This loop track is one of the best short walks in Taranaki, taking you through an enchanted goblin forest, past bubbling streams and small waterfalls, past a view of the incredible Mt Taranaki (on a clear day!) and to the Wilkies Pools - natural alpine pools which you can swim in or simply admire.

The pools are clear, crisp and blue, coming straight from the mountain. The first pool is easy enough to get to and you can climb further up the rocks to each more pools (some can be deeper higher up) but there is no track so you need to take care here! If you're wanting to photograph the pools, early morning or late afternoon is the ideal time.

The goblin forest is so incredibly beautiful, with trees twisting and turning in a curious way. There are lots of birds about and lots of moss growing everywhere.

The track is 1.9km and takes around 1 hour 20 minutes to complete and is a fairly easy track which is mostly flat. There are some areas which require extra care like muddy paths where the streams have crossed, some rock hopping, as well as the crossing at Kapuni Stream which may be impossible to cross after heavy rain. There is no bridge here but we found enough stones to step on to avoid getting our shoes wet!

The weather up Mt Taranaki can change so quickly, so make sure you are prepared and check the weather for the mountain before you go (you can contact the Dawson Falls Visitor Centre to check). It can be a completely different forecast for the mountain versus New Plymouth, for example (I have been when it's snowing and cold up the mountain but warmer and cloudy in town!).