According to a Maori legend Mt Taranaki once used to live with his brothers Ngauruhoe, Ruapehu and Tongariro at the central plateau. However, when he started to become interested in Tongariro's wife he was asked to leave the clan so he moved west to the place where the mountain is today - 160km from the rest of his clan.

It was a beautifully clear day and one could actually see all the way from Mt Taranaki to the mountains on the central plateau 160km away.