This is probably the most iconic thing about Taranaki, it’s the most well known with it attracting many visitors every single day! It was designed by the famous artist Len Lye, and is a whopping 48 metres high with a ‘wand’ that sways in whatever direction the wind is blowing, hence the name. It’s made out of fiberglass and the best part is that it’s on the coastal walkway for everyone to see!

If you couldn’t guess by now, Taranaki really loves the work and design of Len Lye, there’s now a whole new section in the art gallery that has been created just for him called the ‘Len Lye Centre! The exterior design of the building is beautiful, with wave like curves that are mirrored and distort you if you stand in front of them! At sunset it reflects the light and looks absolutely stunning!

With huge white bone like structures that curve beautifully around the mountain in the distance, this is seriously a landmark to visit in Taranaki! Whether you start here and walk towards town, or start at the port and do a massive walk to the bridge, either way this part of the coastal walkway has to be a stop with photo opportunities! It’s right next to Lake Rotomanu too, another bonus view you can get by visiting here!

These islands are something I grew up learning about at school, it has a lot of our history and they’re just really cool! To get to see these beauties, you’ll have to take a little trip on the Chaddy’s Charters boat, or if you know someone with a boat, you could always bribe them! I love seeing the seals and penguins sunbathe on the rocks on sunny days and some even swim alongside the boat!

Paratutu is Taranaki’s natural climbing wall in a way, it’s a giant rock that can be seen from almost everywhere, I’ve been up at least 50 times! It starts off with simple steps, but don’t underestimate these as they’re probably the hardest part! Then half way up all you get is a chain, if you haven’t done it before it may be a little difficult, but just take your time and watch your footing and you’ll be a local in no time!

This walk is not for the faint hearted, it’s a 5 hour long ‘there and back’ walk taking in some of the most beautiful coastal views Taranaki has to offer. I don’t even know if I could do it as it takes some fitness and motivation to finish it! It’s the equivalent to walking from New Plymouth to Mount Messenger! But the rewards once you finish are so worth it, you’ll have a day of exercise as well as bragging rights that you walked all the way to Mount Messanger!

Starting in Okato and finishing along the Stony River (hence the name), this track is 4 km long and is a great way to throw yourself into nature and stay off the smartphone for a few hours! Just as a warning, a lot of the track goes through private land with electric fencing, so just be careful not to touch them and respect the land! It’s home to the memorial to the Okato pioneer and his family and heaps of native trees!

Meatballs are an underrated food, but at Polpetta they get the respect they deserve! You choose what you eat too. With seven different balls, including a vegetarian and vegan option, you choose your sauce and also what everything sits on such as mashed potato, risotto, or spaghetti! They have really thought abut their customer base and what the people in New Plymouth like to eat, and I would happily eat anything on their menu! Their pesto sauce is to die for, and their ever changing risotto is an experience in itself!

Public Catering is a café fit for a big city, but is situated in little ol’ New Plymouth! Not only do they cater events and functions, but they have their own little eatery and a lush courtyard filled with greenery! Their food is top notch, and everything they sell is cage free, free range, and from sustainable sources, as well as sourcing locally and throughout the country! I can’t rave about them enough and have brought three family members in to try their food!

Who doesn’t love cheese, it goes with literally almost anything! Even deserts have cheese in them, so why not have a local cheese shop to satisfy your cheesy cravings! The team at the Cheese Platter import from around the globe, including Italy, France, and Spain, to really bring you that authentic flavour! I’ve heard what people have been loving the most is that they can bring their own containers and choose the amount of cheese to buy, saving on money and wastage!

If you’re an older gal and have a bit of trouble finding good quality yet trendy clothing stores, the recently opened Black Pepper may just be the right place for you! Although I wouldn’t exclude others from this shop, heck I would even wear some shirts from here! Everything is free flowing and looks so nice and comfortable to wear!

Located inland from Waverley, about an hour and and twenty minutes inland actually, lies the restored Cottage of Rewi Alley, a farmer who later did well known work in China. It’s not recommended to take an average car to get here, because of the road being almost non existent for most of the way there, a 4WD or a mountain bike is the best way to go. Once you get there it will be well worth the extra effort. This cottage is almost 100 years old and the views are awesome!

This is the very pinnacle of heritage and culture for Taranaki, Patea is one of the few places now that still have awesome traditional structures like this! The waka was constructed in 1933 so it’s over 80 years old and commemorates when Patea was first settled in by Turi and his hapu. On one side it has a paragraph explaining in Maori, the right side has the same paragraph but translated into English so many can learn this story!

This is one of the oldest standing stone churches in New Zealand, at 170 years old and first opening in 1846. Unfortunately, it has just recently become closed to the public for earthquake strengthening, which has saddened many who come here every week, but the building can definitely still be appreciated from the exterior and surrounding landscapes! The photo opportunities here are spectacular, especially towards dusk when the lighting is perfect!

Home to our stunning mountain, this national park holds some of our most treasured gems, such as Dawson Falls, the Pouakai and Kaitake Ranges, and the Kamahi Loop Track which is home to Goblins Forest! Not to mention that you can freely climb Mount Taranaki right to the summit, although it is highly recommended to have a guide or someone who is confident in the climb to go with you; it tests even the fittest of people, taking around six hours to make it to the top!

If you’re a traveler who loves to pack homemade picnics, and spend the day relaxing in a cool river, make sure you spend a good few hours at Everett Park, just East of Inglewood. They have fully functioning toilets on site and a huge grass area where you can bathe in the Taranaki sun after you’ve had your swim or your food! If you’ve got a pooch, awesome, bring them along too!

This one is for the green thumbs, hobby horticulturists, and nature lovers out there, Hollard Gardens will not disappoint! With rich biodiversity, a natural wood playground for the kids, and a barbeque area, it seriously can’t be missed! There’s two trails to explore, Bernie’s track and Rose’s track, each with their own hidden paths and structure to find! It was actually Bernie and Rose Hollard who founded Hollard Gardens, so come and check out their life’s work!

This bike trail isn’t for the faint hearted, it’s over 2 or 3 days depending on which route you take and what your pace is. That being said, this is definitely something not many people know about that needs to be put on your bucket list! The thrill of just travelling to a different area of the country just on your bike is amazing, and needs to be experienced at least once. It goes from Taumarunui to New Plymouth, and don’t worry too much about the traffic, theres only 200 cars a day on the main road!

There are five trails within Busing Forest, many of which are short, but totally awesome once you get on them! There are several that actually start from Scout Road and they are the longer ones; watch out for the ‘Hill Top & River Run’ and the ‘Gravel Road Return to the Top’! The total time may take around an hour to complete, but it really is an enjoyable ride, especially the 600 metre hill top trail!

This bike track is entirely man made, and is kept up to scratch just with volunteers! If you didn’t pay attention you’d probably never know it’s there but once you get inside you’ll be amazed at what the people have done! In a way, if a motocross track and an intensely hilly mountain track had a baby, this would be the child; a great new edition to the biking family! You will definitely need some experience before taking this one on!

It’s not exactly mountain biking but 90% of the trail is in the bush with the ease of a pathway rather than dirt to make it easier for children and elderly riders. This is one of the most enjoyable rides in the city, as you could go as slow and almost as fast as you want! I love that it starts more inland where it is bushier, and slowly the environment gets more urban depending how far you go!