Saturday 27 April 2013

Taranaki

No region in the North Island has more defined character than Taranaki. Wherever you are the symmetrical cone of Mount Taranaki gazes down at you.



Seen from the summit the green fertile lowlands below are threaded with roads and dotted with toy-like towns and the coast is rugged and wild. It’s a place where you can go snowboarding in the morning and surfing the same afternoon.

The region offers a huge range of outdoor activities. You can take a gentle stroll through cool native forest or embark on a multi-day hike. There’s river rafting, ocean surfing, and winter snow sports.

If you fancy a little less adventure, walk the New Plymouth coastal walkway and see the Wind Wand, conceived by the pioneering kinetic artist, Len Lye. There are art trails, festivals and award-winning museums and galleries and a thriving café culture. And there are gardens. Walk the parks and gardens in the rhododendron season and they are a beauty to behold.