Sixteen years ago, fresh off the plane from the UK, I first set foot in Taranaki, New Zealand.
And I was gutted.
Grey, cloudy and miserable.
Not at all what I signed up for on the immigration website and not a bloody hobbit in sight.
My husband had been offered a plumbing job in New Plymouth Taranaki, and to fulfil our visa requirements, Taranaki was to be our home for the foreseeable future.
I told myself we’d give it six months, and then we’d be out of there. Off to find greener pastures where milk flowed from rivers and the sheep pooed honey.
Sixteen years later, we’re still here. We never left Taranaki.
Here’s why…
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Where’s the best place in New Zealand to visit?
The ever-present Mt Taranaki is flanked by New Zealand hills. Is it any wonder the locals call this region Taradise?
New Plymouth, Taranaki.
There are many reasons why Taranaki gets my vote.
You can read the full post and look at the beautiful photos of Taranaki here. But for now, know this:
The Location
If you want to visit Taranaki, you must detour from New Zealand’s well-trodden tourist route.
Think of the North Island of New Zealand as a slender leg.
Auckland is the knee; Wellington is the foot; Rotorua is somewhere in the middle, and Taranaki is that sticky our bone in the middle of the ankle.
The People
One of the first things you will notice about New Zealand is how friendly the people are.
New Zealand people are warm, open and welcoming, and these qualities are accentuated in Taranaki. If you look hard enough, you’ll even find a few wizards.
The only antisocial person you’ll find in Taranaki is that woman who lives in the house up on the hill.
Don’t talk to her; she’s a nutter.
The Mountain in Taranaki
Taranaki is named after Mt Taranaki, the 2,518m stratovolcano that dominates the region. Mt Taranaki is the North Island’s second-highest mountain and stands enormous and proud.
And quite rightly so.
Not many mountains can say they have body doubled for Mt Fuji in a Hollywood blockbuster. Watch the movie The Last Samurai, and Mt Taranaki fills your screen.
You might also spot Tom Cruise, but ignore him. He’s rubbish.
Travel in New Zealand Tip:
If seeing mountains from the top is your thing, then I recommend doing a skydive.
This Skydive is over Mount Maunganui and the beautiful Bay of Plenty. You will get to experience a 25-minute scenic flight and then spend a minute of thrilling freefall.
I’ve never been brave enough to do this, but it is on my bucket list before I hit sixty!!
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The Peace & Quiet
Don’t tell anyone I told you this, but because not many people know how gorgeous Taranaki is, they tend not to come.
Meaning you will never be in a traffic jam or wait for more than five minutes in any line.
You can walk on secret beaches and never meet another soul.
You can stretch your eyes over rolling, lush farmland and see lots of animals, but only two buildings.
So what do you think? Visit me in New Plymouth, Taranaki, New Zealand?
Hiring a car in New Zealand
I need to tell you something.
New Plymouth, Taranaki, is off the “tourist trail”. Like I said, it’s the nobbly bit that sticks out.
As such, the public transport isn’t terrific.
You can get a bus to New Plymouth from the major cities, but if you are anything like me, I think you’d prefer your independence.
If you plan on seeing a lot of New Zealand (and why on earth wouldn’t you??), then car hire is a MUST.
Driving in New Zealand is easy. The roads are easy to navigate, the scenery is stunning, and car hire is super easy. Plus, it is relatively cheap (especially if there are more than four of you on your trip).
When it comes to getting around in New Zealand, my advice to you is to hire a car. It is easy, it will give you a TON of freedom.
The best car hire company in New Zealand (that we use, love, and trust) are Discover Cars. They were (and always have been) fabulous to deal with.
After too many years of scrolling through car hire deals only to get to the checkout page and be hit with a ton of upsells, we now go straight to Discover Cars.
They are consistently trustworthy and find us the best deals.
Take a quick look at what car hire in New Zealand will cost you.
Finally, I’ll let you in on a secret…
Taranaki has two local nicknames. The Naki and Taradise.
Need I say more?
If you’re planning a visit to New Zealand, make a detour to the bony part of the ankle. I live with a wizard in the house on top of the hill.
I’ll wait for you.
Liz x
Next, You could read:
Housesitting in New Zealand. Every traveller’s best-kept secret
Driving in New Zealand (how to avoid a bash and a fine)
Never enough. The REAL reason we emigrated from the UK
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