Tony’s NZ Holiday
Pilgrimage 2007
Most Australians visit the South Island first: the scenery is more spectacular and the skiing is better. However, my father was born and spent his first seven years in Hawera, on the south-eastern side of the Taranaki district, so my first trip to New Zealand had to be to the North Island, to visit Hawera and see the house, the statue, and Fanthams Peak, a subsidiary cone of Mt Taranaki (formerly Mt Egmont, and now officially known by either name). My great-grandmother (Fanny Fantham) climbed there in about 1889, and the male members of the team jokingly suggested it be named after her — the name stuck. Fanthams Peak is about 10 metres shorter than Kosciuszko, Australia’s tallest mountain. Fanthams Peak is small by New Zealand standards. I have no photos of it though, as it is normally shrouded in clouds, and remained so throughout my brief visit.
Click an image to see a larger version.
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| Queen Street, Auckland | Mt Ngauruhoe | Maori Meeting House, Rotorua |
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| Horizon House, Hawera | Arthur Albert Fantham | Cannon in King Edward Park, Hawera |
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| Power Station, Dawson Falls | Lilies, Wellington Botanical Gardens | Parliament House, Wellington |