Trails criss-cross the table top offering views of the city, Table Bay and the peaks of Table Mountain National Park beyond.

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There is plenty of hiking and mountain biking just beyond downtown, stand up paddle boarding and kayaking on the reservoir, nearby guided white water rafting trips, horseback riding and world class fly fishing, all of which can be done by outfitters who will pick you up at your hotel.

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The mountain's summit stands at 8, 848 metres high, and beyond 7, 600 metres climbers enter what is known as the "death zone" - so called because of the serious effects of oxygen deprivation on the body.

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Then, beyond a lake populated by flocks of black swans, there is the first sight of the Tongariro mountain range.

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