Taranaki – on the North Island’s rugged west coast and dominated by Mt Taranaki – has a contrasting landscape.



Easily accessible outdoor activities ranging from stunning gardens, to alpine and surf adventures to major arts and cultural events await you in Taranaki.  Mt Taranaki, with a height of 2518m offers more than 300km worth of walking tracks, winter snowboarding and skiing and heritage gardens.  

 

Taranaki is a year-round outdoor destination and has some of the best surf in New Zealand with Highway 45 travelling to the top surf spots. 

 

Taranaki in New Zealand's north Island has historical significance due to the land wars that opposed Māori and Pakeha which started in the town of Waitara.  It was in the village of Parihaka that the passive non-violence movement resisting land confiscation and colonisation originated. 

Taranaki was intially settled by four Māori tribes (Ngati Tama, Ngati Mutunga, Ngati Maru and Te Atiawa) that trace back to the Tokomaru canoe and was one of the earliest inhabited areas in New Zealand.  However, due to invasion threats in the early 19th century from northern Waikato tribes, the Māori were forced to leave the region.

 

Mt Taranaki has an almost perfect volcanic cone which commands presence over the Taranaki region. Mt Taranaki is the second highest Mountain in New Zealand that is most accessible and most-climbed. 

 

In the summer you'll see many world-class sporting, performance events and festivals taking place in Taranaki, the biggest of which is WOMAD, situated in Pukekura Park which becomes a three-day global music, arts and dance festival.

 

 

Taranaki consists of 8 main townships, all within the one region.

 

 

Please click on the region below to go to the area applicable, within the box you'll find the towns relative to the region in question. Travel distances between sights average between 30mins to 1hr.