The Southern Scenic Route - Dunedin and the Catlins

Mural in Dunedin

Dunedin is Gaelic for Edinburgh; it is named after Scotland's capital city and is the second largest city in the South Island.  Captain Cook saw seals off the coast here in 1770 and this led to the arrival of sealers during the nineteenth century.  The first European to settle in the area was William Tucker in 1815; permanent European settlement dates from 1831 when a whaling station was established.  Dunedin was officially founded in 1848 as the special settlement of the Free Church of Scotland.  Dunedin's surveyor attempted to design a 'Romantic' city, and as the city grew in prosperity during gold rush days, many imposing buildings were built.  There is a fine Anglican Cathedral, St Pauls; a Catholic Cathedral, St Josephs; and several gothic Presbyterian churches.  Businesses, institutions and buildings such as the railway station, remain as a testament to the Victorian architects.

            We managed to tuck Tangaroa into a space in the small NZMCA park in the city and set out to explore on foot.  The Octagon is Dunedin's eight-sided plaza—it is mainly pedestrianised, with grass, paved areas and a statue of Robert Burns in pride of place.  Many attractive buildings line it and the nearby streets, as well as plenty of cafes and bars.  We visited the art gallery, then set off to discover some more art—on the walls of the city's streets.  Over the last few years street artists from New Zealand and the rest of the world have been encouraged to paint murals large and small in the alleyways and blank walls around the city centre.  Armed with a map, we spent over an hour finding and photographing most of them.  Somehow the modern—and often the surreal—artworks seemed to enhance the striking old buildings.

            The Otago Peninsula is a twenty kilometre stretch of land that runs along the south shores of the Otago Harbour.  Freedom camping is not encouraged on the peninsula and there are prohibited zones scattered around.  We wanted to have a look around though and it seemed easier to leave Tangaroa parked, and take a few day trips in the car.  Tunnel Beach was a great place to start.  Although not strictly on the Peninsula, it was on the route between where we had parked our bus and the next stop on our itinerary, Sandfly Bay.  At its narrowest point the Otago Peninsula is a mere one and a half kilometres wide, this is where Dunedin's seaside suburbs are found.  We turned up onto a ridge, with wide views along the 20 kilometres of the peninsula and of the Otago Harbour.

Tunnel Beach

            Tunnel Beach had it all.  Not only golden sand and clear water—but we got to it through a tunnel, hand carved through the rock of the cliffs.  The walk down to Tunnel Beach from the car park was beautiful in itself; there were views down to coastal stacks and a huge natural arch.  Then there was the difficult choice: should we go down the tunnel first, or go up onto the arch?  We chose the arch and were rewarded by views of pristine, golden sandy beaches and clear blue water, with long views down the coast.  Then for the tunnel—through a small arch and down 72 steps—then finally out from the dark, into dazzling daylight, our own private beach!

            We were lucky that we had arrived early and for a while were the only people here, experiencing what its first owners had desired—their own exclusive piece of paradise.  The tunnel was built by the Cargill family in the 1870s.  Captain William Cargill was a Presbyterian Scotsman, instrumental in setting up the Free Church settlement of Otago.  His son, the politician John Cargill, gave Tunnel Beach to his daughter as a birthday present.  The family enjoyed the privacy its seclusion afforded them, unlike the nearby public beach at St Clair.

            The village of Portobello was our next stop, a picturesque place for a coffee, with a funky cafe and some little shops to peruse.  Named after Portobello in Edinburgh, Scotland, it did not look remotely Scottish!  It was here that we turned back towards the coast and Sandfly Bay.  Knowing how prevalent the biting blackflies are in the South Island I was expecting the worst!  However, I discovered that the bay is named for the sand, brought in by the prevailing currents and mounded by the wind into huge dunes.  There was a viewpoint five minutes into the three-kilometre-return track, and from there the trail wound downwards until we reached the dunes.  These dunes, which rise 100 metres above the beach are among New Zealand's tallest and were great fun to run down. 

Sandfly bay

            The beach curved for about a kilometre and at the far end was a rocky promontory, home to fur seals and sea lions.  Hookers Sea Lions were once hunted almost to extinction.  A small population survived on the sub-Antarctic islands, and from there have begun to re-colonise the Otago coast.  As we observed the sleeping and basking seals there was suddenly excitement as first one, and then two sea lions came surfing up to the beach.  After playing boisterously together one hauled himself up on his flippers—they are surprisingly big!—and made his way up the beach, disdainfully ignoring the awed watchers.  Yellow-eyed penguins also visit the beach and there was a wooden hide set above the rocks where the public could view the penguins without disturbing them.  Unlike the seals and sea lions, they are shy.  The return walk was fine until we had to stagger up those steep dunes. 

            Another walk nearby went from the aptly named Sandymount to coastal cliffs, where we gazed into a huge indentation called 'the Chasm' and watched waves crashing 250 metres below.  A little way beyond this was 'Lovers Leap', where the sea had gouged out a narrow passage between sheer cliffs.  Who the lovers were, and why they leapt across a gap they could have walked around, is unknown—but the name adds a romantic note to the map of the coastline.

            Probably the most famous visitor attraction on the Otago Peninsula is Larnach Castle, New Zealand's only castle.  It was built over a period of three years in the 1880s by James Larnach, a businessman and banker from Australia, with the interior taking an additional 12 years to complete.  The castle has had a chequered history.  After James Larnach's death it was sold and was later used as a lunatic asylum, a nun's retreat and a hospital for shell-shocked soldiers.  The ballroom was relegated to a sheep pen.  Luckily for visitors Larnach Castle was purchased in the 1960s by the Barker family who have returned the derelict and ramshackle building to its former glory.  Magnificent gardens have been created by Margaret Barker and are regarded by the New Zealand Gardens Trust as  gardens of international significance. 

            At the end of the Otago Peninsula, where the harbour meets the ocean, we came to the blustery Taiaroa Head.  The head is famous for having the only breeding colony of albatross on an inhabited mainland.  The viewing centre offers tours throughout the day, where visitors can watch the birds in their natural environment.  At dusk there are viewing tours of Little Blue Penguins.  The headland was not always such a haven for wildlife.  In the early 1830s, nearby Pilot's Beach was known as Hobart Town Beach because men from Tasmania were employed at the whaling works there.  Luckily, there are now an increasing number of Dusky Dolphins, Orca, Humpback and Southern Right Whales to be sighted where once they were slaughtered.  An area that began its European settlement by killing wildlife now draws tourists to join in celebrating them.

View of the Catlins coast

            Heading south from Dunedin and the Otago Peninsula we came to another picturesque region, the Catlins.  We found an NZMCA park at Niagara Falls, named by a surveyor with a sense of humour—it is just a very small cascade in the river.  You can buy the 'been there, done that' tee-shirt at the local cafe.  A really stunning waterfall nearby is the 22-metre-high McLean Falls, accessed through forest on a 40-minute-return track.  Purakaunui Falls, a 20-minute-return walk, is one of the most photographed waterfalls in New Zealand—the water cascades down three distinct tiers to the viewing platform.

            There were plenty of waterfalls to discover in the Catlins—it seemed to rain almost as much as the west coast—but this made the waterfalls dramatic and the bush so verdant.  There were also many bush walks to experience in the darkly-green, podocarp rainforests of the Catlins.  The bush was home to a variety of bird-life; we saw lots of fantails, tomtits, tui and native pigeon.  Some walks we did combined bush and beach, such as the Picnic Point walk at Papatowai beach and estuary, where there were several walks, varying in length from 20 minutes to three hours.

Purakaunui Falls, Catlins

            There were countless beaches and bays along the Catlins coast.  At Pounawea, where the Catlins River runs into the estuary, we found the timeless atmosphere of a quintessential Kiwi beach: sand, sea, wharf and boat ramp.  The viewpoint at Florence Hill showed another stunning beach, Tautuku Bay.  Further west were the Cathedral Caves—at 199 meters in passage length, one of the longest sea caves in the world.  There used to be another sea cave near Jack's Bay.  Sometime in the past the roof section of the cavern collapsed, leaving a blowhole 55 metres deep.  We walked to this blowhole, just inland from the beach, along a well marked track, taking around one hour (return).  The area is named after the Māori chief Tūhawaiki, known to early settlers as 'Bloody Jack'.

Cathedral Caves

            Another unique Catlins phenomena is Curio Bay, where there are the petrified remains of a forest.  At low tide the fossilised forest is revealed, showing the imprints of trees and ferns from 180 million years ago.  There is also a small colony of yellow-eyed penguins that can be viewed from the beach.  We were disappointed on our visit to find part of the beach roped off and inaccessible, so we couldn't examine much of the fossils.  This was probably for the protection of the penguins though, and we were delighted to see them.  Nugget Point lighthouse was another spot where we enjoyed viewing wildlife.  On the rocky 'nuggets' below the headland, seals and sea lions basked on rocks and cavorted amongst the kelp.  There were yellow-eyed penguins there too, and spoonbills sheltering on the cliff sides.

Nugget Point Lighthouse

            Although the main attraction of the Catlins area was its unspoiled, picturesque beauty, there were small towns and villages along the way that we enjoyed visiting.  Owaka was the largest and had a recently completed museum as well as shops, cafes and a quirky garden called Teapotland!  The Catlins must attract artistic and inventive characters because Papatowai had the most interesting and amusing assortment of 'organic mechanics' I have ever seen.  Visitors could easily while away an hour looking at the ingenious inventions in the Lost Gypsy Caravan Gallery and Gardens here: there were games and gizmos galore.

            After taking a look at Slope Point, the most southerly point of the South Island, we hitched the car to the rear of Tangaroa and went to take a look at some more of New Zealand's southern tip.

·       Places mentioned in this post - correct at the time of writing

Walks

• Dunedin's Mural Walk

www.newzealand.com/in/plan/business/dunedin-street-art-trail

1 hr 30 min, easy

Information and map from Dunedin i-SITE, 50 The Octagon, Dunedin

• ·         Tunnel Beach

www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/places-to-go/otago/places/dunedin-area/things-to-do/tunnel-beach-track

2 km return, 1 hr, easy: walking track

Access: 25, Tunnel Beach Rd, Blackhead, Dunedin

• ·         Sandfly Bay Track

www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/places-to-go/otago/places/otago-peninsula-area/things-to-do/sandfly-bay-track

3 km return, 1 hr 30 min, easy: walking track

Access: Seal Point Rd, Pukehiki

• ·         Sandymount Track

www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/places-to-go/otago/places/otago-peninsula-area/things-to-do/sandymount-track

2.5 km loop, 1 hr, easy: walking track

Access: Sandymount Rd, Sandymount

• ·         McLean Falls Walk

www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/places-to-go/otago/places/catlins-conservation-park/things-to-do/mclean-falls-walk

40 min return, easiest: short walk

Access: Catlins Forest Park, Rewcastle Rd

• ·         Purakaunui Falls Walk

www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/places-to-go/otago/places/catlins-coastal-area/things-to-do/purakaunui-falls-walk

20 min return, easiest short walk

Access: Purakaunui Falls Rd, Owaka

• ·         Cathedral Caves

www.cathedralcaves.co.nz

www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/places-to-go/otago/places/catlins-coastal-area/things-to-do/cathedral-caves-walk

Access: Chaslands Highway, Chaslands

There is a small charge to access the beach and caves

• ·         Picnic Point Walk

www.catlins.org.nz/index.php?/site/twb_trails

40 min return, easy walking track

Access: Papatowai

• ·         Jacks Bay Blowhole Track

www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/places-to-go/otago/places/catlins-coastal-area/things-to-do/jacks-blowhole-track

1 hr, easy: walking track

Access: 278, Jacks Bay Rd, Hinahina

Places to visit

·         Larnach Castle

145, Camp Rd, Dunedin

www.larnachcastle.co.nz

Hours: 9.00 am-5.00 pm castle, 9.00 am-7.00 pm gardens

Entry price: adult $31, child $10

• ·         Taiaroa Head Royal Albatross Centre

Harrington Point Rd, Taiaroa Head

www.albatross.org.nz

Hours: 10.15 am to dusk

Entry price: various tours, e.g.  Albatross Classic, adult $50, child $15

• ·         Curio Bay

Waikawa-Curio Bay Rd

www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/places-to-go/otago/places/catlins-coastal-area/curio-bay-porpoise-bay

• ·         Nugget Point Lighthouse

The Nuggets Rd, Ahuriri Flat

www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/places-to-go/otago/places/catlins-coastal-area/curio-bay-porpoise-bay

• ·         Lost Gypsy Caravan Gallery and Gardens

Chaslands Highway, Papatowai

www.thelostgypsy.com

Hours: Labour weekend (October) to Anzac Weekend (April)

Out West - Taranaki

The North Island's west coast isn't known as 'the west coast'—that name belongs to the South Island.  Instead each part of the coast has its own individual feel.  It is a diverse region with everything from caves to river trips; from remote harbours to vibrant cities; from hidden lakes to seaside settlements. 

            We began our exploration where SH 23 heads west from Hamilton to the Raglan Harbour.  Most famous for its surf breaks, Raglan has black sand on its ocean beaches.  The little settlement has a palm-lined main street and some funky cafes.  It is a very pretty spot.  We walked around Raglan's waterfront then took the car for a big loop drive along the cliffs that overlook the Tasman Sea and back via the Bridal Falls.  This waterfall is 55 metres high, with viewing platforms at the top and the bottom.  We scrambled right down to the pool that has formed below the waterfalls, trying to decide if the falls looked more dramatic from above or below.

Pirongia

Bridal Veil Falls

            Kawhia Harbour, south of Raglan, is an even quieter place.  We had hoped to spend longer exploring this area but got stuck for a while in a small car park in Pirongia.  Just as we drove into town there was an explosive bang.  Unsure what had happened, Malcolm pulled into the car parking area and we took a look.  One of Tangaroa's rear tyres had burst and another was flat.  This entailed phone calls to a garage, then the mechanic had to drive to Hamilton to get a replacement tyre.  Meanwhile we took the car for a look at Kawhia. 

            The tiny settlement nestles on the shores of the harbour.  We walked around looking at the wooden buildings and carved posts by the jetty.  Bow and stern stones on the waterfront marked the burial place of the Tainui canoe—Kawhia is where some Māori explorers settled after their arrival from Polynesia.  Interestingly there was a modern-day sailing waka moored off the marae.  We had a quick look in the museum by the wharf, then drove through Kawhia Forest to the dunes that border the ocean beach.  Like the more famous one on the Coromandel Peninsula, this is a hot water beach.  Locals were busy digging holes in the sand as the tide receded then sitting having a little soak.  We didn't have swimming togs with us but paddled in a couple of abandoned holes.

Tangaroa parked near Te Kuiti

            Back on the road again we found a lovely spot to park Tangaroa in the Mangaokewa Scenic Reserve at Te Kuiti.  There is a short walk here which we did one evening.  It went beside the stream and past a 'cascade' to a waterfall.  Neither of these were very dramatic but it was a pleasant walk. 

            The following day we took the car to the Waitomo area.  The Waitomo Caves are a well-known tourist attraction and, because it was several years since we had last visited, we thought we would take another look.  Waitomo is limestone country and it is riddled with caves.  The name Waitomo translates as 'water passing through a hole', though the Caves trip is somewhat grander than that implies.  The tour involved walking down to a cavern, where we joined a group of visitors aboard a boat.  Our guide jumped aboard and soon we were journeying through dark tunnels and chambers.  Stalactites hung down from ceilings that were illuminated by millions of glow-worms.  It was like looking up at a starry sky—the lapping of water creating a unique experience.  We were underground for about half an hour, then suddenly it was over and we emerged, blinking, into the daylight.

            We knew there were quite a lot of caves and associated features along the minor road that lead from Waitomo Caves to the coast, so we went to discover them.  The first we stopped at was Mangapohue Natural Bridge, a twenty-five minutes drive from Waitomo.  We found the 17-metre-high natural arch after walking along a boardwalk through a ferny gorge.  The arch was all that remained of an ancient cave system that would once have been like Waitomo.  A wooden staircase lead to a viewing platform, from where we could see stalactites on the underside of the bridge.  We popped out the exit at this higher level and marker posts showed us the way back, through farmland, to the car.  Limestone outcrops in the field were studded with fossilised oysters that dated back 25 million years. 

Mangapohue

            Further down the road was Piripiri cave.  A short bush walk brought us to the cave where steps led down inside.  It was quite a big cave, giving an idea of what Mangapohue would have looked like before its collapse.

                        Not far from the cave we spotted a sign for Marokopa Falls.  We had another short bush walk, through tawa and nīkau, to a viewing platform.  The Marokopa Falls have been described as the most beautiful in New Zealand.  Cascading from a height of 35 metres, they were certainly on a par with other lovely waterfalls we have seen—and certainly more spectacular than Te Kuiti's cascade of the previous evening. 

Marakopa Falls

                        Our next stop was Tongaporutu, where we freedom camped at the reserve.  One afternoon we walked along the beach to explore part of the White Cliffs Walkway.  The section we walked was beautiful and dramatic, starring coastal stacks known as the Three Sisters—although there are now only two of them.  Years ago, apparently, there were four but the sea has gradually claimed the first two.  There are other rock formations on the beach—beside the sisters is a stack sometimes called The Cousin, and nearby is Elephant Rock.  Elephant Rock has arches and fissures so really looks as if it has legs and a trunk.  The sea is working on the cliffs that border the beach and they are studded with caves.

Coastal scenery at Tongapurutu

                        New Plymouth was next on our itinerary.  The city sits at the north of the almost circular projection of land that surrounds Mt Taranaki.  This mountain is a cone shaped volcanic peak, 2,518 metres high.  Māori legend tells how Mt Taranaki used to live beside the volcanic peaks of the central plateau.  Mt Taranaki and Mt Tongariro fought over the beautiful Mt Pihanga.  Mt Taranaki was defeated and escaped to the west, coming to rest where he sits today.  Captain Cook and the crew of the Endeavour were the first Europeans to see the mountain, which Cook named in honour of the First Lord of the Admiralty, the Earl of Egmont.  Until 1986 the mountain was known as Mt Egmont, then its name was officially recorded as both Mt Egmont and Taranaki.  Mt Taranaki is becoming the more widely-used name.

                        We squeezed Tangaroa into a spot beside other freedom campers at New Plymouth's Huatoki Reserve.  From here there was a walkway into the city, following the Huatoki Stream.  The walk took about an hour and a half—a green corridor passing through suburbs and terminating beside Len Lye's Wind Wand.  This 48-metre-tall kinetic sculpture is almost as much of a New Plymouth icon as Mt Taranaki is.  Nearby, the new wing of the Govett-Brewster Gallery is named the Len Lye Centre.  It is housed behind a rippling wall of mirror-like stainless steel and is dedicated to Lye's works.  We were keen to visit  the Centre and weren't disappointed, the kinetic works were fascinating. 

At the Len Lye Centre

                        Another day we cycled the Coastal Walkway.  This 12-kilometre stretch of promenade goes from Ngamotu Beach, along past the centre of New Plymouth and finishes at Bell Block beach.  It was a lovely ride with probably the most impressive feature being Te Rewa Rewa Bridge.  It looks like a combination of a whale skeleton and a breaking wave and—when it is not wreathed in cloud—it frames Mt Taranaki.

                        There is plenty of walking to do in the area too.  Pukekura Park is close to the city centre.  Opened in 1876, the park covers 52 hectares of lakes, formal gardens, specimen trees, trails in native bush—and a zoo.  We spent several hours walking around and even then missed some parts!  After morning tea at the Edwardian looking Tea House on the Lake, we found the oldest pūriri tree in the country (2,000 years old) but missed The Gables, the oldest hospital still standing in New Zealand.  It was built in 1848 and moved to its present site in 1904.

Pukekura Park

                        For something different we took the road around the mountain to Dawson Falls Visitors Centre in Egmont National Park.  The park's bush clad slopes were a sudden surprise after the rolling pastoral countryside. The road climbed gradually to 900 metres above sea level at the Visitors Centre.  Several walks began here and we chose two of the shorter ones, the Kapuni Loop Track, which passes the Dawson Falls, and the Wilkies Pool Track.  Both these loop walks pass through what the locals call 'goblin forest' because of the moss-covered gnarled trees.  The Dawson Falls are 18 metres in height and were named after Thomas Dawson, the first European to discover them.  Māori named them Te Rere o Noke (Noke's Falls), commemorating a warrior who evaded his pursuers by hiding behind them.

Mount Taranaki

The Visitor Centre

Dawson Falls

            Eventually we headed south—following the 'surf highway', SH 45, around the edge of the coast to Hawera, where we stayed at the NZMCA park.  Just outside Hawera at Tawhiti is what has been described as New Zealand's most innovative museum.  Ex art teacher, Nigel Ogle, has created a series of realistic displays with life-sized figures created from moulds of real people.  The smaller scale dioramas are also extremely realistic — no two models are the same. 

At the Tawhiti Museum

Sealers and Whalers

One of the detailed dioramas

In the tractor shed

Since our previous visit the museum has been enlarged and this time we took in the Traders and Whalers attraction.  This involves a boat ride through a river environment, lit only by candles and lanterns, where scenes from the early 1800s are enacted—complete with dialogue and gun battles.  After this we perused the Farm Power Hall, which is a magnet for those interested in vintage tractors and farm machinery.  Ogle has added his own trademark touches with the lifelike characters who are displayed interacting with the exhibits.  This museum is really a place where the visitor can spend hours—at least half a day—and we did.

            We completed our tour of this part of the North Island's west at Lake Rotorangi.  This 46-kilometre-long serpentine lake is the longest man-made lake in the country, formed in 1984 when the Patea River was dammed.  The flooded valley is fed by springs and has become a protected area of natural beauty.  The hard part is getting there.  The road through the mountains twisted down around hairpin bends, over a narrow bridge and then along 11 kilometres of rough, unsealed track.  It was worth the white-knuckled drive though, the lakeside by the dam was beautiful and we had it all to ourselves.  Across the dam we discovered a 45-minute loop track through lowland beech forest, with views out across the lake.  There was a deserted campground here and we really felt like the only people in the world.  Eating breakfast with mist curling up from the still waters of the lake, with birds the only sign of life, was truly magical.

Tangaroa at lake Rotorangi

Information about places mentioned in this post - correct at time of writing

Walks

• ·         Bridal Veils Falls

www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/places-to-go/waikato/places/raglan-area/tracks/waireinga-bridal-veil-falls/

20 min, one way, easiest: short walk

Access: Kawhia Rd, Makomako

• ·         Mangapohue Natural Bridge

www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/places-to-go/waikato/places/waitomo-area/tracks/mangapohue-natural-bridge-walk

700 m loop, 20 min, easiest: short walk

Access: Te Anga Rd, Te Anga

• ·         Piripiri Cave

www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/places-to-go/waikato/places/waitomo-area/tracks/mangapohue-natural-bridge-walk

300 m, 5 min, easiest: short walk

Access: Te Anga Rd, Te Anga

• ·         Marokopa Falls Walk

www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/places-to-go/waikato/places/waitomo-area/tracks/marokopa-falls-walk

600 m return, 20 min, easiest: short walk

Access; Te Anga Rd, Te Anga

• ·         New Plymouth Coastal Walkway

www.newplymouthnz.com/Residents/Attractions-and-Recreation/Coastal-Walkway

Access: at various points, 13 km, easy (walk or cycle)

• ·         Lake Rotorangi

https://visit.taranaki.info/visit/see-and-do/lake-rotorangi-walkway.aspx

1.4 km, 40 min, easy

Access: Rotorangi Rd, off Maben Rd

• ·         Walks from Dawson Falls Visitors Centre

http://www.doc.govt.nz/Documents/parks-and-recreation/tracks-and-walks/wanganui/dawson-falls-east-egmont-brochure-and-map.PDF

Dawson Falls Walk:  10 min 1 way, easy

Kapuni Loop Track:  1 hr round trip, easy

Wilkies Pool Track:  1.hr 20 min round trip, easy

Access: Manaia Rd, Egmont National Park

Hours: 9.00 am-4.00 pm

Places to visit

• ·         Kawhia Museum

Omimiti Reserve, Kawhia

Hours: 11.00 am-4.00 pm Sundays and public holidays in summer, weekends

11.00 am-4.00 pm in winter,

Entry : free

• ·         Waitomo Glowworm Caves

Waitomo Village Rd, Waitomo

www.waitomocaves.com

Hours: 8.30 am-5.30 pm summer, 9.00 am-5.00 pm winter

Entry price: adult $51, child $23.50

• ·         Govett-Brewster Art Gallery Len Lye Centre

42, Queen St, New Plymouth

www.govettbrewster.com/len-lye/centre

Hours: 10.00 am-4.00 pm

Entry: free

• ·         Pukekura Park

10, Fillis St, Brooklands, New Plymouth

www.pukekura.org.nz

• ·         Tawhiti Museum

410, Ohangai Rd, Hawera

www.tawhitimuseum.co.nz

Hours: Friday, Saturday, Sunday 10.00 am-4.00 pm, summer (Boxing Day-end January) open every day, winter (June, July, August) Sundays only

Entry price: Museum, adult $15, child $5; Traders and Whalers, adult $15, child $5