Govett-Brewster Art Gallery/Len Lye Centre
New Plymouth
This two-headed artistic beast is arguably NZ's best regional art gallery, presenting contemporary – and often experimental and provocative – local and…
Must-see attractions in New Plymouth
New Plymouth
Lush Pukekura has 49 hectares of gardens, playgrounds, trails, streams, waterfalls, ponds and display houses. In summer, rowboats (per half-hour $15)…
New Plymouth
Translating as ‘Hill of Chiefs’, Puke Ariki was once a pā (fortified village) site, and is now home to the i-SITE, a fab regional museum, a library, a…
New Plymouth
At 156m, this craggy, steep-sided hill is almost as tall as New Plymouth's old power-station chimney down at the port (198m). Paritutu translates as …
New Plymouth
This sprawling garden, 23km south of New Plymouth, is home to thriving masses of rhododendrons and azaleas. The blooms are at their bloomin' best between…
New Plymouth
Just past the Fitzroy Golf Course and accessible via Fitzroy Seaside Park or Peringa Park, this 83m-long bridge crosses Waiwhakaiho River and is part of…
New Plymouth
Adjoining Pukekura Park, Brooklands Park is home to the Bowl of Brooklands, a world-class natural amphitheatre and sound-shell that hosts the annual WOMAD…
Sugar Loaf Islands Marine Park
New Plymouth
About 1km offshore, these rugged islets (Ngā Motu in Māori) are eroded volcanic remnants, offering refuge for 10,000 sea birds and a colony of NZ fur…
New Plymouth
Developed in the 1980s, Puke Akiri Landing connects the city centre with the foreshore. The grassy area in front of Puke Ariki features a large, carved…
New Plymouth
A short drive uphill from the city centre in Brooklands Park is this farmy little zoo. Adorable cotton-top tamarins, wandering chooks and the walk-through…
New Plymouth
The wonderfully eccentric Wind Wand at Puke Ariki Landing was designed by Len Lye – the artist who has put this town on the map in modern times. This 45m…
Taranaki Aviation, Transport & Technology Museum
New Plymouth
Around 9km south of New Plymouth is this roadside museum, with ramshackle, interactive displays of old planes, trains, automobiles and general household…
New Plymouth
Tupare is a Tudor-style house designed by the renowned architect James Chapman-Taylor. It's as pretty as a picture, but the highlight of this 7km trip…
Taranaki Cathedral Church of St Mary
New Plymouth
The austere Church of St Mary (1846) is NZ's oldest stone church and its newest cathedral! Its graveyard has the headstones of early settlers and soldiers…
New Plymouth
This 1856 cottage, 8km south of New Plymouth, was built by four-time NZ prime minister Harry Atkinson. The cottage is the sole survivor of a settlement…
New Plymouth
If you lose your bearings in downtown New Plymouth (or just want to know the time), look for the kooky, stripy clock tower, which is often luridly lit at…
New Plymouth
On top of Marsland Hill is the cacophonous 37-bell Kibby Carillon, a huge automated glockenspiel-like device that tolls out across the New Plymouth…
New Plymouth
Atop Marsland Hill (great views!) is this wee observatory, with one of the most powerful public-access telescopes in NZ.
New Plymouth
An appropriately austere stone New Plymouth landmark that presides over the Coastal Walkway and a public playground.
