Photographing Mount Taranaki at Pouakai Reflective Tarns

This spot was high on my list when I was planning our trip itinerary. Hopefully it is easy to see why! Perfect reflections of mountains make for stunning photos, and I didn't want to miss this photo opportunity.

However, this is a long hike with a lot of elevation, and the weather can make it a challenge to see this stunning view. Imagine putting in all the work just to see a cloud and rippled water! Read on to see how to give yourself the best odds of seeing Mount Taranaki with a perfect reflection.

Location

The Pouakai Tarns are in Egmont National Park on the north island of New Zealand, and can be reached a few different ways. I chose to do this as a day hike via the Mangorei Track, which starts here. It is at the end of the Mangorei Road, only a 20 minute drive from New Plymouth. This trail is 7.7 miles and 2500 ft of gain, and you can find the track on All Trails. The entire trail is boardwalk, including lots of stairs.

The other option is more of a backpacking overnight trip, the Pouakai Circuit. This route is 16.2 miles and almost 5500 ft of gain. There are two huts along the way, Holly Hut and Pouakai Hut, which require bookings. There are limited campsites near each hut, which are first come first served. This track begins at the Egmont National Park Visitors Center.

Timing

The two critical factors to getting this view are clouds and wind. Taranaki is pretty notorious for being obscured by clouds, and wind rippling the water will ruin the mirror like reflection.

I used two different sources for checking cloud coverage, Clear Outside and Ventusky. You will want to check for low and middle level cloud coverage. The forecasts are definitely not 100% accurate, but on this particular day both sources said clouds would start to move in around 10:30 AM, and that was pretty much spot on. This is the view as we were leaving; definitely starting to cloud up:

For wind, I like to reference the Windy app. This showed winds picking up about the same time the clouds were moving in, so I knew starting early in the morning would be key.

The other key aspect is giving yourself time to wait. Set up your camera and be prepared to sit for awhile. Watch the clouds move and the reflection and wait for the perfect moment. Sometimes the wind may stop even for the shortest interval, allowing you to capture the reflection.

In total, this trail took me 6 hours to do, 4 hours of hiking and a couple hours waiting, watching, and photographing.

And of course, check the Department of Conservation website for any trail restrictions.

Gear

For this trip, I exclusively used my wide angle 16-35 mm lens. This was great for both the classic shot of the mountain reflected in the water, and also for some shots of the trail on the way up.

I would also recommend a tripod. This comes in handy if you want to get yourself in the shot with the mountain. It's also nice to have for the shots of the trail through the forest. The canopy makes it extra dark even in broad daylight. With a tripod you will be better able to keep your ISO low for those shots.

And, be prepared as you would be for any hike. Bring the 10 essentials, plenty of water and snacks, layers, and waterproof shell. Sunscreen for at the very top; most of the way is covered by canopy, but the top section is exposed. Good boots and poles are also key. The poles I would recommend mostly for on the way down. The trail is unique to any other trail I've done in the fact that it is entirely boardwalk, including stairs. There are a LOT of stairs. Going down was actually more of a challenge for me than going up. The stairs put a lot of pressure on the calves, and I was super sore for three days after that. Poles might help take some of the load off.

Compositions

For the classic reflection shot of the mountain, you will want to be on the side of the tarn opposite from the mountain. There is boardwalk all the way around the tarn. Your biggest difficulty will likely be finding a spot. It is a popular trail and there will likely be others there.

For the trail shots, there a several spots to create great compositions with the forest canopy. Trails are always a great leading line. As mentioned above, it can be very dark under the canopy, so setting up on a tripod to enable a lower ISO can be a good idea. I was lucky that is was not very windy under the canopy, so I could use a long shutter speed without having to worry about blurry leaves and branches. If you are not so lucky, you could use a faster shutter speed with a wider aperture and higher ISO.

Conclusion

Pouakai Tarns is a stunning location, and one of the best compositions with Mount Taranaki that you can find. However it is a LOT of work and can be disappointing to put in all that work with no reward. Definitely check out the cloud coverage and wind speeds to increase your odds of getting the shot.