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Welcome to Taranaki
To read articles on Taranaki and people who have moved to the region in New Zealand Immigration's LINKZ magazine click here http://www.immigration.govt.nz/NR/rdonlyres/4885DEBB-4986-4C9E-BCAD-67BEE9C329C6/0/LINKZ42.pdf . There are also more success stories in the Case Study section.
Finding a home
Taranaki offers a wide variety of affordable housing ranging from apartment living in city and town centres, traditional bungalows on private sections to lifestyle blocks in the countryside. With the affordability of housing in the region, along with the time you’ll save in commuting, Taranaki gives you lifestyle choices ‘like no other’.
With a spacious, safe living environment, Taranaki is a great place to call home. If you would like to find somewhere to live please contact a local real estate agent or check out their websites for more details.
If you choose to make New Plymouth your home, no matter what suburb you live in, you will be just minutes away from the city centre. It’s likely to take you no more than 10 minutes to commute to work each day. Hawera, Stratford, Inglewood, www.inglewood.co.nz Waitara, www.waitara.co.nzOakura, Opunake www.opunake.com, Urenui and many of the other towns around Taranaki provide an inviting alternative to city living.
In these small communities, you will find homes on spacious sections and lifestyle blocks with sea and/or mountain views.
Renting
There is a wide variety of rental housing available in all towns around the region, and if you are moving from overseas, we recommend that you rent first before buying so that you can learn more about the market and where you would like to settle before buying a house.
Buying
Buying a house is generally a straightforward and simple process. The average time it takes for settlement to go through once an offer has been accepted is 30 days, and there is no ability for other people to gazump you here. A great way to get a feel for the market is to attend ‘open homes’ at the weekends. For information on the buying process, residency rules and arranging a mortgage please talk to your friendly local bank manager.
Real Estate Information
www.venturetaranaki.com/content.php/id/18
www.bayleys.co.nz
www.bienvenue.co.nz
www.eieio.co.nz
www.fnalliedfarmers.co.nz
www.harcourts.co.nz
www.harveys.co.nz
www.nz.open2view.com
www.quinovic.co.nz
www.qv.co.nz
www.realestate.co.nz
www.remax.co.nz
www.tsbrealty.co.nz
www.urbanstudio.co.nz
www.rwtaranaki.co.nz
Schools and Education
There are a wide variety of education providers in the region, from day care to tertiary institutions where children are taught by highly qualified, dedicated staff. Our schools provide a safe, friendly and positive environment where students are actively encouraged to reach their full potential.
Quality education begins at one of Taranaki’s high-level preschool facilities which include kindergartens, play centres, Montessori preschool, child care centres, home-based family day cares and nanny placement services.
Primary and intermediate schools offer low teacher to pupil ratios and secondary students have the choice of enrolling in a school that suits their needs. Whether it is co-education, single sex, boarding or day school, religious or secular, our schools are renowned for their academic and sporting achievements.
Sector specific training is provided by Industry Training Organisations (ITO’s), and tertiary education by the Western Institute of Technology in Taranaki (WITT), Practical Education Institute (PEI) and Pacific International Hotel Management School (PIHMS). Apprenticeships are managed and promoted by a number of different organisations and some larger companies provide internships or graduate programmes as part of their recruitment strategies.
Taranaki is now part of the global KAREN network (Kiwi Advanced Research & Education Network) which provides ultra high speed 1GB broadband to researchers and educators. Taranaki offers a range of excellent facilities where children are taught by highly qualified, dedicated staff.
Educational options
www.taranaki.info/live/list.php/page/schoolseducation
www.edgazette.govt.nz
www.minedu.govt.nz
www.montessori.ac.nz
www.ntkindergartens.co.nz
www.pei.ac.nz
www.pihms.ac.nz
www.playcentre.org.nz
www.porse.co.nz
www.southtaranakikindergartens.org.nz
www.teachnz.govt.nz
www.witt.ac.nz
Healthcare
The Taranaki District Health Board is the key health provider in the region. The Taranaki Base Hospital provides first-class emergency, intensive care and medical care to the community, through an extensive range of specialist surgeons and doctors, covering everything from mental health to pain management, paediatrics to physiotherapy and everything in between. www.tdhb.org.nz
For those looking to start or extend their family, a modern birthing facility, maternity ward and neonatal unit are on offer at Taranaki Base Hospital, along with a top-class radiology department and diagnostic equipment. An ambulance service is operated by the health board and is aligned with other rescue services.
Taranaki is well served by general practitioners, surgical specialists and nurses. There are many supporting primary health organisations offering a variety of services and personnel, including health promotion workers, dieticians, pharmacists, physiotherapists, psychologists and midwives.
ACC
ACC is a government-funded scheme that covers the cost of treatment for accidents and emergencies, both in and out of the workplace. Additional health insurance is recommended for those treatments that fall outside of ACC in order to take advantage of shorter waiting lists and higher quality facilities. www.acc.govt.nz
Ancillary services
There are pharmacists in all towns, and a large number of excellent dentists, physiotherapists and psychologists available too, so there is no need to worry about your health when you are in Taranaki – you will be well taken care of.
www.vivianpharmacy.co.nz
www.amcal.co.nz
www.yellowpages.co.nz
The Taranaki Hospice, Te Rangimarie offers on-site care in New Plymouth and at-home palliative care throughout the region.
Restaurants, Cafes and Bars
Take a leisurely wander down any of Taranaki’s main streets, and you’ll be amazed at the selection of local and international flavours on offer.
Treat your palate to fresh ocean catch at a cosmopolitan downtown bistro, relish a latte in a coastal cafe, or gaze out to sea in an upmarket gourmet restaurant. There is a well-established coffee culture in the region, with talented baristas making coffee in cafés right around the mountain. Three local roasters provide delicious beans to many of these cafes. This has led to a highly competitive and knowledgeable coffee community, which demands the best – and gets it. www.wildcatcoffee.co.nz, www.ozone.co.nz, www.inca-fe.co.nz
For those who appreciate something a little stronger, there are traditional country pubs that offer a glimpse into rural New Zealand, modern wine bars and nightclubs that add flavour to a night out, a few boutique wineries and an organic brewery. To find out what to eat and where, visit www.taranaki.info/visit/content.php/page/dining-and-bars
Festivals and Events
Taranaki has become known as one of the events capitals of new Zealand. Its residents believe that life is about celebrating, so they put on vibrant events that bring the world to Taranaki.
WOMAD
The highlight of the year for many Taranaki people is when WOMAD comes to town. The three-day World of Music, Arts and Dance turns Brooklands Bowl and Pukekura Park into a hive of cultural harmony. Incredibly talented musicians from all over the world and New Zealand, six stages, a global village of art and crafts, a kids’ zone, multi-ethnic food stalls, relaxing bars serving New Zealand’s best beer and wine and an on-site marae all transform this beautiful park in March each year. www.womad.co.nz
Taranaki Rhododendron and Garden Festival
Every year, dozens of Taranaki’s best gardeners open their hearts and homes to visitors. The annual Taranaki Rhododendron and Garden Festival enable visitors and locals to wander through the natural beauties of the region. For ten days at the start of November, the region is abuzz with people wowing at topiary hedges, clever plantings, blooming roses and rhododendrons. www.rhodo.co.nz Alongside this, the Taranaki Garden Fringe Festival offers another selection of earthy creations for people to view. www.taranakigardens.com
TSB Festival of Lights
Every summer, Taranaki people talk about “going to see the lights”. They are referring to the TSB Festival of Lights at Pukekura Park, the magnificent bush-clad heart of New Plymouth. For this festival, trees lining the paths and around the lakes are strung with lights, turning the park into an enchanting fairyland. This festival also offers night after night of music concerts and free entertainment on lawns amidst the illuminated bush. A sleeping giant, nativity scenes, a coloured fountain and waterfall, and a walk under ultra-violet lights help make this annual festival magical.
www.festival-of-lights.co.nz
AmeriCARna
Taranaki has staged the AmeriCARna festival, which celebrates all things American. For an entire week hundreds of hot rod, classic car and motorbike enthusiasts parade the region and provide locals with the opportunity to get up close and personal to their prized possessions.
www.americarna.co.nz
Taranaki International Festival of the Arts
The Taranaki International Festival of the Arts happens every two years. This is a time for people to further indulge in music, comedy, drama, dance, writing and circus performances. Over the years, this festival has provided an astounding range of acts, from Slava’s Snowshow to Cirque Éloize, Eddi Reader to New Zealand’s own Topp Twins. It has brought in the Spiegel tent Salon Perdu for cabaret and comedy acts and one year built a temporary ice-rink in the centre of New Plymouth. As well as city-based acts, there are also heartland tours to Taranaki’s smaller communities and marae.
www.artsfest.co.nz
G-Taranaki International Music Festival
The biennial festival is a celebration of all things involving guitars and features a range of genres, including rock, funk, classical, jazz, blues and metal. In 2008, the headline acts were Uli Jon Roth of the Scorpions and Joe Satriani. Roth returns for the 2010 event, also featuring legendary guitarist Slash, from Guns N’ Roses.
www.gtaranaki.co.nz
Other festivals
International film festivals, the Taranaki Wine & Food Festival, alternative music and pyrotechnics festival Detonate www.detonatefestival.co.nz and Youth Fest are among the other events that have been, or continue to be, held in Taranaki.
To find out more about what’s on go to...
www.taranaki.info/visit/events
Sports
Sport is a large focus in Taranaki. Not only does the region host top-class sporting events, it also encourages people to get active. There are a plethora of sports clubs throughout the region, covering a huge number of sports for people of all ages and abilities.
www.sporttaranaki.org.nz
www.inglewoodafc.com
Taranaki has a variety of high-quality sports facilities, clubs and grounds. New Plymouth’s picturesque cricket ground at Pukekura Park received international honours in 2007, when prestigious publisher Wisden named it as one of the six great cricket grounds in the world.
Another one of the region’s premier venues is Yarrow Stadium, judged to be in the top three stadiums in the world by New Zealand Rugby World Magazine.
www.newplymouthnz.com/VisitingNewPlymouth/EventVenues
It regularly hosts major rugby and sporting events, including the All Blacks versus Ireland game in June 2010, as well as three Rugby World Cup matches in September 2011. Opened in 2002, The TET Multi Sports Centre in Stratford, Central Taranaki, is a smoke free facility offering both indoor and outdoor sports, a fully licensed bar and restaurant and large conference facilities www.stratfordsports.co.nz.
The TET Stadium in Inglewood also provides modern rugby, squash and conference facilities and features a world class Mondo all weather running track. The Hub is a sports, recreation and events facility for the whole South Taranaki district, based around Hick’s Park in Hawera. It provides a comfortable, spacious venue for indoor leisure activities and operates as a modern conference/events/function centre as well as a meeting space for a variety of community clubs and organisations. It also links to the neighbouring 800-student Hawera High School and the nearby Powerco Aquatic Centre, which also boasts a recent $3 million upgrade.
Rugby World Cup 2011
Taranaki - the region like no other - is proud to host five international teams across three matches for the Rugby World Cup.
Taranaki will be hosting
- Ireland vs. USA, Sunday 11 September
- Russia vs. USA, Thursday 15 September
- Namibia vs. Wales, Monday 26 September
For more info on RWC 2011 visit www.rugbyworldcup.com
The region is legendary for its pumping surf. In April each year, the best women surfers on earth grace our shores for an ASP World Tour event. Among the 2010 surfers was Taranaki’s own Paige Hareb, the first Kiwi woman to qualify for the tour.
Swimmers can train all-year-round in aquatic centres throughout Taranaki, and enjoy the sea in summer months. Coastal waters provide fantastic fishing feasts, including big game catches and everything from fresh snapper to gurnard. There are also pristine protected marine areas for divers.
There are a vast array of all-weather surfaces for athletics, tennis and hockey. Netball is a huge sport and is played throughout Taranaki, as is football, which in New Zealand is commonly called soccer and in winter, a snow-clad Mt Taranaki provides a steep playground for skiers and snowboarders.
Apart from joining a club you can also take part in the many annual sporting events that fill up Taranaki’s calendar. There are round the- mountain cycle races www.eventstaranaki.co.nz, fun runs, a triathlon series www.tri-taranaki.co.nz, a mountain-to-surf marathon, half-marathon, tennis tournaments and surf life-saving competitions to name but a few.
The region is legendary for its pumping surf. In April, 2010, the best women surfers on Earth graced our shores for an ASP World Tour event. www.nzsurffestival.co.nz Among the surfers was Taranaki’s own Paige Hareb, the first Kiwi woman to qualify for the tour. The region’s beaches are kept safe by both volunteer and professional lifeguards, many of whom are stars on the national scene. www.taranakisurf.org
Cycling, both road and off-road, has a growing community in the region. For mountain bike enthusiasts, Lake Mangamahoe and Colsen road mountain bike trails have numerous accessible trails for riders of all levels. For road cyclists, there is a network of urban cycle ways and a multimillion dollar velodrome is being built just north of New Plymouth city.
www.newplymouthnz.com/LivinginNewPlymouth/SustainableDistrict/SustainableTransport/
Parks and Gardens
Taranaki has been labelled the ‘Garden of New Zealand’ since pioneering times – and for good reason. Rich volcanic soils and mild climate, high sunshine hours and plenty of rain, combine to create conditions that cultivate a huge range of plants within this temperate and often subtropical environment.
The region now boasts 14 Gardens of Significance. Two of the most famous are the Pukeiti Rhododendron Trust, a world-class garden featuring 10,000 rhododendrons. Among this collection are 500 of the 800 known varieties, as well as 15,000 hybrids. www.pukeiti.org.nz
The second is Pukekura Park - the leafy heart of New Plymouth, which covers about 50 hectares and contains a diverse range of landscapes, including many plant collections, exotic trees, formal gardens, lakes and walking trails through native bush.
The park includes the Fernery and Display Houses, a lakeside teahouse, historic band stand, world-famous cricket ground, an illuminated waterfall and fountain, plus a children’s playground.
www.newplymouthnz.com/VisitingNewPlymouth/
Attractions/Pukekura Park
The park merges into the adjacent garden estate area of Brooklands, home to the acclaimed TSB Bowl of Brooklands and Brooklands Zoo. http://www.newplymouthnz.com/VisitingNewPlymouth/Attractions/BrooklandsZoo
Hollard Gardens www.trc.govt.nz/hollard and Tupare Gardens www.trc.govt.nz/tupare are national treasures and Te Kainga Marire is one of the few private gardens considered to be of international significance by the prestigious Royal New Zealand Institute of Horticulture (RNZIH) New Zealand Gardens Trust www.gardens.org.nz.
Add to those the myriad of walkways – through bush, farmland, forests, wetlands, by rivers, lakes and sea, on the mountain and through pioneering towns and villages – and it’s clear that Taranaki is a garden and nature-lover’s paradise.
Walking
The best way to experience Taranaki is on foot, as one of the province's best kept secrets is its network of walking trails. Covering every corner of the region, and all levels of fitness, these tracks enable visitors and locals to venture deep into the heart of our unique natural environment. www.taranaki.info/visit/theme.php/page/walk-taranaki
Taranaki boasts the iconic Mt Taranaki, a spectacular national park, three marine reserves, iron sand beaches pounding with great surf and wonderful lakes. Walking tracks and pathways provide visitors with a link between these many attractions, and a unique perspective of the dramatic Taranaki landscape. These trails offer people the chance to escape the hustle and bustle of urban life and help them discover some of the region’s many areas of historical interest and natural beauty.
One of the stars is the 10km-long Coastal Walkway that snakes along New Plymouth’s foreshore. This picturesque promenade has won a whole raft of awards, including the UN-backed LivCom 2008 Environmentally Sustainable Projects Award. In short, it’s considered one of the world’s best community projects. www.newplymouthnz.com/VisitingNewPlymouth/Attractions/CoastalWalkway.htm
Mountain to Surf
The highlight of the region's unique environment is undoubtedly the iconic Mt Taranaki. From the vivid green of the lower slopes to the stunning views from the 2518m summit, Mt Taranaki offers a range of experiences unique to the region, and is easily accessible from anywhere in the province.
The Maunganui Ski field provides skiing and snow-boarding in the winter months, and a range of
Taranaki tour guides offer expert guidance for those keen to reach the summit of this spectacular peak in the summer. Tramping (or hiking) is one of the most popular activities on Mt Taranaki. You can choose from 15-minute jaunts to fern-frond-kissed waterfalls and short meanders through the lush Egmont National Park, to the epic three-day Pouakai Circuit track.
www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/tracks-andwalks/wanganui/taranaki-area
The highlight of the region's unique environment is undoubtedly the iconic Mt Taranaki. Taranaki's landscape was created to be experienced and enjoyed. Where else in the world can you go skiing and surfing on the same day, with a latte in between? From the peak of picture-perfect Mt Taranaki to the wild west coast, this province is an adventure playground that is hard to ignore, and even harder to forget.
Surf Highway 45
Taranaki is the home of Kiwi surf. A drive around the iconic Surf Highway 45 – the coast road from New Plymouth to Hawera – will lead you to dozens of world-class surf breaks. Almost every road on this state highway that heads towards the coastline leads to a pristine un-crowded wave.
Breaks like Stent Road, Kumara Patch, Fitzroy Beach, Back Beach and Arawhata Road have become legendary in the New Zealand surfing scene over the decades and continue to attract board riders from around the globe. No matter what the swell or wind direction, it’s almost always offshore somewhere along Surf Highway 45. www.surfhighway45.co.nz
But Surf Highway 45 offers much more than epic surf and empty beaches. There are a wide variety of artist studios, historical sites, spectacular scenery and cosy cafes serving great coffee and delicious food, making this a great adventure for anybody seeking to explore the best of Taranaki.
www.taranaki.info/visit/theme.php/page/surf-highway-45
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