Sorry I have not posted for a few days but not really had much to post about.
We arrived in New Plymouth on Thursday after an uneventful drive from Wanganui.
New Plymouth itself is not a particularly inspiring city which is named after Plymouth in Devon from where the first English settlers came. It is New Zealand's major deep water port and is the main centre for the import of oil - having a large oil terminal.
On Thursday when we arrived we had a quick look around to see what we could do. One thing that is very good in New Zealand are their i-centres where you can pick up information leaflets on what there is to do in the area - they also have some information about most of the major tourist places in the country. Not only that but you can book tours and accommodation anywhere in the country from wherever you happen to be. It is all part of how New Zealand is committed to tourism.
Yesterday we went to Pukekura Park which is a 52 hectare park in the centre of New Plymouth and is considered a "garden of special significance".
There are several sections to the park; a sports ground, formal gardens, a zoo and country walks. Unfortunately we missed the annual Festival of Lights that takes place in December and January. Also in the park are some greenhouses where there are some of the most spectacular displays of flowers that i have ever seen.
After our visit to Pukekura Park we went for a walk along part of the Coastal Walkway. This is about 10km in length and runs from the port at one end to almost the airport at the other. Because we are staying almost in the centre of New Plymouth we walked towards the port end of the Walkway which was about 3km.
Today we walked the other way for about 6km
which involved crossing what is quite an attractive bridge
When in New Plymouth it is quite easy to know where the centre is as there is a "Wind Wand" - a 48 metre high "kinetic sculpture"
Tomorrow we move on to Taupo