Samuel Schofield,7 years and his brother Viliami Schofield,5 years in the Todd Energy Learning Centre. Photo / Supplied
Samuel Schofield,7 years and his brother Viliami Schofield,5 years in the Todd Energy Learning Centre. Photo / Supplied
Grab the kids and head to the ’Naki for some contemporary culture and fun, says Donna McIntyre
Package all the components of a great mini-break into one destination and you pretty much get New Plymouth. Great food, contemporary culture, the sea on one side and mountain on the other. Cafes, art centres, shops, parks, playgrounds and accommodation all within walking distance.
Add the fact we're in Taranaki's capital the same weekend as the opening of the Len Lye Centre and revamped Govett-Brewster Art Gallery and, to use the artist's Len Lye own words, we're "getting a feeling of sizz in the thing". How apt.
So let's start at the Len Lye centre, its mirror-like curved stainless steel forms reflecting neighbouring architecture and passers-by. Even better, the interior is as much fun and just as attractive as promised from the outside.
The soft lighting and spacious display areas certainly do justice to Lye's kinetic art forms and films (quoting Lye again, it's mostly the bigger the better). And those "destination architecture" signature curves of this symbolic building invite curious visitors to weave in and out of concealed wall spaces; some offer a window view out, others provide reflections.
It's especially fun for children, as are the gallery's concertina paper seats. Plus, cafe Monica's Eatery offers an extensive menu with yummy healthy options.
Elsewhere in New Plymouth are more signs of the city's strong artistic character. Nearby Puke Ariki is a mine of information, a convergence of dynamic museum displays, library and i-Site.
Large Works gallery Len Lye Four Fountains. Photo / Supplied
We like how the galleries, shops, cafes and restaurants choose to make individual statements rather than a strip of homogenous global brands that makes so many shopping centre look alike. Plenty of small shops offer something that little bit different, a memento of time away from home.
Coffee lovers, too, won't go without. Making New Plymouth home base is artisan coffee roaster Ozone. Try a coffee, take the tour, and you'll see the process including the 45kg roaster. We also ate in the funky environs of Social Kitchen with its emphasis on sharing meals, at Joe's Garage and at The Black Harp (below our lodgings).
To balance the culture, we ventured into the outdoors. The obvious place to go is that great 7km coastal walkway stretching from Waiwhakaiho River in the east to Port Taranaki in the west. We spot a snoozy seal as we walk and then hire bikes, two hours for $10 each from Cycle Inn.
Parent alert - I have never seen so many cool playgrounds along one walkway. And just up the road is the expanse of Pukekura Park, a treasure trove of walkways, sportsgrounds, botanical specimens, playgrounds (three), concert venues and even a mini zoo. And no admission fee.
After a long drive and all the walking, biking and eating, we're relieved we have a private pool booked at the Taranaki Thermal Spa. A 20-minute soak in these mineral waters melts away muscle tension and we feel deliciously drowsy as we leave, followed by one of those sleeps where you attain a state of comfort that you can only daydream of during a stressful working week.
My observation as a mere visitor is that New Plymouth's isolation is what makes it thrive. Sure, visitors have to make an effort to drive/fly here. But coming from the stop-start of Auckland's traffic, it was fun to get out on an open road, often with no other cars in sight as we drove across farmland, through fern-laden gorges, along river estuaries and past striking coastline. Even Mt Taranaki came out from the mist to welcome us, before retreating behind its cloak of moody weather.
We were privileged to be given the loan of a 2015 Ford Mondeo Titanium. We felt so safe and it was a smooth ride, with the confidence of knowing we could call on added oomph to zip past slow vehicles in those ever so welcome passing lanes. Comfy too, with heated seats and clever systems such as the pre-collision and pedestrian detection warning, active park assist and blind spot warning (every car should have them).
Donna was a guest of Venture Taranaki and travelled to New Plymouth in a Ford Mondeo.
Need to know
Stay:The State Hotel. So newly furbished that locals hadn't heard of this boutique hotel. Warm, central, comfy beds, with the bonus of a guests' lounge and laundry.
Eat: Just under the State Hotel are Joe's Garage and The Black Harp. Within walking distance is The Social Kitchen (think South American flavours) and the cafe attached to the new Len Lye centre, called Monica's.
Walk/play: The Coastal Walkway. It should be cloned in every coastal town. Pukekura Park and Brooklands Zoo (hmm, maybe clone those, too.) Tee off at the New Plymouth Golf Club, one of 20 courses in the radius of the mountain.
