New Plymouth is not always the first place that people think about visiting when planning a trip to the North Island, but it really should be!
Joe always laughs that the first destination I went to after landing in New Zealand for the very first time was in fact New Plymouth. That was until we visited together and he got to see all the incredible things there are to do in the area.
If you want world class volcano views, incredible beaches, huge waterfalls, crystal clear swimming holes and some great cafes and bars, then New Plymouth is going to be right up your street.
We’re sharing all the best things to do there to help you plan the perfect trip.
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1: Marvel at the incredible view of Mount Taranaki
2: Catch a sunset at Back Beach
3: Discover the secret glow worm colony
4: Take a dip under the shadow of a volcano
5: Enjoy a picture postcard view you can drive up to
6: Scale the picturesque Paritutu Rock
7: Explore the spectacular Three Sisters Rock Formation
8: Be spellbound by one of the country’s best views
9: Try the local brew at Shining Peak Brewery
10: Marvel at the power of Dawson Falls
11: Stroll the gorgeous Pukekura Park
12: Learn the local history at Puke Kuri Museum
13: Enter the fairytale Goblin Forest
14: Cycle the coastal path
15: Check out the SS Gairloch Shipwreck
16: Indulge the local coffee scene
The best things to do in New Plymouth
1. Marvel at the most incredible view of Mount Taranaki (easy access)
If there’s one thing you absolutely cannot miss when visiting New Plymouth, it’s taking in the spectacular views of Mount Taranaki from Lake Mangamahoe.
It’s one of my favourite views in the whole of New Zealand and it only requires a couple of minutes. walk.
There are two superb viewpoints within two minutes of each other, the latter providing the chance to get a glorious volcano reflection in the water.
You can also walk right the way around the lake if you fancy a longer stroll, it’s easy, but doesn’t offer much more in the way of Taranaki views, so it’s only for the love of walking.
We detail everything you need to know about visiting the lake, including the conditions you need to get the reflection in this guide.
2. Catch a sunset from Back Beach
Back Beach is an absolute beauty, and it’s less than a 10 minute drive from the town centre.
Not only is it a lovely black sand beach, but the setting is incredibly dramatic, with the Sugar Loaf Islands ahead and the towering Paritutu Rock to the right. Watching the sun slowly sink into the ocean from here is the perfect way to end the day.
There are a couple of access points for the beach, but the easiest is the walk from the car park at the northern end of Paritutu Centennial Park (you can find the exact spot by clicking here), where you’ll find several steep wooden staircases leading down to the sand.
There’s also a sand dune to the left of the stairs which kids were zooming down on sand boards, pretty impressive at it’s really steep!
It’s best to visit at low tide, when you have much more beach to enjoy.
3. Discover the secret glow worm colony
Standing surrounded by hundreds of little twinkling blue lights that look like an incredible night sky is always a magical experience.
It’s even more special when you get that experience all to yourself because you’re standing in the middle of a secret glow worm colony!
And New Plymouth has several. We visited three during our stay, but two in particular stand out. My favourite was at Pukekura Park right in town! You’d never know it by day, but by night the ferny walls become a glow worm wonderland.
We have all the details on exactly where to find them, plus another great hidden glow worm spot in this post.
4. Take a dip under the shadow of a volcano
Imagine sliding into an ice blue waterhole and then looking up to see Mount Taranaki looming above you. It sounds like the stuff of dreams, but that’s exactly what you’ll find at Wilkies Pools.
The pools are small, so think of these more as a plunge pool experience than somewhere for a proper swim, but the setting more than makes up for it.
The water is pretty cold year round and positively arctic when we visited in early spring, but it’s the kind of experience that really makes you feel alive!
The walk to get to the first in the series of swimming holes is just 1.1km each way and then if you want to get to the higher pools (which are the most scenic) you’ll need to do a little easy scrambling.
All the details on the pools and the walking trail are in this post.
5. Enjoy a picture postcard view you can drive right up to
You’re spoilt for choice when it comes to amazing views in New Plymouth and the Taranaki region, but the view of Cape Egmont Lighthouse really stands out. To see the historic lighthouse (built in 1865) sit side by side with the glorious Mount Taranaki is a sight you won’t forget in a hurry.
You do need clear weather, both at the Cape and over the volcano, or you’ll end up with a view of a very lonely lighthouse, which is what we had first time round.
Luckily we went back for a second shot and the conditions were perfect, if you manage to time it for sunset, the vista is even more special.
Note that you can’t go inside the lighthouse, but you can go up to see it from outside if you visit during opening times (9am-5pm at time of writing). The view is actually best taken in from outside the gated area, which can be visited anytime.
6. Scale the picturesque Paritutu Rock
Paritutu Rock is incredibly dramatic, with sheer walls that look like you’d need rock climbing skills to even consider scaling them.
Happily for those of us not equipped with such skills, there are fixed metal chains installed to help you get all the way to the top.
It’s a short sharp climb which only takes around 15 minutes, although it won’t be one for vertigo sufferers!
Your reward is a fabulous view of the picturesque Sugar Loaf Islands, the vast Tasman sea, New Plymouth City and even Mount Taranaki if you luck out with clear conditions.
You can find all the finer details on the climb here.
7. Explore the spectacular Three Sisters rock formations
The Taranaki coastline is spectacular and nowhere more so than at Tongaporutu, where you’ll find both the Three Sisters rock formations and Elephant Rock.
The wild sea is claiming bits of these incredible formations little by little, (there used to be four sisters and Elephant Rock used to have a trunk!) so it’s definitely a spot to see sooner rather than later.
The beach can only be visited within a couple of hours either side of low tide and even then will require some shallow wading (we visited two hours before low tide and the water was knee height, as we left around 1.5 hours later it was ankle height).
The closer you can visit to low tide the better because there are some epic looking sea caves which were too wild to explore when we visited - definitely something to go back for! The walk to the beach from the car park just off Clifton Road doesn’t take long, but the rocks can be slippery.
Watching the sunset here was unforgettable, though in hindsight I would have rather opted for the chance to have more time here, rather than lining up sunset with low tide, meaning we couldn’t explore in the hours after low tide.
Watch out for barking seals that sneak up on you if you’re exploring the rocks further up the beach towards the Three Sisters!
8. Be spellbound by one of the country’s best views
You’ve probably seen the view of Mount Taranaki perfectly reflected in the calm waters of Pouakai Tarns many times before.
It’s become the poster child for the area and let me tell you, it is even better than the most beautiful picture you will ever have seen.
Catching the volcano reflected in the tarn is one of the most magical sights in New Zealand and that’s really saying something.
It does require a little effort to get there as it’s a 12.6km walk (return) - most of which is uphill on the way. Having said that, the path is very well maintained, so there’s no worries about tricky terrain.
The most important factor to consider when visiting this sensational spot is the weather, and getting the perfect conditions is more complex than you might think.
We have you covered on exact conditions required in this post.
9. Try the local brew at Shining Peak Brewery
The Shining Peak Brewery does great craft beer in a stylish setting. We opted for glasses, but you can also get tasting paddles, where you can choose four different beers.
I’m not usually a beer drinker, but even I really liked the mango sour and Joe highly recommends the octopus clamp.
They also serve food, we didn’t sample any, but the dishes coming out looked good! I loved the bar itself too with its comfy seating, and great lighting and music.
10. Marvel at the power of Dawson Falls
Dawson Falls is a gorgeous waterfall in a spectacular setting.
You can visit via one of several easy walking trails, the quickest route is around 10 minutes each way, though we opted for the slightly longer 1.6km circuit walk along the Kapuni Loop Track.
Whichever route you take, you definitely want to head down to the base of the falls (80m down a few staircases) as the main viewing area is quite far away from the falls and they do feel very distant.
From the base you are close enough to feel the spray and it’s a really majestic spot.
If you opt for the longer loop, you’ll have a little more uphill, but it’s still an easy trail and takes you through some beautiful mossy forest. Walks in this area can become a little muddy after rain, but nothing too awful.
Dawson Falls can also be combined with a visit to Wilkies Pools, as both walks start from the same car park.
11. Stroll the gorgeous Pukekura Park
Pukekura Park is such a beautiful spot and located right in the heart of the city. It’s a really relaxing place to head for a leisurely stroll and there’s plenty of pretty spots to see.
We loved the fernery and glasshouses, which are always full of amazing flowers that smell like a perfumery, as well as the lake with the little red bridge (where you would have a Mount Taranaki view on a clear day).
You can also see the pretty little waterfall close to the lake, which we hadn’t realised from photos is actually manmade and you have to push a button to switch it on!
It’s also lit up at night if you fancy a stroll after dark.
12. Learn the local history at Puke Ariki Museum
The Puke Ariki Museum is a great place to learn a little about the region’s history, with great galleries on the local way of life for both the original Maori inhabitants and European settlers.
However, to really bring the museum to life, my advice would be to listen to this podcast (The Abductions, by Stuff the British Stole) before you visit and then seek out the incredible Motunui Epa carvings.
You can’t photograph any of the Maori displays, but they were definitely our favourite part of the museum and worth the visit alone.
I won’t spoil the story, but I’d highly recommend giving the podcast a listen and I promise it will enhance your visit!
The Puke Ariki Museum is free of charge and open daily (except for Christmas day) between 10am and 5pm.
13. Enter the fairytale like Goblin Forest
The Goblin Forest: as soon as I heard the name I knew we had to visit. Entering the forest is like stepping into a fairytale, with gnarled trunks and branches which seem to stretch out like fingers searching for the top of the forest canopy.
The trees are dripping in moss and the forest is dense enough that it feels slightly dark even in the middle of the day. It’s incredibly atmospheric and really does have an other-worldly quality to it.
The ‘goblin’ trees are actually kamahi trees and can be found on a number of walks in the area.
The easy 550m Kamahi Walk is generally referred to as the Goblin Forest and that’s where you’ll find extensive kamahi trees, but you also find smaller numbers of them on the Dawsons Falls and Wilkies Pools tracks.
I loved the Kamahi Walk, but if you don’t have time to visit and are already planning a trip to the Dawson Falls area, you will still see a good number of goblin trees.
14. Cycle the coastal path
The Coastal Walkway is a gorgeous paved path running for 13km between Port Taranaki and Bell Block Beach.
You can choose to walk or cycle the trail, with cycling being the best way to see the whole route. We walked it, but next time would definitely opt for bikes as it’s pretty flat and makes for an ideal cycle ride. If you want to hire bikes this company has very reasonable rates and good reviews.
Ideally you’d want a clear day as there are some amazing views of Mount Taranaki along the way, which we sadly didn’t see this visit!
It’s not a wilderness walk but that means you’ll pass plenty of places to stop for a drink and a swim and lots of points you can dip in and out of the walk.
If you only want to walk or cycle one section, the route between Rewa Rewa bridge and Bell Block Beach is very scenic.
15. Check out the SS Gairloch shipwreck
The SS Gairloch met her fate on January 5th 1903 and you can visit what’s left of the rusting hulk on a dramatic stretch of coastline near the small village of Oakura.
It’s best visited at low tide, although I’ve seen some very atmospheric photos taken on a misty day during a higher tide when only the tops of the wreck are visible.
You can wade out a little (apparently there is now sealife living around the wreck) or just take it in from the beach, which is what we did on a very blustery September day!
There are a couple of ways of getting to the wreck. The first is to go to the point marked on Google Maps, but there’s only room for one car and anything more would be blocking the private road. From here it’s only a five minute easy walk, stick to the track as otherwise you will be trespassing on private land.
The alternative is a longer walk starting at the western end of the Oakura Beach Holiday Park, but we didn’t use this route so can’t comment on the trail itself.
16. Indulge in the local coffee scene
New Plymouth has a great cafe scene and even a couple of coffee roasters. Our overall fave is Bleached, which does a great coffee and a small selection of food in a very cool laidback setting.
It’s a bit like a warehouse, as they also sell surf gear, but there’s plenty of comfy seating to kick back and relax on.
We also liked Ozone Coffee Roasters, especially the food, the only reason it wasn’t our number one was we had to add an extra shot to the coffee, or it was a little too mellow.
The vibe inside is also great and you can see all the roasting equipment and sacks of beans at the back.
Even the tap water had lemons and mint at Bleached :-)
If you’re a lover of sourdough, head to Billow Bakery and grab a loaf, or try a toastie (we weren’t fans of the coffee here though so would opt for a tea!).
Where to stay in New Plymouth
Mangorei Heights
If you’re looking for a gorgeous quiet location, with a Mount Taranaki view, and the option to self-cater, Mangorei Heights is a great choice. There’s a small kitchen (with hob) and living room, but the real wow factor comes when you step outside and into that incredible bath tub! It’s a short 15 minute drive to the city.
Check out the reviews and prices on:
The Devon Hotel A Heritage Hotel
If you’re looking for a hotel, then The Devon Hotel gets great reviews. They have a pool and also free bikes if you’re planning on cycling the Coastal Walkway. Rooms are modern and it’s usually at a very good price point. It’s conveniently located right in the city.
Check out the reviews and prices on:
Getting to New Plymouth
New Plymouth is located in the Taranaki region, around 350km and a 4.5 hour drive from Auckland and 360km and roughly 4 hours 45 minutes from Wellington.
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