EXPLORE NEW PLYMOUTH
Explore the New Plymouth Area
Taranaki Aviation Technology and Transport Museum
TATATM preserves Taranaki’s past for the enjoyment of future generations. Explore the life and times of early Taranaki technologies. A roadside museum on the southern outskirts of New Plymouth, TATATM houses a vast array of hands-on exhibits, many of which are in full working order.
Aircraft – Harvard, Brewster Collection pieces, Cars & Trucks, Cinematographic, Domestic/household items, Farm Machinery, Fire Engine & Tender, Models of Motunui construction, Post Office, Printing Industry Machinery, Radios of all kinds, Telephones – Working Exchanges, Lamson Wire Carrier System
Where
Corner State Highway 3 South and Kent Road,
Opposite Lake Mangamahoe
13 Kent Road, New Plymouth 4371
Opening Hours
10am to 4pm – Saturdays and Sundays, School & Public Holidays
Other times/days upon request
Wheelchair accessible
Entry
Adults $7.00
Todd Energy Aquatic Centre
Bring your swimming gear and visit the Todd Energy Aquatic Centre. This swimming complex is located adjacent to the Coastal Walkway, with access off Tisch Avenue
Indoor Pool features
Fitness Centre, free and fixed weights, cardio equipment, air conditioning and instructors.
Main pool: Wave machine, water features, eight lanes, Tarzan rope and inflatable toys. Temperature 28 degrees. Depth 0.0 – 2.1m, length 25m.
Spa pool: Temperature 37 degrees.
Sauna and steam room: An additional cost and feature available to customers over 14 years. The sauna has recently had a spruce up, come check it out.
Café: Open seven days for fresh food, ice creams and coffees.
Hydro slides: Two slides (one turbo slide and one family slide). Entry and exit are within the indoor complex.
Hydro slides operate on weekends, school holidays and public holidays from 10.30am – 5pm.
Outdoor Features
Main pool: Seven lanes. Length 50m. Depth 1.1–1.4m.
Learners pool: Depth 0.8m.
Dive pool: Depth 3.9m. Two diving boards 1m and 3m high.
Seating: Shaded seating, terraced seating, picnic tables, sun loungers, playground and a grassed area.
Open: Over the summer from Labour Weekend until the end of the Term One school holidays (28 April 2019).
Pool and Fitness Centre opening hours
Monday to Friday: 5:30am to 8.15pmWeekends and public holidays: 7am to 6.45pm
New Plymouth Coastal Walkway
The award-winning Coastal Walkway is an expansive sea-edge promenade stretching the length of New Plymouth. The walkway is ideal for walking, running, cycling, skating or simply enjoying the view of the dramatic West Coast. The walkway is great for all ages and abilities.
There are many access points, drinking fountains and toilets along the way. Dogs are allowed on the walkway on a leash.
The total length of the walkway is 13km and is an easy 3 to 4 hours walk.
Puke Ariki Historical Walk
Step back in time and experience the history of colonial New Plymouth. Puke Ariki’s experienced guides will bring the history of New Plymouth to life as you enjoy an easy stroll around the CBD, taking in key landmarks, places and moments from the past.
Discover how a bush-clad shoreline was transformed into a bustling community and meet enterprising characters who faced down every challenge to achieve success.
There are two tours – each around 2km and takes about two hours. The historic walk costs $15 per person and bookings are essential through the New Plymouth i-SITE on (06) 759 0897
Visit Pukekura Park
Situated in the heart of New Plymouth, Pukekura and Brooklands offer 49 hectares of tranquil surroundings, full of contrast and character. The unique collection of trees and shrubs has developed significantly since the park’s conception. Within Pukekura, many original plantings including ‘The Carrington Pine’ still live on. A gift of 2000 trees from Christchurch, notably Radiata Pine, helped to start the collection. Later large plantings of exotics and New Zealand natives followed, as well as collections of rhododendrons and azaleas. The opening of the fernery enabled a year-round display of ferns and colourful indoor plants; begonias and fuchsias are a summer feature and orchids bloom throughout the year.
Brooklands, in contrast, has developed into a more formal park with large deciduous trees set within sweeping lawns and perennial gardens with native bush as a backdrop, including a grand 2000-year-old Puriri tree.
Expert botanical husbandry and a continuing programme of replacement and maintenance ensure the unique character of this public garden will be retained, be enjoyed by generations to come.
The Park also boasts the famous “TSB Festival of Lights’ held annually each summer and the ‘TSB Bowl of Brooklands’ where international entertainers perform in a natural amphitheatre. The TSB Bowl of Brooklands is a unique venue comprising an impressive outdoor sound stage and a large grass amphitheatre set against the backdrop of New Plymouth’s Pukekura Park. The Bowl is a spectacular venue for summer concerts and when night comes, visitors and performers are spellbound as the lighting on the stage and surrounding trees takes effect. Climb Paritutu Rock
See that big rock at the end of the city? Don’t you just want to climb it? Well, you can! There’s a 15-minute walk right to the top of Paritutu Rock with unmatched views of the Sugar Loaf Islands, New Plymouth, Mt Taranaki and even the central North Island volcanoes of Mt Ruapehu, Mt Tongariro and Mt Ngauruhoe. Be prepared for a super steep climb to the top of the rock (which is more like a rock climb holding onto a chain fence).>Visit the Govett-Brewster Art Gallery<
This free-entry art gallery gives first impressions from the curved mirror-like architecture that you can’t ignore. Exhibitions change three times a year, but you can guarantee to see some of the work from the New Zealand art legend, Len Lye, who is widely regarded for his contemporary kinetic art. (You may have seen the Wind Wand on the Coastal Walkway
The Tawhiti Museum
The Tawhiti Museum is a truly unique enterprise. The creation of artist Nigel Ogle, its attention to detail is simply stunning.
Widely acclaimed as the best private museum in the country, the museum uses life-size exhibits and scale models to present our heritage in a series of super realistic and engaging displays.
All these displays are designed and built on the premises in the ‘Body Shop’ and accompanying studios, which can be viewed as part of a museum visit.
Fun Ho! National Toy Museum
Toy-riffic! Fun Ho! toys hold a special place in New Zealand history, and in many childhood memories, as well as catering to modern-day tastes.
For over 80 years, Fun ho! has been a household name in New Zealand. Still found in sandpits and toy collections around the world, Fun Ho! toys have become a sought after collectable and are a true “Kiwiana” classic.
An ever-changing selection of about 100 models is available at any given time out of the range of 275 plus that has been produced since the first sand-cast toys were made in 1942. The range of toys changes as different models are reproduced in small runs using the original Fun Ho! moulding plates. The range includes tractors, trucks, cars, planes, trains and other miscellaneous toys.
You will also have the option to take your very own piece of Fun Ho! home. The museum has a great store where replicas of many of the toys on display are available for purchase.
Fun Ho! National Toy Museum 25 Rata Street, Inglewood Open weekends 10am to 2pm Pricing and Conditions Adult $7.00, Children $3.50 www.funhotoys.co.nz
KINA NZ Design + Art Space
Kina NZ Design + Art Space is passionate about New Zealand creativity and supports NZ-made art and design. The contemporary design store features glass art, ceramics, jewellery, sculpture, prints, paintings and various homewares.
Each month Kina’s gallery features a new exhibition of work by established and emerging artists. While at the Reunion be sure to check when their next exhibition opening is to be held and come along to celebrate New Zealand creativity.
KINA NZ Design + Art Space, 101 Devon Street West, New Plymouth www.kina.co.nz
Hillsborough Holden Museum
A 10-minute drive from New Plymouth is a stunning purpose-built facility for the display of a private collection of Australian Holden cars and memorabilia. The collection spans meticulously restored early Holdens through to late model cars and grew from Steve Fabish’s lifetime passion for the marque, which started with his first Holden purchased in 1972.
This passion has been extended even further with the development of a mini-putt golf course based on the layout of the famous Mount Panorama track at Bathurst.
If you are a Holden enthusiast, this is worth a visit. Go and have a wander around – there is a café on site.
Hillsborough Holden Museum. 683 Egmont Road, Hillsborough, New Plymouth, Open weekends 10am to 4pm, www.hillsboroughholdenmuseum.co.nz
Taranaki Pioneer Village
Thirty minutes from New Plymouth at Stratford you will find the Taranaki Pioneer Village – ten acres of Taranaki heritage. The Village, circa 1850 to 1950, is a unique opportunity to experience an outdoor museum presenting the life of Taranaki pioneers in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
Many discoveries await visitors with 40 different buildings – including authentic historic structures dating back to 1853. The village also has its own railway line encircling the property and the ‘Pioneer Express’ is a very popular way to view the complex.
Explore and discover the Taranaki Pioneer village and then enjoy lunch or coffee at the Village’s Shakee Pear Café.
Taranaki Pioneer Village, 3912 Mountain Road, Cardiff, RD23, Stratford. Open weekends 10am to 4pm www.pioneervillage.co.nz