Mount Taranaki

Also known as Mount Egmont, Mount Taranaki is a quiescent stratovolcano (in between active and dormant) on the west coast of the North Island. Soaring up high at a majestic 2,518 metres (8,261 feet), the mountain has one of the most symmetrical volcanic cones in the world. A semblance to Japan’s Mount Fuji has also given Mt Taranaki a bit of cinematic acclaim – if you’ve seen the Tom Cruise blockbuster The Last Samurai, this is where those mountain backdrops were filmed.