Story: Taranaki region

Roadside Stories: Iconic Mt Taranaki

At the centre of Taranaki is the dramatic volcanic cone of Mt Taranaki, named Mt Egmont in 1770 by British explorer James Cook and renamed Taranaki Maunga in 2020 after Treaty of Waitangi negotiations. The mountain’s lava flows and volcanic debris are the source of Taranaki’s rich soils and dairy-farming wealth, and its distinctive snowy cone has featured in advertising, murals, military badges and assorted logos.

Listen to a Roadside Story about Mt Taranaki. Roadside Stories is a series of audio guides to places around New Zealand.

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YouTube: Manatu Taonga's channel

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Archival audio sourced from Radio New Zealand Sound Archives. Sound files may not be reused without permission from Radio New Zealand Sound Archives (Reference number CD2491).

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How to cite this page:

Ron Lambert, 'Taranaki region - The mountain', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/interactive/35270/roadside-stories-iconic-mt-taranaki (accessed 27 April 2024)

Story by Ron Lambert, updated 1 Aug 2015