A Visit to Taranaki 
On our first night we stayed in Inglewood which is only about a 15 minute drive from New Plymouth. Our accommodation at Stoney Oaks Wildlife Park was something quite different. Our family of 5 stayed in a cool farm cottage within the park grounds. The view from our kitchen window was an assortment of baby animals; piglets, goats and bunnys. We were able to pop out into the farm anytime and pet these cuties!
While staying on the farm, owner Gail took us on a tour where we got up close to her incredible amount of animals! Gail is so passionate about her farm, and she gave us an amazing incite about all the rare breeds like the highland cattle, deer, llamas, miniature horses and the Tibetan yak.
Our next stop was New Plymouth. We heard the weather was going to pack up in the afternoon, so we went to Pukekura Park first as to avoid the rain. This amazingly vast park has so much within the grounds. We started at Brooklands Zoo (free entry) where we saw the monkeys. Visitors can walk through the free flight aviary and hang out with farmyard animals. The playground is huge, and there are picnic spots which we would have used if it wasn’t raining!
The weather did arrive so we parked up our campervan at a
local camping ground and braved a walk along the stunning coastal walkway to
Puke Ariki Museum (free entry). 
New Plymouth city is pretty cool, and there are heaps of places to eat and shop. There are also plenty of parks and gardens to visit.
Taranaki is situated on the west coast of the North Island, and has great surf beaches. Mt Taranaki dominates the landscape of the region and can be seen from most Taranaki towns.
The Taranaki region is definitely worth a visit. It offers visitors plenty to see and do, and is a great destination for those on a budget.
Find out more about the Taranaki region, and find accommodation and things to do …
