A Mountain Close to Home: The Taranaki Wedding Ring
Some places become part of your routine; others become part of who you are.
For K, Mount Taranaki is both. A majestic volcanic peak on his doorstep, it has become his playground, his gym and a landscape he feels irresistibly drawn back to time and time again.
He has reached the summit 35 times, as well as spending countless more days exploring its slopes. For him, Taranaki isn't simply somewhere to hike - it is somewhere to live, move and reconnect with the landscape.
“Some people go to the gym,” he says, “but I regard Taranaki as my gym.”
Rugged, majestic and totally awesome
There is plenty to discover on Taranaki. From the summit, the surrounding lowlands stretch away beneath you, while the journey upwards passes through goblin forests, cliffs and exposed rocky bluffs before reaching the scree slopes. K remembers the scree in particular - great fun to slide down, although considerably less enjoyable when climbing back up.
Then there is the wildlife. On one nocturnal run, K had an unexpectedly close encounter with a kiwi, which was running down the track in the opposite direction. The two nearly collided, with the kiwi's beak coming alarmingly close to spearing him.
But for all the ruggedness of the mountain, K's memories also include quieter moments. Summer evenings on the summit, the sun setting across the landscape, crisp clean air and an almost complete silence. His description is simple: “Rugged, majestic and totally awesome.”
A mountain shared
Taranaki has also become part of K's relationship with his wife.
One of his most meaningful memories is guiding her to the summit as she conquered one of her first major fears of heights. The mountain therefore holds memories that extend beyond K's own adventures - it has also been a place where they have shared challenges and experiences together.
Over the years, K's relationship with Taranaki has become increasingly intimate. The mountain has many different faces, with ridges, valleys and routes that he has gradually come to know. But familiarity has never meant taking it for granted.
“Taranaki is to be respected and explored with extreme caution and deliberation,” he says.
There is an understanding that the mountain is both beautiful and powerful, and that there will always be more to discover.
Bringing the mountain closer
K's wife wanted to give him a wedding ring that felt personal and meaningful, so a contour map of Taranaki became the natural starting point. For someone whose life is so closely connected to the mountain, the idea of carrying its contours with him felt particularly appropriate.
“Taranaki calls to me frequently and I am unable to resist.”
Rather than creating a conventional silhouette or profile of the mountain, the ring uses its contour lines to capture the topography itself. This was what initially drew K to the Contour Map Collection work: the uniqueness of a contour compared with a simple profile.
The design process was deliberately collaborative but minimal. K wanted to give enough input to make sure the ring felt right, but was happy to let the making process unfold: “I was happy for the artist to do her work.”
The result is a ring that brings the mountain a little closer to him - a physical reminder in 18ct white gold of the landscape that has become such a significant part of his life.
Formalising a lifelong obsession
Perhaps fittingly, the ring hasn't changed K's relationship with Taranaki so much as formalised it.
For K, the contours are much more than a geographical location. It is the place where he has spent countless hours climbing, running, exploring and pushing himself. It is where he has shared important experiences with his wife, and a landscape he hopes his children will one day understand the significance of.
“I hope my children will realise how much it means to me to be out on the mountain due to the connection.”
A contour map ring may be small, but for K it carries an entire mountain - and a lifetime of memories - wherever he goes.