ICY EMBRACE

A dip in Wilkies Pools in Taranaki helps ELLEN COMBER reconcile her mixed emotions about the region.

- ELLEN COMBER

Wilkies Pools: the natural plunge pools were formed by the scouring action of water-borne sand and gravel.

The relationship changed with a Boxing Day baptism. We hiked on the slopes of Taranaki Mounga* - if walking 20 minutes along a first-class track qualifies as hiking - through verdant forest, thick with opportunistic kāmahi trees and the damp, shady scent of mosses and liverworts.

Stepping out from a world of green, we were met by a swing bridge over Kapuni Stream and from its unsteady centre, the mountain's shy snow-capped peak was visible through fast-moving summer clouds. Water tumbled down the steep gully, traversing boulders and alpine vegetation to momentarily rest in smooth volcanic rock pools before gravity beckoned and it flowed away.

Formed by the scouring action of water-borne sand and gravel, Wilkies Pools are natural plunge pools on the slopes of Mt Taranaki, named after the Wilkies brothers, locals who farmed in the area. They are a popular summer attraction and we watched the morning's visitors congregate on rocks and tentatively touch their toes to watery vessels, shrieking at the brisk temperature and debating whether to swim. Following my companion's warning that full-body immersion was not for the faint-hearted, we left the safety of the bridge and scrambled up the gully to find a quieter area for a dip.