What to see and do in New Zealand

Taranaki is dairy country and is home to New Zealand's gas and oil fields. New Plymouth is the only city in Taranaki and is its commercial hub. Mt Taranaki/Egmont's cone can be seen from many places in the North Island. The beautiful peak provides skiing in winter and hiking in summer. It has also doubled as Mount Fuji in the movie The Last Samurai. Eastern Taranaki has camping, surfing, windsurfing, fishing, diving and swimming (in patrolled areas). The Wanganui region is south of Taranaki, with the city of Wanganui being its commercial centre. There are many rivers in the region, the most well-known is the Whanganui River on its 260km journey out to the Tasman Sea. Activities on and along the river include canoeing, jet boating, and walks. The Whanganui National Park is rugged forest country with two 3-4 day hiking tracks.