Mt Egmont National Park

Mt Taranaki or Mt Egmont is an active but quiet stratovolcano located on the Taranaki region on the west coast of New Zealand's North Island. It has to official names under the alternative name policy of the New Zealand Geographic Board. The mountain is 2518m high with the most symmetrical volcano cones.

Name//

The mountain has even called Taranaki by the Maori for many centuries. tara meaning mountain and naki is thought to have come form ngaki meaning shining.

January 11th 1770Captain Cook  named the mountain Mount Egmont after John Perceval, 2nd Earl of Egmont who has supported the concept of an oceanic search. Cook described the mountain "of prodigious height and its top covered with everlasting show" surrounded by a "flat country...which afforded a very good aspect, being clothed with wood and verdure."

March 25th 1772, Marc-Joesph Marion du Fresne made landfill off Taranaki and he named the mountain Pic Mascarin unaware of Cook's earlier visit.

Until May 29 1986, the mountain appeared Mount Egmont on maps until the Minister of Lands ruled that "Mount Tarankai" would be an alternative and equally official name. The Egmont name still applies to the national park that surrounds the peak and geologists still refer to the peak as the Egmont Volcano

Maori Mythology//

According to Maori mythology, Tarankai once reside in the middle of the North Island, with all the other New Zealand volcanoes. The beautiful Pihanga was covered by all the mountains, and a great battle broker out between them. Tongarrio eventually won the day, inflected great wounds on the side of Taranaki, and causing him to flee. Taranaki headed westwards, following Te Toka a Rahotu and forming the deep gorges of the Whanganui River, paused for a while, creating the depression that form ed the Te Ngaere swamp, then heading north. Further progress was blocked by the Pouakai ranges, and the sun came up Taranaki became petrified in his current location. When Taranaki conceals himself with rainclouds, he is said to be crying for his lost love, and during spectacular sunsets, he is said to be displaying himself to her. In turn, Tongarrio's eruptions are said to be a warning to Taranaki not to return.

National Park//

In 1881, a circular area with a radius of six mules (9.6km) from the summit was protected as a Forest Reserve. Areaas encompassing the older volcanic remnants of Pouakai and Kaitake were later added to the reserve and in 1900 all this land was gazetted as Egmont National Park, the second national park in New Zealand. With intensively-framed dairy pasture reaching right up to the mostly-circular park boundary, the change in vegetation is sharply delineated in satellite images. There are parts of the national park where old growth forests are found. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Taranaki