Taranaki greets Tongariro

After a rainy day in Tongariro National Park, the cloud cover broke just before sunset, offering this view from the Mangatepopo Hut of the brother volcano Taranaki in the west of the North Island. As we were on the high plateau in the centre of the North Island, the view extended to the 100 km distant brother volcanoes of Ruapehu, Ngauruhoe, and Tongariro. Naturally, none of the over 50 hikers, who were numerous at the Mangatepopo Hut and campsites this Easter weekend, missed this magnificent greeting. The hut is located at the start of the Tongariro Crossing, the spectacular hike through the volcanic landscape of Tongariro National Park, and is also the best starting point for ascending the summit of Ngauruhoe.