Mt Taranaki Attractions & Activities | Stratford Mountain House

In our community

The Mountain House acts as a provider and hub for culture, education and development, and has contributed to a number of not for profit initiatives and activities that have gone back to supporting Ngāti Ruanui. These include:

Education
The Mountain House offers onsite training and education grants to young descendants of Ngāti Ruanui to further their formal education. We also contribute towards free early childhood education for the Iwi.

Community Aid
The Mountain House provides various grants to Marae, which go towards providing everyday necessities and household items for those in need.

Keeping our Iwi healthy
We help to provide health education and support to the community of Ngāti Ruanui in a number of ways:

  • Funding free doctor consultations 
  • Sponsoring gym classes for Ngāti Ruanui
  • Contributing funds towards a smoking cessation programme 
  • Providing Maori students with a number of education grants dedicated to helping our youth achieve their educational aspirations
  • Providing Maori students with a number of sports grants dedicated to helping our youth achieve their sporting dreams
  • The Mountain House contributes to a Health Centre for the purpose of benefiting Ngāti Ruanui people and the community.

Culture
The Mountain House contributes to the Ngāti Ruanui festival that hosts inter tribal sport and activity games. Contributions go towards the maintenance of cultural hubs such as Churches or Marae in need of restoration or repairs. 

Environment
Ngāti Ruanui champions the environmental causes in protecting our wildlife, fauna, air, rivers and sea.
We have actively campaigned to prevent seabed mining and funded this cause through to the Environment Court.
We actively encourage the current ‘Pest Free New Zealand by 2050’
Our Environment team carefully and sensibly offer submissions on environmental matters and Resource Consent applications.

Attractions and activities

Come and visit Taranaki's newest and most exhilarating viewpoints, the stunning Manganui Gorge swing bridge. 100 meters long and 1.2 meters wide this beautifully designed bridge offers stunning views and easy access to the mountain. Stop in for a coffee or meal or why not use your time at our native retreat as a base and spend a few days relaxing and enjoying our region. Whether you choose an easy bush walk or one of the more challenging tramping tracks you will be delighted with the native flora and bird life.

Egmont National Park

Dawson Falls and East Egmont Walks - Department of Conservation brochure

There are many short walks and easy walking tracks on the lower slopes of Mt Taranaki, that weave their way through lush lowland semi-swamp forest of rimu, rātā, kāmahi, kahikatea and swamp mairie.
Mt Taranaki offers a variety of walks for all ages and levels of fitness.
The York Loop Track          3 hours
Curtis Falls Track                 2-3 hours return
Potaema Track                      600m
Patea Loop Track                 1.5km

Local Places Of Interest

Taranaki Pioneer Village
Open every day from 10am to 4pm at Stratford in Central Taranaki. Open at other times by arrangement. Taranaki Pioneer Village on State Highway 3, just south of Stratford in Central Taranaki, offers 10 acres of Taranaki Heritage. Click here to view website

Tawhiti Museum
The Tawhiti Museum is a truly unique enterprise. The museum is the creation of artist Nigel Ogle whose attention to detail ensures every exhibit is simply stunning. He uses life-size and scaled models to present our heritage in a series of super realistic and engaging displays.Widely acclaimed as the best private museum in the country. Click here to view website

The Possum Factory
Possum Fur Clothing including Hats, Scarves, Blankets and Footwear. Envirofur is proud to provide you with some of the best in environmentally friendly possum clothing and accessories. All of our products are made at our factory outside Stratford in Taranaki, using a unique and natural tanning process. So you know you are getting the best product while making a great environmental difference. Click here to view website

Manganui Ski Field
The Manganui Ski Field is just a short 20 minute drive along the same road you take to get to the Stratford Mountain House. With a ski area of 59 hectares, a Learner’s Rope Tow, T-Bar for the main ski area, and for the adventurous, a Nutcracker Tow for access to the upper area of the field. There is a public day lodge with snack foods and hot drinks available. Click here to view website

Stratford Golf Club
Approximately 15 minute drive from the Mountain House is the Stratford Golf Club. The club features a full 18 hole course set in picturesque park like surroundings. This well-manicured course is described as going from flat to gently undulating, making it perfectly suited to golfers of all abilities. The Club welcomes all golfers and is open to casual non-members. Click here to view website

Forgotten World Adventures
Forgotten World Adventures offer a unique way to explore rural New Zealand with special rail tours departing from the Stratford township. Using specially designed self-driven rail carts on now unused railway lines, these tours are the perfect way to see more of the real New Zealand. Click here to view website

Goblin Forest
The world famous Golbin Forest, also known as the Kamihi Walk begins at the end of Pembroke Road in East Egmont. On this walk you can enjoy the distinctive features of the Golbin Forest such as the twisted trunks and branches of the Kamihi tree that have formed through and around other trees. Together with the hanging mosses and ferns scattered along this track, this scenic adventure is often likened to a walk through a fantasy film set.