History, Arts and Culture

Taranaki Arts Trail

Taranaki boasts some of New Zealand’s top artists, and the region cultivates a thriving arts scene – with a great many galleries, private studios and smaller craft stores to be found both in New Plymouth and our smaller surrounding towns.

Grab an Arts Trail brochure from our office and discover the colours, media and textures of our local talent. Less than an hours drive-takes an hour

This excellent museum in Hawera (less than an hour’s drive from our holiday park) is widely acclaimed as the best private museum in the country. The Museum uses 3-dimensional life-size exhibits and scale models to really capture the past in a series of super-realistic, super-detailed displays.  For Nigel Ogle, the owner, the museum is one big art project. For your whole family (grandparents and children, too!) it is a marvel.

One of the South Pacific’s leading contemporary art museums and home to the internationally-acclaimed Len Lye collection. The gallery is open 7 days a week and there is a delightful café here also.