European dishes, authentic Indian mains and wood-fired pizzas – is there anything Mantra doesn't do? This roadside, mostly Indian cafe is Bollywood kitsch meets boardrider shtick. Skewered lamb kebab and chicken tikka are crowd-pleasers, but save room for pistachio and mango kulfi (Indian ice cream).
Cafe Mantra
Taranaki & Whanganui
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
Govett-Brewster Art Gallery/Len Lye Centre
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This two-headed artistic beast is arguably NZ's best regional art gallery, presenting contemporary – and often experimental and provocative – local and…
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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 …
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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…
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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…
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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
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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…
Nearby Taranaki & Whanganui attractions
1. Sugar Loaf Islands Marine Park
4.76 MILES
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…
5.27 MILES
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 …
6.05 MILES
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…
6.17 MILES
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…
5. Govett-Brewster Art Gallery/Len Lye Centre
7.22 MILES
This two-headed artistic beast is arguably NZ's best regional art gallery, presenting contemporary – and often experimental and provocative – local and…
7.22 MILES
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…
7.23 MILES
Atop Marsland Hill (great views!) is this wee observatory, with one of the most powerful public-access telescopes in NZ.
7.24 MILES
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…