It stood in for Mt Fuji during the filming of the Tom Cruise film The Last Samurai. Tara means mountain and naki shining - due to the snow in winter. It is one of the most symmetrical volcanic cones in the world and was last active only 150 years ago. Egmont National Park extends out several miles from the base of the mountain and is hemmed in by rich farmland:
Read here about the legend of its formation:
On the lower slopes there are various short walks like this one to Wilkie's Pools near Dawson's Falls:
From there I took the high level round the mountain circuit. Here passing a ski area below the Shark's Tooth (2510m): 
I spent the night in Maketawa Hut at 1074m and left at first light:
Snow-capped Mount Nguaruhoe in Tongariro National Park just visible to the left above the clouds with Ngauruhoe the cone shape to the left:
Scenes from The Lord of the Rings were shot in Tongariro with Mt Ngauruhoe standing in as Mt Doom:
Just for a few minutes the rising sun caught the mountain:
Snow-capped Mount Nguaruhoe in Tongariro National Park just visible to the left above the clouds with Ngauruhoe the cone shape to the left:
Scenes from The Lord of the Rings were shot in Tongariro with Mt Ngauruhoe standing in as Mt Doom:
Just for a few minutes the rising sun caught the mountain:
From the hut it was a 4 hour walk to the top. Very steep. A large section is across scoria slopes (areas of volcanic gravel) and tricky to walk on. A stout stick was my constant companion! At the top I reached the crater still filled with ice and snow and a view down to the Dawson Falls Centre. The Shark's Tooth on the left:
Proof I made it to the summit. The plaque celebrates the first recorded climb in 1839. The mountain was sacred to the Maori, and said to have once lived in the centre of the island feeling here after defeat in a battle with Tongariro.
Leaving the top before 11am I met plenty of people on their way up including Dept. of Conservation staff replacing the track markers (many had gone or been heavily weathered). Here you can see the boulders leading to the scoria slopes with cloud surrounding the mountain at about 1400m (the height of Ben Nevis):
Once in to the cloud it began to rain and after retieving my gear from the hut I left the park for a nice hot shower! Back to Wellington tomorrow then on to try the Tongariro Crossing at the weekend.
Proof I made it to the summit. The plaque celebrates the first recorded climb in 1839. The mountain was sacred to the Maori, and said to have once lived in the centre of the island feeling here after defeat in a battle with Tongariro.
Leaving the top before 11am I met plenty of people on their way up including Dept. of Conservation staff replacing the track markers (many had gone or been heavily weathered). Here you can see the boulders leading to the scoria slopes with cloud surrounding the mountain at about 1400m (the height of Ben Nevis): 
Once in to the cloud it began to rain and after retieving my gear from the hut I left the park for a nice hot shower! Back to Wellington tomorrow then on to try the Tongariro Crossing at the weekend.
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