Hiking the Pouakai Track New Zealand – A Maritimer’s Story
I trained all winter on the steep hills of Lunenburg with a weighted backpack dreaming of climbing Mount Taranaki. It is a tough hike and I was into a migraine cluster so I made the hard call to do its shorter sister mountain instead. At first I was disappointed but it ended up being even better.
When I was hiking the Pouakai Track in New Zealand I set off just before first light. Alone on the side of a volcano in New Zealand, in a rainforest that looked like something straight out of Sir Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings, listening to birds I had never heard before waking up around me in the early dawn.
No fear of being eaten by an animal or poisoned by a spider or snake. New Zealand is the perfect place for hiking, or “tramping” as they call it there. Just me, my camera, and the most magical forest I have ever walked through in my life.
That moment alone was worth the entire flight from Nova Scotia.
Why I Was There and Why I Almost Was Not
My goal had been to climb Mount Taranaki itself. An active volcano currently considered dormant, Taranaki rises 2,518 metres above the North Island and is one of the most symmetrical volcanic peaks in the world. It looks remarkably like Mount Fuji and if it looks familiar for another reason, it should. Taranaki was used as Mount Doom in Sir Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings films. Scientists believe it could erupt again within the next 50 to 100 years. Standing on its slopes you can absolutely believe it.
It is also a serious and demanding climb. Not something you attempt casually.
I had trained for it the best I could back home in Lunenburg through the winter months, weighted backpack, up and down the steep hills of town, over and over. If you know Lunenburg you know those hills are no joke. But when we finally landed in New Zealand after a long flight and a fairly quiet first week of settling in, I had to be honest with myself. I was not convinced I was strong enough and I was suffering from migraines every three or four days with visual disturbances that made the idea of being alone on a serious mountain climb feel like poor judgement.
So I made the smart call. Instead of Taranaki I chose to hike the Pouakai Track.
The Pouakai Track
The Pouakai Track circles a secondary range beside Taranaki and is famous among photographers for one thing, the Pouakai Tarn, a small alpine pond that on a perfect calm day reflects the full image of Taranaki like a mirror. It is one of the most iconic landscape photographs in all of New Zealand.
I had that image in my mind as I started climbing before dawn. What I did not expect was everything else.
Three Hours on a Stairmaster
New Zealand does outdoor tourism exceptionally well. The entire track is built with wooden boardwalks and staircases that wind up through the terrain in a way that protects the fragile alpine environment while making the route accessible. It is beautifully done.
It is also relentless.
An hour in I thought I was making good progress. Two hours in I started wondering how there could possibly be so many stairs. Three hours in this Pouakai Track in New Zealand I had a genuine moment of questioning my decision.
Most people complete the climb in around four to five hours. I did it in six. But in my defence I stopped every five minutes to take photographs and I felt good so I even went a little further than planned. I hiked slowly and made sure to soak in every moment. I simply could not believe I was in such an amazingly beautiful place. I would not change a single minute of it.
The Pouakai Tarn: What’s One More Kilometre
When I finally reached the Pouakai Tarn the Taranaki reflection was just not happening. A little disappointing after weeks of dreaming about that shot, but only a little because it was so quiet and peaceful just being there.
Then I met a local hiker who asked me if I was good to go a little further. She pointed up to the next ridge and told me that if I kept going I would get a view of Taranaki and its valley that very few visitors ever see.
I thought, I feel good, I am doing it. I am 16,000 kilometres from home. I may never be here again.
Better Call it a Day
About three quarters of the way up the next climb I did a quick calculation. I had been hiking for four hours. I still had to get back down. The smart move was to stop, have lunch, and soak in where I was.
So that is exactly what I did. I sat alone on the side of a New Zealand volcano with Taranaki wrapped in cloud above me, valleys rolling out in every direction below me, not another soul in sight, eating my lunch in complete silence.
It was one of the best moments of the entire trip.
A Long Ways Down
Coming down was a completely different kind of challenge. Every step was a controlled descent, the constant downward pressure slowly hammering my toes into the front of my boots. By the time I reached the bottom after six hours on the mountain I knew I had had a day, one I would never forget.
On the descent I met hikers from all over the world, Germany, Japan, the United States, Australia, and had some of the loveliest impromptu trail conversations you can have with like minded strangers who share a love of being outdoors.
That evening I looked down at my feet. Every toe was black and blue.
Lol the next morning as I was getting out of bed I came to a screeching halt.
I know I am fit for my age. But holy crap!
A Word About New Zealand’s Huts
One of the things that genuinely impressed me about hiking in New Zealand is the hut system. Dotted across the backcountry, these well maintained shelters allow hikers to tackle multi day trails with nothing but a backpack. I was and still am so envious of those young 20 year olds heading into the wilderness for three weeks with nothing but a pack on their back. What an amazing country for outdoor and nature lovers. It is well worth looking into the Department of Conservation hut system before you go.
What This Day Drove Home
I am a guy in my 60s from a tiny fishing village on the Nova Scotia coast. I hike The Commons Trail almost every day, I kayak, I cycle, I row dories. I keep moving because I genuinely believe it is one of the most important things I can do for my body and my mind as I get older, and for the places I get to see because even at 63 I still can.
That belief was driven home on the Pouakai Track. What an experience I would have missed if I was not fit or strong enough to do that climb. Not perfectly, and not Taranaki as I had hoped, and certainly not without black and blue toes. But I got up there. I sat alone on a volcano on the other side of the world and had lunch and looked out over one of the most beautiful landscapes I have ever seen.
You do not need to climb Taranaki. You do not need to be the fastest or the strongest. You just need to keep moving.
Keep moving. Stay healthy.
Follow my outdoor adventures on Instagram and Facebook at East Coast Photo Guy.
