Adventurous Taranaki
From world-class surf breaks to a perfectly formed volcanic peak, Taranaki offers countless opportunities for adventure.
Located halfway between the North Island’s two major centres, the coastal region of Taranaki is best known for its stratovolcano draped in alpine rainforest. The perfectly symmetrical Taranaki Maunga is the star of Te Papakura o Taranaki/Egmont National Park — set aside 10 hours to hike to the summit or spend an afternoon wandering through a magical goblin forest to reach the natural lava slide.
A high concentration of world-class surf breaks await down Surf Highway 45 from New Plymouth to Hāwera, while further inland the Forgotten World Highway brings you to a republic with its own passport stamp. Weird and wonderful delights range from a gallery dedicated to kinetic art to a private museum with an underground boat ride through local history. When in New Plymouth, you can’t leave without walking or riding along the Coastal Walkway or trying the first-rate mince on toast. Welcome to Taradise.
A city of kinetic art
Distorting reality since 2015, the wavy reflective walls of the city’s the Govett-Brewster Art Gallery/Len Lye Centre are so fascinatingly attractive that it’s tempting just to admire them, and then move on. That would be a mistake, because behind those undulating walls of polished stainless steel is a fascinating collection of this famous New Zealand sculptor’s art and kinetic works that has a wide appeal. Whether you’re inclined more towards art or engineering, you’ll find something to enjoy and appreciate in his ingenious structures.
Move over Central Park
Most major cities worth visiting have a slice of greenery at their hearts — think New York’s Central Park, London’s Regent Park and Vancouver’s Stanley Park. Although on a much smaller scale, New Plymouth’s contribution to the city/park phenomenon is Pukekura Park, a 52ha sanctuary that first opened as a sports venue in 1876 but has since become a much loved public recreation ground. Pass through the Art Deco-inspired gates and you’ll enter a world of fernery and gardens, two lakes, an historic band rotunda and the Bowl of Brooklands. There are also children’s play areas and bush walks.
A free day out with the animals
There are only a few zoos around the world that are free and New Plymouth’s inner-city animal park, Brooklands Zoo, is one of them. You’ll find everything from meerkats, otters, squirrel monkeys, leopard geckos, the critically endangered cotton-top tamarin (a small monkey), alpacas, and the resident food guzzlers: kunekune pigs. The zoo is a delight for kids, with a playground and picnic area.
Walking the waterfront
The 12.7km Coastal Walkway hugs the sea-edge along New Plymouth, punctuated with iconic landmarks like the Wind Wand and Te Rewa Rewa bridge — designed to look like a breaking wave or whale skeleton. It also perfectly frames the towering cone of Mt Taranaki in the background. It’ll take you about 2.5 hours to walk the entire length, passing inland lagoons, beaches, parks, an inner-city surf beach and the city’s promenade. It’s also an ideal bike track.
Walking & Hiking
The region of Taranaki surrounds the foot of Taranaki Maunga, a dormant volcano and ancestral mountain, that peeks above the clouds. At the summit, hikers are rewarded with panoramic views reaching out over the North Island and beyond. The 2518m summit is a challenging full day’s walk and is recommended for experienced and fit hikers only, during summer months. Always visit the DoC website for up-to-date weather conditions on the maunga.
The 24km Pouākai Crossing is a premier one-day walk that takes in the highlights of the longer two-to-three day Pouākai Circuit. Challenging and stunningly scenic, the Pouākai Crossing walk takes you through the fragile and haunting Ahukawakawa Swamp, across the golden tussocks of the Pouākai Plateau to the famous tarns with their mirror reflections of Taranaki Maunga, and descends through the peaceful forest of the lower Pouākai Range. Note that this is a one-way walk, so you’ll need to organise a lift back to the start.
Both the Kapuni Loop and Wilkies Pools Loop Tracks, within Egmont National Park/Te Papakura o Taranaki, are family-friendly and accessible for all – make sure to take your swimsuit for an icy dip in the natural pools.
For something slightly more sedate but just as tranquil, try the 7km Ōpunake Loop Trail. Starting at the Ōpunake Lake, you’ll cross a bridge before heading to the Wharf Lookout. Make sure to stop and take in the heritage signs dotted along the way for a dose of local history. Don’t miss your chance to climb Paritutu Rock for a bird’s-eye view of New Plymouth and surrounding coastline. Lake Mangamahoe is also a popular circuit walk around a man-made dam and lake.
