Taranaki travel tips
The best Taranaki highlights, best walks and best lookouts: from the amazing Mount Taranaki to beautiful New Plymouth, the laid back Surf Highway, Shakespearean Stratford and more - our best travel tips for the New Zealand Taranaki region!
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Taranaki travel tips
Taranaki region is an ideal destination for your second trip to New Zealand, most travellers can't fit this detour into their first tight schedule, but with a little more time this region is as spectacular as any other!- Stop at the beautiful black sand beach at Mokau where you'll be able to catch a first glimpse of majestic Mount Taranaki
- Three access points get you close to the perfect volcano and its 'goblin' forest
- Surf Highway 45 will take you from one surf beach to the next, all around the mountain
- The Forgotten World Highway 43 is a gem and who ever guessed that there's an independent republic within New Zealand...?
From surf to summitMajestic and snow-capped, Mount Taranaki watches over a region that’s all about rejuvenating adventures and refreshing experiences. It’s one of the few places where you can go snow boarding in the morning and surfing the same afternoon, followed by an evening relaxing in a restaurant with great food and wine. According to Maori legend, Mount Taranaki once resided in the middle of the North Island alongside Ruapehu, Ngauruhoe and Tongariro, but lost a battle for the heart of pretty Mount Pihanga and was banished to the coast. A magnificent outdoor playground and a magnet for photographers, Mount Taranaki is a powerful reminder of the area’s volcanic past. Although it erupted at least eight times over the last 6000 years, the mountain has chosen to remain dormant since 1755.
Today, the Taranaki region offers a huge range of outdoor activities, from strolls through native forests and multi-day hikes, to river rafting, ocean surfing and winter snow sports. When it’s time for something a little less energetic, you’ll discover fascinating art trails and festivals, award-winning museums and galleries, a thriving café culture and some great local shopping. Gardens, lakes and fountains: Pukekura Park in the city of New Plymouth is a beautiful haven at any time of the year. Established in 1876, it includes 52 hectares of formal and informal flowering gardens, towering trees and peaceful lakes with waterlilies, waterfalls and row boats.
Treasures, stories and culture: At Puke Ariki - New Plymouth’s interactive library, museum and visitor centre - you’ll discover more than 6,000 significant Maori taonga (treasures). This beautifully designed complex looks out to Len Lye's Wind Wand sculpture on the award-winning coastal walkway. See here for hotels in Taranaki. Source: Tourism New Zealand
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