Mount Taranaki

New Zealand / Taranaki / Kaponga /
 volcano, stratovolcano

Elevation: 2518 meters (8261 feet)

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Named Mount Egmont after the 2nd Earl of Egmont, First Lord of the Admiralty at the time of Captain Cook's first vogage.
The Maori name was Taranaki, and this is now used officially. According to legend, Mount Taranaki used to be in the centre of the North Island, near Ruapehi and Tongariro. One day Taranaki and Tongariro fell in love with a beautiful goddes named Pihanga. In a fit of jealous rage, Taranaki beat his rival so severely that “the sweat of fear ran from his forehead in the form of glowing lava”, the marks of which can still be seen on Tongariro's brow. Ruapehu came to Tongario's aid, and Taranaki fled from their combined wrath, gouging out the course of the Wanganui river as he went, then traveled up the coast to his present resting place. His sighs of grief and shame still shake the earth from time to time.
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   39°17'54"S   174°3'52"E

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This article was last modified 6 years ago