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Your guide to all the local secrets that make Taranaki a great place to visit

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Top recommendations for things to do in Taranaki:

• Surf Highway 45 traces Taranaki’s coastline from New Plymouth in the north to Hāwera in the south, past surf breaks, historic sites, cool towns and more. 
• The Forgotten World Highway is NZ's oldest heritage trail, starting at either Stratford or Taumarunui, and follows ancient Māori trade routes and pioneering farm tracks through ambitious historic settlements, untamed native bush and stunning natural scenery.
• Taranaki's many stories are wonderfully told through the region's museums, including Tawhiti Museum and Traders & Whalers, Puke Ariki, Aotea Utanganui, Taranaki Pioneer Village, and Hillsborough Holden Museum.
• If you've got a head for heights, there are a few opportunities to get a bird's-eye-view of Taranaki at Hāwera Water Tower, Paritutu Rock, or at Egmont National Park in Mount Taranaki.
• There are plenty of places to check out what's going on in the local arts scene, including Govett-Brewster Art Gallery and Len Lye Centre, Percy Thompson Gallery, and Lysaght Watt Gallery.
• Taranaki offers a wide range of public and private gardens and parks, including inner-city Pukekura Park, Pukeiti, Hollard Gardens, Tūpare Gardens, and Te Kainga Marire.
• Taranaki is also home to many fascinating creatures - to meet them, check out the region's zoos and wildlife experiences, such as Brooklands Zoo, Stoney Oaks Wildlife Park, Pouakai Zoo, Lake Rotokare Scenic Reserve, Experience Pūrangi, and Chaddy's Charters.
• There are plenty of opportunities to explore Taranaki by foot, such as the Pouakai Crossing, the New Plymouth Coastal Walkway, Te Henui Walkway, Lake Mangamahoe, or Dawson Falls/Wilkie Pools Loop tracks on Mount Taranaki.