2017.05.04 GQ
Aglamour model’s nude Instagram snap atop a New Zealand peak has outraged locals who claim it's sacred.
Playboy Playmate Jaylene Cook, a Kiwi herself, posted the photo of herself wearing nothing but a hat, gloves and trainers on Mount Taranaki.
The 25-year-old was hiking with her boyfriend at a rather dizzying height of 2,308 meters, according to The Independent newspaper.
The mountain is an active volcano located on the west coast of New Zealand’s North Island and, crucially, has special significance in Maori culture.
The Maori myth states that:
"Taranaki once resided in the middle of the North Island with all the other New Zealand volcanoes. The beautiful Pihanga was coveted by all the mountains, and a great battle broke out between them. Tongariro emerged the victor and inflicted great wounds on the side of Taranaki, causing him to flee westwards, forming the deep gorges of the Whanganui River as he went. He paused for a while, creating the depression that formed the Te Ngaere swamp, before heading north. His progress was blocked by the Pouakai ranges and, as the sun came up, Taranaki became petrified in his current location. When Taranaki is covered by rainclouds, he is said to be crying for his lost love, and during spectacular sunsets he is said to be displaying himself to her.”
It is because of this story that the local Maori people do not climb the mountain out of respect – let alone snap a picture naked while doing so.
Cook has defended her shot, telling Daily Mail Australia: "It was an impulse to strip off and feel the cold air and embrace it a bit."
With 329,000 Instagram followers – and now growing – we don’t think Cook will let the controversy slow her naked snapping and Instagram posting down.
