Stratford and the Mountain House

From the verandah of the home where I was staying, I could see Mt. Ruapehu way in the distance as the sun rose n the east behind it.

The morning sun also makes Mt. Taranaki look even more special.

Within the National Park, the Stratford Mountain House, which has accommodation and a restaurant is managed by a Maori tribal trust. I went there for lunch with a family member and chose the mussels, which are likely sourced from Egmont Fisheries in New Plymouth.

Stratford, unsurprisingly, is very Shakespeare-focused. All the streets are named after characters in his plays, and even the surveillance camera warning notices around the town center are Bard-themed. (Coulda done with a copy editor's touch, but let's not make much ado about nothing!)Read more