Len Lye's Wind Wand on the award-winning Coastal Walkway

Te Rewa Rewa bridge on the award-winning Coastal Walkway with Mount Taranaki in view. Photo Lava Media

The TSB Bank Festival of Lights in the stunning Pukekura Park runs from December to January every year

New Plymouth is a city that knows how to live and is quickly becoming recognised as New Zealand's capital of culture.

Choose from international festivals and major sporting events, fancy hotels to backpackers, high-end cuisine to low brow fish and chips, all taking place across a city full of parks, gardens and historic architecture.

We're right on the beach, home to countless surf breaks, close to the airport and in sight of the majestic Mount Taranaki.

New Plymouth

Eat & Drink

A huge variety of eateries, bars and some of the best coffee in New Zealand.

Some of our favourite places to dine include Monica's Eatery, Social Kitchen, Petit Paris, Arborio, Table at Nice Hotel, Chaos and Sushi Ninja.

For great coffee, you can't go past Ozone Coffee Roasters or Jet Charm and for a cocktail or wine to finish your day, try Snug Lounge or the Hour Glass.

You won't be short on selection.

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Events

Taranaki has earned a reputation as the events capital of New Zealand.

Highlights in the year include:
- WOMAD: three days of music and culture from around the world (March)
- the TSB Bank Festival of Lights: Pukekura Park comes to life at night over summer (Dec – Jan)
- NZ Tattoo and Art Festival: Australasia's biggest tattoo event (Nov)
- Powerco Garden Spectacular: food, fashion, architecture and sustainability and a richly assortment of gardens (Oct/Nov)
- Taranaki International Arts Festival: theatre, cabaret, music and dance (biannual, Aug/Sept)
- Taranaki Arts Trail: meet with artists in their studios and attend workshops around Te Maunga Taranaki (June)

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Must Visits

Natural beauty, culture, parks and one of New Zealand's top golf courses.

Be sure to make enough time on your visit to New Plymouth to wander the award-winning 12km Coastal Walkway, home to Len Lye's Wind Wand and Te Rewa Rewa bridge.

Take some time to explore Mount Taranaki and the Egmont National Park.

Pukekura Park in central New Plymouth is a stunning 52ha haven of native bush, lakes and venues.

Whether its checking out the arts and culture scene, surfing our world-class breaks or shopping at our favourite spots, New Plymouth has everything you need for a special long weekend away.

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From Instagram

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Len Lye's kinetic sculpture 'Universe' performs about every 25 minutes for about 12 minutes. #lenlye #universe #govettbrewster #kineticsculpture #Repost @habitforming101 ・・・ Len Lye’s Waving Wands on New Plymouth’s Coastal Walkway - the best piece of public art I’ve seen this year. #lenlye #coastalwalkway #publicart @govettbrewster #windwand An exhibition of Len Lye's ideas and work opens at Canterbury University's Ilam School of Fine Arts 11 Oct - 8 Nov, curated by Aaron Kreisler. 'Len Lye: Pretty good for the 21st Century' brings together Lye's drawings, models and historic documentary footage, giving an insight into his underlying vision, grandness of scale and sense of empathy, which he always saw his sculptures operating at. Image: Len Lye ‘The Universe’. pencil on paper. Courtesy of the Len Lye Foundation Collection, Govett-Brewster Art Gallery/Len Lye Centre #lenlye #govettbrewster Ten films, one week, it's the 2017 German Film Festival screening Tue 3 - Sun 8 Oct at the #lenlyecentrecinema. Check out the ticketing details, film info and trailers here: http://www.govettbrewster.com/events/cinema/ Proudly brought to us by #goetheinstitute New Zealand #govettbrewster Was sweeet having Michael Zavros here for the opening of 'Surface Affect' at the weekend. www.govettbrewster.com/exhibitions/surface-affect-amanda-gruenwald-jeena-shin-michael @michaelzavros @starkwhite #contemporarypainting #surfaceaffect #govettbrewster #lenlye #Repost @sez_says Reflections of the @govettbrewster #lenlyecentre #taranaki #bestintravel #capturetaranaki #nzmustdo #shiny #art #architecture @andrewpattersonarchitect Join us this Saturday in celebrating this season’s exhibition suite, 3-5pm. Artists from the new exhibition ‘Surface Affect: Amanda Gruenwald, Jeena Shin, Michael Zavros’ are in town, David Clegg’s second iteration will be up in ‘loca projects: correction’, plus we’re all pumped being Aotearoa New Zealand’s election day. #contemporaryart #govettbrewster #lenlye #surfaceaffect #locaprojects #reubenpaterson #newplymouth #newzealand Provocateurs since 1970. #artprevails #govettbrewster #lenlye #windwand lightning strike update http://bit.ly/2ycrJTt Brand identity Osborne Shiwan and Govett-Brewster Art Gallery @airscribe Labour Party leader Jacinda Ardern with #lenlye sculpture 'Universe'. #nofilter #newzealand Workshop today 1:30—3:30PM - Inspired by Len Lye’s direct films, use cameraless hand animation techniques to create your own 16mm film. BYO mobile phone and favourite music CD to video your film with music. · Ages 13 + / 12 participants max Entry by donation Booking essential at govettbrewster.com #diy #workshop #lenlye #directfilm #govettbrewster #Repost @west_end_precinct ・・・ Moody evening skies in the West End ☁️ . . #govettbrewster #lenlye #bestintravel #gottalovenz #newzealandfinds #newzealandguide #westendprecinct #newplymouth #taranaki #picoftheday #photooftheday #nzarchitecture #instatravel #travelgram #NZmustdo #nzphotography #captureNZ #kiwi_photos #newzealandphotography #placetobe #placetogo #wonaki #nzimagery #entertainmentbooknz The new exhibition ‘Len Lye: Happy Moments’ takes us on a journey through the events, screenings and exhibitions of Lye’s career from his London and early New York years. Come see key works from the Len Lye Foundation Collection and Archive, captured in their historical moment incl. photographs, posters, documentaries, press releases, films, sculpture and catalogues. For more: bit.ly/2eRae7k #lenlye #happymoments Don Driver’s 'Produce' (1982) being packed up for collection storage. In the ‘Work in Progress’ exhibition our team and guest textile conservators have worked on Produce in preparation for a major Don Driver exhibition next year at @hastingscityartgallery #govettbrewster #contemporaryart #govettbrewstercollection #lenlyecentre #workinprogress #newplymouth #taranakiart The New Zealand International Film Festival sparks up at the Len Lye Centre Cinema tomorrow with four fantastic films through the weekend – ‘Dries’, ‘I Am Not Your Negro’, ‘A Fantastic Woman’ and ‘Whiteley’. Festival films screen every day through till Sun 24 Sep. Check out the full programme and trailers at govettbrewster.com/events/cinema. @nziff #film #govettbrewster #lenlyecentrecinema #newplymouth #newzealand Six new limited edition t-shirts, a collaboration with the Kreisler family. Tom Kreisler (1938-2002) invited his audiences to find the strange within the mundane, drawing the viewer’s attention to the way simple objects and situations are seen and understood. He celebrated the quirkiness of everyday life by often employing puns, scribbles and a sense of humour. Kreisler lived in New Plymouth for much of his life, teaching at the Boys’ High School, Taranaki Polytechnic and Stratford. He was also very involved with the Govett-Brewster Art Gallery, with several of his works held in the Govett-Brewster Collection. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------$45 each, get yours at the Govett-Brewster Shop and our online shop: bit.ly/2f1ncfJ #tomkreisler #govettbrewster