New Plymouth

The largest town in Taranaki, New Plymouth, is a popular destination from Stratford in the summer because it has a beach, near the port. Ngamotu Beach--like all those around Taranaki--is a black sand beach. Nga motu means "the islands" in Maori and there are several islands just offshore, formed by the same volcanic activity that formed Mt. Taranaki. For many years, oil was pumped from beneath the beach.

Puke Ariki is a state-of-the-art museum of natural history and the Govett-Brewster Art Gallery, with its recently acquired reflective skin, has an eclectic collection of contemporary NZ art. The plants growing round the tree outside the gallery are their own art!

New Plymouth also had a power station that used natural gas and fuel oil to generate electricity. The chimney stack and buildings are still there, but it is no longer in operation.Read more