Paritutu Rock

I've mentioned before that New Plymouth is right on the coast. One of the perks to this is that if you find the right spot, you get a delightful view of both land and sea. One such place, which is right on the edge of town, is called Paritutu Rock. The rock, along with the Sugar Loaf Islands (named by Captain Cook, one of the first explorers to NZ), are remnants of a volcano crater. The rock is 100 meters tall, but once you reach the top you have a spectacular 360 degree view. If you like diving, the underwater view is supposed to be incredible as well.

Climbing up is fun, if you like feeling like a mountain goat :) The first bit, probably about a third starts out nice and easy with stairs. Then it turns to a dirt path, and then becomes rocky path up to the top. There's a chain all the way to the top to hold onto, which is probably most helpful when descending.

The day I went was a bit cloudy, sadly that meant we couldn't see the mountain, but still a great view.

One of the Sugar Loaf Islands

Close to the top :)