taranaki
Taranaki - a relatively undiscovered region dominated by its picture-perfect mountain, dramatic coastline and endless seascape, Taranaki offers a treasure trove of excitement, culture and urban sophistication for any event or conference.
Consider this. Where in New Zealand could you ski pristine mountain pistes in the morning and ride giant surf breaks in the afternoon?
Where could you visit seal colonies on hazy summer's days before strolling along a 7km award-winning coastal walkway lapped by Tasman Sea waves?
Where could you ride Hollywood megastar Tom Cruise's horse along farmland trails then dine in a gourmet restaurant backdropped by a fabulous sunset? Or plummet headfirst down mountain slopes on a high-spec bike then take a leisurely tour of New Zealand 's best private museum filled with life-size and scale models?
Taranaki. That's where!
Protected in the past by its isolated location, Taranaki is fast becoming a preferred tourist destination for visitors young and old. Home to several annual and biannual events celebrating the region's internationally renowned gardens and parks, Taranaki has recently matured into a superb conference destination offering the best of every other New Zealand region ...and then some.
What about adrenaline-pumping dam-dropping down the Waingongoro River - unique to Taranaki - or scaling the 2518m dormant cone of Mt Taranaki? The region's bustling cosmopolitan service city of New Plymouth, excellent travel options by road or air, range of accommodation providers and vast selection of cafes, restaurants and fabulous iconic facilities like contemporary museum/library/information centre Puke Ariki makes it an ideal event venue for any type of affair and any type of audience.
With a poetic history and a go-getter ambience, Taranaki combines an attractive lifestyle with city amenities. Mt Taranaki - according to Maori legend, banished to his current site by the Central Plateau peaks angry over his ancient infatuation with pretty Mt Pirongia - offers a stunning central backdrop to the region, and his surrounding skirt of the Egmont National Park includes more than 300km of tracks from 15-minute nature walks through the magical 'Goblin Forest' to a three-five day circuit of the mountain.
Half an hour's drive from the mountain is the spirited Taranaki coast, and you won't find a more majestic sight anywhere. With black ironsand beaches that retain the sun's warmth even in winter and the myriad of internationally lauded surf breaks along the 105km Surf Highway 45, water-lovers can expect to find most aquatic pastimes on offer: tandem surfing, windsurfing, kite-surfing, kayaking, deep sea fishing charters, yachting and paddling an authentic 12m waka, to name but a few.