Taranaki

Need to know ...

Taranaki is a region of lush rural landscapes, amazing surf beaches and a perfect cone-shaped mountain – Mount Taranaki. The major city, New Plymouth, offers galleries, boutiques and beautiful parks. The region boasts significant gardens and historic sites.

Main Centres

New Plymouth – cafés and surf. Stratford – Shakespearean influence everywhere.
Hawera – steeped in Maori history.

Getting There

By Air – New Plymouth Airport offers domestic flights.
By Road – 5 hours, 10 minutes from Wellington or 6 hours, 20 minutes from Auckland. Coaches offer regular services.

Getting Around

A number of car rental companies operate in Taranaki. Coach and shuttle companies offer services around the region, particularly up the mountain.

Eating Out

Exclusive

Pankawalla (58 Devon St, New Plymouth, t +64 6 751 0787) – Indian cuisine.
Okurukuru (738 Surf Highway 45, Omata, t +64 6 751 0787) – à la carte dining.
Salt (1 Egmont St, New Plymouth, t +64 6 769 5304) – views of the Tasman Sea.

Casual

Arborio (St Aubyn St, New Plymouth, t +64 6 759 1241) – award-winning architecture.
Ultra Lounge (75 Devon St E, New Plymouth, t +64 6 758 8444) – a local favourite.
El Condor Restaurante (170 Devon St E, New Plymouth, t +64 6 757 5436) – Argentine-style pizzas.

Where to Drink

Powderoom (108 Devon St West, New Plymouth, t +64 6 759 2089).
Nice Bistro (71 Brougham St, New Plymouth, t +64 6 758 6423).
Mookai (Devon St, New Plymouth, t +64 6 759 2099).
Whangamomona Hotel (Ohura Rd, Whangamomona, t +64 6 762 5823).
Crowded House Bar & Café (93 – 99 Devon St East, New Plymouth, t +64 6 759 4921).

Coffee Fix

Elixir (117 Devon St E, New Plymouth, t +64 6 769 9020).
Urban Attitude (Broadway, Stratford, t +64 6 765 6534).
Espresso Café & Wine Bar (17 Brougham St, New Plymouth, t +64 6 759 9399).

Something to Take Home

Arts and Crafts Trail Oakura (The Crafty Fox, Oakura, t +64 6 752 7291).
Kina NZ Design and Art Space (101 Devon St West, New Plymouth, t +64 6 759 1201). Art Maori (15/4 Egmont St, New Plymouth, t +64 6 757 5874).
Mementos (Centre City, New Plymouth, t +64 6 757 8799).

Sights

Check out the 45m-high Wind Wand, by acclaimed kinetic artist Len Lye, on the New Plymouth foreshore.

The perfect cone of Mt Taranaki is impossible to miss – in 1642, explorer Abel Tasman declared it “the noblest hill I’ve ever seen.” If you think it bears a resemblance to Mt Fuji, you’re right – it stood in for the famous Japanese mountain in The Last Samurai.

Explore the Puke Ariki cultural complex in New Plymouth – a unique combination of library, museum and visitor centre.

Action

Find yourself a surfboard and take a road trip along Surf Highway 45 from New Plymouth to Hawera, sampling what is arguably New Zealand’s best and most consistent surf along the way.

Climb Mt Taranaki – go with a guide, because even in summer conditions can be extreme on this mountain.

Relax

Stroll New Plymouth’s award-winning 7km coastal walkway from Port Taranaki to the Waiwhakaiho River.

Explore the Govett-Brewster Art Gallery – renowned as one of the world’s most prestigious modern art galleries.

THE experience

Drive the Forgotten World Highway (SH43) for a soul-satisfying road trip. For 150km there are no petrol stations, so make sure you fill the tank before you leave. Rugged hills and tiny, isolated communities give a sense of what life was like for early settlers.

Websites to Check Out

www.taranaki.co.nz
Taranaki Travel Information