New Plymouth: Park, Coast and Culture

New Plymouth combines green parkland, the coast and distinctive cultural attractions. Pukekura Park, the Coastal Walkway, Brooklands Zoo, museums and art venues each offer a different focus for days out. You can decide whether nature, activity, wildlife or culture should shape your trip.

Parks, Zoo and Coastal Paths

The 52-hectare Pukekura Park is in the heart of New Plymouth and is one of New Zealand’s leading botanical gardens. Lakes and walking paths through native bush define its parkland. The Fernery and Display Houses consist of three glass-roofed caverns excavated into a hillside. Alongside the open paths and lakes, this design gives the park its own distinctive feature.

At Brooklands Zoo, you can see farm animals, reptiles and amphibians, meerkats, Bolivian squirrel monkeys, capuchin monkeys and white-headed sakis. Colourful birds live in a walk-through free-flight aviary. The zoo also has a playground and outdoor areas—practical details that may be useful when planning a visit with children. You can walk to the zoo from the city centre through Pukekura Park; another entrance is at the upper end of Brooklands Park Drive.

The Coastal Walkway runs 13.2 kilometres from Port Taranaki to the eastern end of Bell Block Beach. It is paved, has a few gentle slopes and is suitable for walking, running, cycling, skateboarding, inline skating and scootering. The Te Henui Walkway offers a different kind of route: it follows the Te Henui Stream and connects the Coastal Walkway with the New Plymouth suburbs of Merrilands and Welbourn. You can compare a coastal path with defined endpoints with a streamside route linking suburbs.

Art, Museum and History

Puke Ariki is at 65 St Aubyn Street in central New Plymouth, opposite the Walkway and the Len Lye Wind Wand. The address and these two landmarks can help you work a museum visit into your plans around the city. The Govett-Brewster Art Gallery | Len Lye Centre in New Plymouth is a founding member of the Coastal Arts Trail, a self-guided route to art galleries and museums on the west coast of the North Island. The route runs from Wellington through Palmerston North and Whanganui to New Plymouth, placing the art venue in a wider museum and gallery context.

Te Henui Vicarage is also connected with the history of the area. It is listed as a Historic Place Category 1; the building is privately owned and not open to the public. Its outstanding historical significance stems from its direct connection to the founding of the Church of England in New Zealand. This connection is embodied in the masonry of the building by the coat of arms of Bishop Selwyn, bishop of the undivided Diocese of New Zealand.

A Further Look at New Plymouth District

In the wider destination of New Plymouth District, Puke Ariki Museum has three permanent exhibition galleries on the region’s history, taonga and natural world. Admission to all areas of the museum is free. As admission arrangements can change, check the current visitor information before your visit. Also in the wider destination of New Plymouth District, the guided Puke Ariki Historic Walk covers about three kilometres through central New Plymouth and takes two hours. Times and booking requirements may change, so check these details in advance.

Find a Hotel to Suit Your Travel Plans

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Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Egmont Village, Oakura, Hillsborough.

Back to the wider travel guide: New Plymouth District.