Leaving New Plymouth, we headed for Stratford and a route up to Mount Taranaki (it is also called Mount Egmont) National Park. Unfortunately it was a wet day and after driving a fair way up the volcano - for that is what it is - the top was still covered in mist.
I got out with my camera, getting wet and hoping for a break in the clouds which would allow us to see the summit, without success. We sat in the car for a while longer, then descended the windy track in search of coffee.
Having decided to visit Taranaki Pioneer Village - a collection of over forty original buildings all 'dressed' internally as they would have been - we spotted a coffee shop just outside. Upon entering we were surprised at how busy it was. We were more surprised that, having ordered a coffee and a green tea, it took forty minutes to arrive!
The 'Building Museum' was very interesting, and they had some excellent authentic NZ properties of all sorts - including a small hospital.
As we drove back through Stratford we realised that it was almost three o'clock - and that's when their famous clock tower, clad in black and white to echo the buildings in the town's namesake in the UK, plays music and has opening windows showing scenes from Shakespeare plays - seriously. We parked up and managed to catch the three o'clock performance.
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