Gorgeous naturalist park with winding pathways through spectacular trees and flowers. Abundant bird…read morelife and views over the several lakes Stunning tea house at the age of one lake with views to Powys bridge and a glimpse of Mt Taranaki.

This is a very nice, multi purpose space in the middle of town. There's a beautiful lake, an…read moreoutdoor concert venue, a sports arena and a very well maintained botanic garden. The gardens are beautiful with decorative bridges, a fountain, waterfall and various specialty gardens. The tea house is a lovely building also. It is visually wonderful, with a stunning view of Maunga Taranaki from the tea house.

Well presented and maintained campsite. Lots of powered and unpowered sites as well as immaculate…read morecabins. Bathrooms and kitchen areas spotless. Easy walk down to river mouth and the cliffs and beach. Part of the coastal walkway - but be aware of fast tides.

I'm a kiwi living in Hawaii and being back in New Zealand has reminded me of how much better…read moreplaygrounds are here than in the states... Maybe it's cos kiwis don't sue each other over every broken bone but seriously the playgrounds in NZ are 100000000x better than the ones in US... this one is particularly amazing because there are like 5 different playgrounds all in one area! There's a huge flying fox, some large slides, hamster wheels, under 5s area, a train, adult outdoor gym equipment, and more!!! The only downside to this play area is if you have a lot of kids to watch it's hard to get them to stay in the same area! They will be running in every direction and wanting to try all the different play equipment. Definitely a must visit if you have younger kids!

This is a must-stop place for my kids when visiting grandparents in Horowhenua. They absolutely…read morelove it. It is a well equipped playground with plenty to climb, swing, slide, and ride on for under fives through to those that are young at heart. There is a fenced area for the pre-schoolers and a wide array of equipment for older kids. It includes plenty of climbing frames, things that swing, things that spin and a flying fox. It also has a mini train that offers rides for free. The park has toilets, free barbeque and an indoor dining area. There are also wide open spaces at the back for that game of footy or Frisbee. I haven't found a better free playground in NZ. Thanks to the charitable trust, Horowhenua people, and council for this great facility

Beautiful native park reserve not far from New Plymouth. Gorgeous lake area with long or short…read morewalkways. It is possible to walk right around the lake. On a clear day you can get fantastic views of mt Taranaki. Lots of ducks and geese, especially around the picnic spots. Lots of native flora and birds also. Dogs are allowed as long as on a lead

NGA Manu is advertised as a nature reserve and opportunity to see nz bird and wild life up close…read more The area is beautiful with well graded and pathed bush walks through native forest. There are several pond areas and a large lawn for picnics. The park aside, the actual bird and wildlife is very disappointing. Lots of ducks geese and pukekos running around. But the aviaries and cages are run down and contain only one sad looking bird each when we looked at the kea and kaka birds. There is a good nocturnal kiwi house and we saw two tuatara lizards peeking out from under rocks. The kids had a good time running around and loved the eel feeding at 2 pm but overall at $18 per adult and $8 per child it was an expensive park to picnic in with only a couple of attractions. You can see more birds for free taking a walk around nearby estuaries. Real shame

This is a must do for those who are strong hikers. The initial 3 miles or so is a gentle grade…read morethrough the volcanic planes, then it traverses upward and the views start. Some of the areas were muddy and a bit treacherous even with high quality hiking boots so do not try this in anything less. We saw several persons trying to do the walk in regular athletic shoes and they were often on their rear end trying to go down the slope of the red crater to see emerald lakes. The Emerald and blue lakes are spectacular. The final 6 miles or so are all downhill with a few very short gentle uphills and hiking poles are highly recommended to take weight off of your knees. The last couple of miles are through lush green forest and bush, which was a pleasant surprise and offered cooling shade.

MOUNT DOOM!!! I…read moretraveled halfway around the world to destroy the Sauron's Ring of Power...but I'm not much a hiker, and certainly I'm not going to survive the 8-9 hours of hiking it takes to do the full Tongariro Alpine Crossing. So I ended up keeping the Ring instead...but I did enjoy a solid 2.5 hours worth of hiking along the south end of the hike. Lovely landscapes, a nice little stream flows along the well maintained path, and the views of Mount Doom are spectacular, especially for Lord of the Rings fans such as myself. The New Zealand government does a fine job of keeping the trails and bridges in great condition. Beware of the bathrooms though, be sure to bring some toilet paper and wet wipes...its gross inside!!!

Looking for an alternative near taupo for rafting, i found this company. My original plan to raft…read morethe kaituna river got disrupted due to 'flood gates opening' to prevent flooding. What i liked: - easy to find (next to hw1) - good amount of rapids (grade 1-3) - friendly staff - good material - good safety instructions What i missed: - a shower at the end. There are only changing facilities Even though i missed the kaituna waterfall drop, this was real fun to do. Especially when it rains, rafting is a great activity to do. There are options for normal rafting, or family rafting. I took the normal rafting... Which includes more complex rapids and surely getting wet.

I highly recommend you go rafting with this group. The guides know the ins and outs of the river,…read moreknow where to go are very experienced in case you get in any trouble. They are very personable and make your trip worthwhile. It is not a very big operation, so you are assured of getting personal attention, and they go out of their way to ensure a fantastic experience. The ride itself is about 2 hours on a beautiful part of the river. These folks love what they do and it shows. Excellent value for the money. I had to cancel and rebook the trip and got my refund very quickly.