It’s pretty hard to escape the pull of the mountain that gives Taranaki its name. A photo of it on Facebook will cause an outpouring of homesickness from around the world. Research has indicated it’s the first thing those that don’t live in its shadow think about Taranaki. It was largely responsible for attracting Hollywood here in 2002, and even when it’s hiding behind cloud – as occasionally happens – it has an indelible effect on the region’s surf and weather.
Then there’s the impact it has on its people. You could argue that having an incredibly accessible mountain at our doorstep is the catalyst for the region’s endemic sense of adventure, awareness of nature, and pioneering spirit.
Our mountain has also become the integral element in Taranaki’s visual identity, forging an instant geographic link. This is evidenced in a quick scan of how the region’s businesses present themselves: their logos.
The distinct form of Mount Taranaki is everywhere – whether it’s a photograph faded into the background, carved out of a guitar’s neck, or the unmistakable peak rendered in anything from brush strokes to a bicycle chain.
Granted, it’s not always a particularly convincing rendition, but it does tap into that all-important aspect of what it means to be from Taranaki. In a community that prides itself on innovation cultivated over a century and a half on the edge of the nation, tapping into the mountain at the region’s heart is not such a bad thing.