The Talents of Taranaki

What else can I say about this wonderful region?

IN the last two posts I’ve dwelt on the history of Taranaki, and the region’s famous mountain. But what of its other attractions? In this post I’ll write about those, and then finish by taking my leave on the Forgotten World Highway.

To start with, as you travel north out of Whanganui and cross the invisible frontier into the Taranaki region, the very first place you come to is the town of Waitotara and, to the left, Wai-inu Beach. This is worth remembering because not only is it an attractive beach but also, it’s an approved freedom camping area.

Pātea

The first major town that you get to in Taranaki is Pātea. Two posts back I mentioned the invasion of Taranaki, in the 1860s, by a military unit from Whanganui called the Patea Field Force. Well, these days, it’s fair to say that Pātea is more famous for the Pātea Maori Club’s catchy song called Poi E, released on vinyl in 1984 and the first Māori-language song to get to the top of the hit parade in New Zealand.