly good pace to reach the first stage, then a slightly slower pace to reach the peak a little after 12.

By this time the light cloud had solidified into light rain, and I was just divesting myself of my pack to make searching easier when smilezr4eva and a companion appeared. We split up and took a rock each, and it wasn't long before smilezr4eva made the find.

I signed the log and dropped off a trading token (The Doctor's Car - first time in the wild) and a Travel Astronaut trackable, then wedged the cache back in place.

I got absolutely sodden on the walk back down to the track, so headed to Pouakai hut for lunch and a chance to dry a little. Lunch was successful, drying not so much, so I put my damp clothes back on and followed the others down through the drizzle.

Even though it wasn't the best weather it was still an adventure and a find, and I did enjoy the day. Thanks for the placement, Phronimos.

Had plans to find 3 caches today while up here but when it started to rain at noon we logged this one only and made a dash for the hut and lunch, back down to the car and home for a hot shower.
No chance for any views or photos so we will return for these on another day.
Good to see Knees n Things again.

Well that will teach me for not reading the description took off and found the sewer (fell in) and not turning to the ridge had to retrace steps and found the right way so from then on read each step carefully then it was plain sailing Always like mountain challengers so it was great to be {FTF} a long with Tara Ted who lost his lecky stick some where on route maybe in the sewer when I fell in. Dropped off Robin's golden geo gem #1

About an hour and a half at a steady pace up to the track junction below photographers hill. Humid and misty meant very little view. See Juty Bugs description of the rest of the trip. Best part - Juty Bug almost disappearing down a scrub covered hole, probably part of the old track. Lots of fun though. The correct route up is actually considerably easier than pushing through leatherwood, but could be harder in thick cloud. Late lunch at nearby Pouakai hut with other groups of muggles. A round trip of four hours is very comfortable.Thanks for the cache Phronimos. A favourite of course. Please let me know if anyone finds a walking stick on the bottom half of the track leading to photographers peak, off from the main track turnoff.

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