North Island's West Coast
We’ve compiled the best of the best in North Island's West Coast - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.
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1. Feilding
For a look at an authentic New Zealand farming town visit Feilding, 20 km (12 miles) northwest of Palmerston North. The Feilding Saleyards Guided Tour is a classic experience. One of the largest livestock sale yards in the southern hemisphere, nearly 30,000 sheep and cattle are sold here every week. Every Friday at 11, a retired farmer will guide you (NZ$10, bookings essential) through the sheep pens and computerized cattle auction pavilion, and explain the secrets of a long-time New Zealand farming tradition. After the tour, visit the rustic Saleyards Café, where farmers meet for pie and chips or a toasted steak sandwich. Other local attractions in the Edwardian-style town square include the Friday morning farmers' market and the Coach House Museum that displays restored vehicles from the pioneering era (NZ$12). You could also putter about the town’s bookshops, art galleries, and boutique movie theater, and café. From Feilding, Kimbolton Road passes through prime sheep-farming country to Kimbolton Village, 28 km (17 miles) away. Within a few minutes' drive of it are two outstanding gardens with rhododendrons and myriad other plants: Cross Hills ( crosshills.co.nz; NZ$10; daily Sept.–May) and Heritage Park Garden ( heritagepark.co.nz; NZ$7; daily year-round).
61 Aorangi St., Feilding, Manawatu-Wanganui, 4702, New Zealand06-323–3318-Feilding & District Information CentreSight Details
Rate Includes: Information center is closed weekends -
2. Hollard Gardens
A 14-acre horticultural haven 16 km (10 miles) southwest of Stratford, Hollard Gardens encompasses native and exotic trees, rhododendrons, azaleas, camellias, and perennials. The 1920s vision of farmers Bernie and Rose Hollard, the gardens are now managed by the local council for all to enjoy. For families, there is a children's playground and a picnic area. Self-contained campervans can stay overnight.
1686 Upper Manaia Rd., Kaponga, Taranaki, 4679, New Zealand0800-736–222Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free -
3. Puke Ariki
The stories of Taranaki’s compelling volcanic and cultural history are revealed here, in the region’s heritage, research, and information center. From the landscape’s violent volcanic formation and the tragic Māori versus English settler/soldier Land Wars to the discovery of natural oil and gas deposits and today's internationally acclaimed surfing culture, it’s all here, including interactive science exhibits for children. Located across the road from the beach and popular Wind Wand kinetic sculpture, the in-house Arborio Café is worth a stop, too, as demonstrated by the presence of locals.
1 Ariki St., New Plymouth, Taranaki, 4310, New Zealand06-759–6060Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free -
4. Pukeiti
Established by the Pukeiti Rhododendron Trust, these 900 acres of lush, native rain forest are surrounded by farmland. The Pukeiti (poo-ke-ee-tee) collection of 2,500 varieties of rhododendrons is the largest in New Zealand. Many were first grown here, such as the giant winter-blooming R. protistum var. giganteum, collected from seed in 1953 and now standing 15 feet tall, and the delightful Lemon Lodge and Spring Honey hybrids, which bloom in spring. Kyawi, a large red "rhodo," is the last to bloom, in April (autumn). Rhododendrons aside, there are many other rare and special plants here. All winter long the Himalayan daphnes fragrance the pathways. Spring-to-summer-growing candelabra primroses reach up to 4 feet; and, for a month around Christmas, spectacular 8-foot Himalayan cardiocrinum lilies bear heavenly scented, 12-inch, white trumpet flowers. There’s a classy café on site and a self-guided Kids Treehouse Trail. Located 20 km (12½ miles) southwest of New Plymouth's center, Pukeiti is also a wonderful bird habitat.
2290 Carrington Rd., New Plymouth, Taranaki, 4312, New Zealand06-765–7127Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free -
5. Waitomo Glowworm Cave
The most "genteel" and perhaps famous of all the caves here was first officially explored in 1887 by local Chief Tane Tinorau and surveyor Fred Mace. They floated on a raft of flax stems, with candles for light, into the cave where the stream goes underground. Now visitors enter via a gentle pathway, explore the limestone cathedral (and, like opera diva Kiri Te Kanawa, are invited to test the amazing acoustics), then board a boat for a magical cruise beneath the "starry" glowworm-lit ceiling, floating out of the cave on the Waitomo River. Tours last 45 minutes and start at the Waitomo Glowworm Cave Visitor Centre.
39 Waitomo Village Rd., Waitomo, Waikato, 3943, New Zealand0800-456–922Sight Details
Rate Includes: Tours NZ$51; multicave tickets available -
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6. Whanganui Regional Museum
This museum offers a superb overview of the region's history and one of the country's best collections of Māori artifacts. It contains taonga (Māori ancestral treasures) of the river people and re-creates 19th-century pioneer-town Whanganui. There's also Te Pataka Whakaahua (the Lindauer Gallery), featuring 19th-century paintings of Māori leaders by respected artist Gottfried Lindauer. Entry is free, but the museum offers guided tours for an extra charge if you want to gain more insight into the exhibits.
Watt St., Whanganui, Manawatu-Whanganui, 4540, New Zealand06-349–1110Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free, guided tours NZ$10 -
7. Aranui Caves
This is one of the smallest and prettiest cave systems in Waitomo. Eons of dripping water have sculpted a delicate garden of pink-and-white limestone here. Hour-long tours lead along boardwalks into tall, narrow chambers. Keep an eye out for the resident cave wetas; these native insects grow up to 4 inches long, but don’t worry—they will most likely hide if they sense you coming. Tours meet at the Ruakuri Visitor Centre at the top of Ruakuri Reserve on Tumutumu Road, 3 km (2 miles) beyond Waitomo Caves Village. Reservations are essential.
Tumutumu Rd., Waitomo, Waikato, 3985, New Zealand0800-456–922Sight Details
Rate Includes: Tours NZ$50; multicave tickets available -
8. Durie Hill Lookout
This lookout, Whanganui's most popular attraction, provides spectacular views, but reaching it—via an elevator that runs through the hill—is something else. First, you walk through a 700-foot tunnel to the elevator shaft, and the elevator concierge at the top will see you on camera and lower the elevator for you (there's a charge for the elevator each way in cash only). Alternatively, you can climb several hundred steps to the lookout, plus another 176 steps up the nearby Durie Hill Memorial Tower.
Durie Hill, Whanganui, Manawatu-Whanganui, 4500, New ZealandSight Details
Rate Includes: NZ$2 each way (cash only) -
9. Egmont National Park
Mt. Taranaki (8,261 feet), called Mt. Egmont by Captain Cook, is a steep, symmetrically shaped volcanic peak that dominates the region's landscape and weather. Egmont National Park was created in 1900 to protect the mountain and its surrounding forests. From a distance, the landscape looks simple; a cone-shaped mountain draped white with snow in winter and flanked by a near-perfect circle of forest. Look closer—or try walking on the park trails—and a different picture emerges. Thousands of years of volcanic buildup and erosion have crafted steep gullies and rivers, immense lava bluffs, unstable slips, and acres of moss-covered "goblin" trees and tall, ancient forest giants. It's a fascinating place to explore, and thankfully there are many ways of doing this no matter your level of fitness. Try a scenic drive up one of the three access roads, explore the easy short trails around each of the three park entrances, or take a longer hike, staying in a park hut. The one-day Pouakai Crossing or two- to three day Pouakai Circuit explores all the park’s landscapes: lava cliffs, wetlands, tussock tops, and goblin forests. (Always check with the DOC before heading out since some tracks are often temporarily closed due to erosion). Climbing the mountain is a serious undertaking for only experienced climbers, especially with frequent bad weather. The mountain is sacred to the local Māori people, so they ask that climbers respect this and not clamber over the summit rocks. In winter, climbing is for technically equipped and experienced climbers only.
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10. Fenton Street Art Gallery, Cafe, and Gin Distillery
You can casually browse the art at this light and casual establishment, then sit down for a coffee or brunch (the beef pot pie is recommended) and be surrounded by the local works, or turn your attention to the gins and vodkas on sale. The owner, Stuart Greenhill, is also a published author; his murder mystery, Dante Fog, is on sale at the gallery. Don't restrict yourself to the main room; take a quick stroll down the corridors where you will find more interesting photos and paintings.
11 Fenton St., Stratford, Taranaki, 4332, New Zealand64-021-0299--2839Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free -
11. Fitzroy Beach
A reasonably exposed yet popular and easily accessible beach, Fitzroy is just 1½ km (1 mile) from the center of New Plymouth. You can even walk or ride there via the New Plymouth Coastal Walkway. Changeable surf makes it a bit wild, so be sure to swim between the patrol flags. There's interesting rock-pool exploring here and at other beaches along this coast, courtesy of the black sand and rocky outcrops. Expect crowds on hot summer days, when pohutukawa trees provide shade in some spots. Amenities: lifeguards (summer only); parking (free); toilets. Best for: surfing; swimming; walking.
Beach St., Fitzroy, Taranaki, 4312, New Zealand -
12. Govett Brewster Art Gallery, Len Lye Centre
This stunning architectural drama of twisted towers of glass and steel houses one of the country’s leading modern art museums. Collections include New Zealand conceptual, abstract, and contemporary pieces from the 1970s to today, along with visiting international exhibitions. Special features are the experimental film and kinetic art works of New Zealander Len Lye, who is internationally acclaimed for his Modernism and thought-provoking originality.
42 Queen St., New Plymouth, Taranaki, 4310, New Zealand06-759–6060Sight Details
Rate Includes: NZ$15 -
13. New Plymouth Coastal Walkway
Step out of the city and onto the coast by taking a stroll or cycle along this gentle coastal path, which meanders for 13 km (8 miles), from Port Taranaki to Hickford Park (a rugby and bike park). It explores beaches and playgrounds, crosses rivers, passes by a golf course, and runs beneath the Wind Wand, a sculpture almost as iconic to New Plymouth residents as the Statue of Liberty is to New Yorkers. Created by the late New Zealand artist Len Lye, the red carbon-fiber tube stands 148 feet high and, like a conductor's baton, dances in the wind as Lye's tribute to what he called "tangible motion." Leaving the city confines the walkway crosses the startling white Te Rewa Rewa Bridge (Mt. Taranaki framed in the bridge's struts makes a great photo) into farmland and past the Waipu Lagoons, a wetland reserve.
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14. New Zealand Glassworks
Whanganui is regarded as the country’s home for glass artisans; many of them exhibit internationally. This community studio is open for the public to watch some of these artists at work, join workshops (the half hour paperweight session is the most popular, but you need to check times and book in advance), and purchase their own stunning pieces from the retail gallery.
2 Rutland St., Whanganui, Manawatu-Whanganui, New Zealand06-927–6803Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free -
15. New Zealand Rugby Museum
This museum—located upstairs in the Te Manawa complex—is worth a visit whether or not you're a rugby fan because it offers insight into a sport that many New Zealanders treat like a religion. The ever-growing collection of rugby memorabilia dates back to the start of this national game in 1870. Interactive components even let visitors "have a go"; you can kick, tackle, and jump in the lineout, testing your playing skills quite safely.
326 Main St., Palmerston North, Manawatu-Wanganui, 4410, New Zealand06-358–6947Sight Details
Rate Includes: NZ$13 -
16. Pukekura Park and Brooklands Park
Together the lawns, lakes, gardens, and woodlands of these connected parks make up a 128-acre urban oasis. Each summer evening the Festival of Lights transforms the gardens and giant trees of Pukekura Park (annually from mid-December through January and during the March WOMAD Festival). Rowboats can be rented to explore the small islands and nooks and crannies of the main lake. The park also has massive botanical display houses and a fernery in caverns carved out of the hillside. The adjoining Brooklands Park is known for its ancient rain forest and exotic trees, such as giant copper beeches, pines, walnuts, and oaks. The Monterey pine, magnolia soulangeana, ginkgo, and native karaka and kohekohe here are the largest of their kind in New Zealand. A giant puriri tree is believed to be more than 2,000 years old. Brooklands is also home to the hugely popular Bowl of Brooklands, a natural amphitheater used for concerts and events, including international acts. Brooklands Zoo has farm animals, meerkats, monkeys, and an aviary.
Park entrances on Brooklands Park Dr. and Liardet, Somerset and Rogan Sts., New Plymouth, Taranaki, 4310, New Zealand06-758–6060-for Brooklands Zoo onlySight Details
Rate Includes: Free -
17. Ruakuri Cave
To enter Ruakuri, visitors descend a dramatic, man-made spiral "drum passage," then go on to explore narrow, low-lit passages. Surrounded by magical limestone formations and the roar of hidden waterfalls, the way follows a dark underground river that twinkles with glowworm reflections. Tours are two hours (reservations suggested) and limited to 15 people. This is the longest cave-walking tour in Waitomo, but it's easily managed by people of reasonable fitness. All pathways are wheelchair-accessible. Tours meet at the Ruakuri Visitor Centre on Tumutumu Road.
View Tours and Activities39 Waitomo Village Rd., Waitomo, Waikato, 3977, New Zealand0800-228–464Sight Details
Rate Includes: NZ$74; multicave tickets available -
18. Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari
Walk among some of the most ancient forests in the region at Maungatautari, where the Maungatautari Ecological Island Trust, in conjunction with the Department of Conservation, is carrying out one of New Zealand's many successful conservation stories. The trust has built a 50-km (31-mile) pest-proof fence around 8,400 acres of native forest, creating a refuge for some of New Zealand's rarest native species. Endangered birds, including the kaka bush parrot, kiwi, takahe, and saddleback, have been reintroduced here. The best place to start is at the Manu Tioriori Visitor Centre, which has information and refreshments; it's on the southern side of the mountain at the end of Tari Road in Pukeatua, 32 km (20 miles) outside of Cambridge. From here you can explore on your own or take a short guided walk through the Southern Enclosure (1½-hours). Five kilometers (3 miles) of high-quality trails lead through forest to a 52-foot viewing tower in the treetops, where you can be one with the birds. Another guided walk explores Tautari Wetland (1½ hours). Both guided walks have an additional fee. Keen walkers can tackle the Over the Mountain trail, a full-day walk from one side to the other. It's a good spot to stop if you're driving off the main routes from Rotorua to Waitomo.
Tari Rd., Cambridge, Waikato, 3880, New Zealand07-870–5180Sight Details
Rate Includes: NZ$20; guided walks from NZ$56 -
19. Spellbound Glowworm and Cave Tour
This company offers three different underground experiences, all incorporating a gentle raft trip and close-up views of glowworms, and a short bush walk to the caves is a bonus. The raft trip, in Spellbound, explores a glowworm chamber that was filmed by Sir David Attenborough for the BBC. Te Ana o Te Atua (Cave of the Spirit) features limestone formations, fossils, and bones. Tours range from 1½ to 3½ hours and are limited to 12 people; advanced booking is advised. The shorter tours depart from a new base on Boddies Road, while the longer tours offer pick up and drop off from Waitomo Village. Private tours can be arranged.
334 Boddies Rd., Waitomo, Waikato, 3977, New Zealand0800-773–552Sight Details
Rate Includes: From NZ$50 -
20. Stratford–Taumarunui
Known as the Forgotten World Highway, Highway 43, heading northeast from Stratford, takes you on an intriguing, heritage-rich journey back in time as it winds through rolling farmland and dense rain forests to Taumarunui, the northern access point for the Whanganui River. You'll see few cars here, but there's no shortage of scenic sights. Highlights include Mt. Damper Falls (a side trip); spectacular views from three saddles and a lookout point; the steep, forest-filled Tangarakau Gorge; a road tunnel and historic railway; plus Whanganui River views. The 155-km (96-mile) highway is paved for all but 11 km (7 miles). Allow three hours, and be sure to fill your tank before leaving Stratford. If you need a break, drop into the vintage Whangamomona Hotel ( 6018 Ohura Rd.). More than a century old, it’s the only place to stop for refreshments along the Forgotten World Highway. Travelers who don’t feel like driving a car can sign on with Forgotten World Adventures ( www.forgottenworldadventures.co.nz), an outfit that lets you "ride the rails"—golf carts mounted on a decommissioned railway line. The self-drive carts reach a top speed of 20 kph (12 mph) as you're led along 140 km (87 miles) of stunning track; guided trips from three hours to two days are available.
New Zealand
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