Follow the path into the Goblin Forest and let your imagination run wild. Goblins, elves, hobbits - they'd all be at home here.
If you follow Pembroke Road from the Taranaki town of Stratford, you'll come to Taranaki Maunga, the second highest mountain in the North Island. A variety of walks begin here, but many visitors come exclusively to walk through the Goblin Forest, otherwise known as the Kamahi Walk. This forest looks like something from a fantasy movie. It is primarily kamahi trees which began life perched on the trunks of other trees. Their trunks and branches have grown through and around the existing trees, creating the distinctive gnarled, twisted forest. Hanging mosses, liverworts and ferns have added to the strange effect. Another popular excursion in this area is the walk to Wilkies Pools, a series of natural plunge pools formed by the scouring action of water-borne sand and gravel. In summer, you might be tempted to have a swim here - it will be brisk, but very refreshing.
