On my one shot at Taranaki, we were turned back due to weather. Later in the day it cleared up completely. Timing is everything in New Zealand.
We tried climbing the distinct volcano.
Perhaps we should have done instead the hike around the mountain. Mountain Zone published a good trip report article:
The mountain is perfect—a beautiful cone, distinctive from all angles. Seen from many miles inland as a stunning silhouette, seen from the roaming eye of a satellite camera as a dark areola on a sea of cultivation, it’s a mountain we all know something about.
Around Taranaki – Hiking New Zealand’s Sleeping Giant
It’s the photogenic mountain used in the Tom Cruise film The Last Samurai.
Most of the great New Zealand hikes are on the South Island. But Taranaki, like Tongariro, are on the North. The circumnavigation is 55km (34mi).
(via The Adventure Blog)
besthike.com 
Yeh ! I have to admit also that the treks in NZ are just great, Tongariro was an amazing site, as was the milford sound – the weather is tricky in many spots – as I missed out in Mt. Egmont. cheers