Pukekura Park

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What To See and Do

Pukekura Park is jam packed with things to see and do to suit the whole family - from playgrounds for the kids (and those young at heart!), a cafe and kiosk for snacks, meals and the all important icecream, through to fitness trails, row boats and art. And in the adjacent Brooklands Park there is even a zoo!

Check out the list below or use our interactive Pukekura Park map to help plan your activities.

• Pukekura Park map (One page 1MB PDF)

• View our interactive map

Row Boats on the Lake

The wooden clinker-built (the hulls are constructed of overlapping planks) boats on the lake are available for hire.

The boats operate daily during the TSB Bank Festival of Lights and are available for hire from 11am-4pm and 7pm-10pm.

Price: $10 per half hour (prices subject to change)

The boats are also available by arrangement for private hire for $130 per hour (minimum one hour hireage). These are perfect for corporate team building events, school excursions, weddings, birthdays or a fun family day out.

Please contact us for more information.

Art and Memorials

1. Sanders Gates
2. Queen Elizabeth II Fountain
3. Water Wheel
4. Mishima Torii Gate
5. Waterfall
6. Band Rotunda
7. Jubilee Drinking Fountain
8. The Poets Bridge
9. Waterlily Lake and Aotearoa Sculpture
10. Brooklands Fireplace
11. The Gables Colonial Hosptial
12. Moongate
13. Spring Wind Pavilion

1. Sanders Gates



Sanders Gates were built in 1938 as a bequest to Charles Score Sanders, a friend of the Park who established Ngaere Gardens in Stratford.

2. Queen Elizabeth II Fountain



Located in Fountain Lake, the 228-jet fountain with its 15-metre high floodlit plumes was installed in 1955 to commemorate the visit of Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh. It is a key feature throughout the Festival of Lights with its breathtaking display against a backdrop of coloured lights. It may be operated by a nearby push button.

3. Water Wheel



Located near the Gilbert Street entrance and beside the Children's playground, the waterwheel was originally recovered from the Omata Co-operative Dairy Factory and installed as a centennial project in 1976. It was replaced with this replica in 2005.

4. Mishima Torii Gate



Located at the top of the Japanese Hillside, the traditional torii gate was a gift from New Plymouth's Japanese sister city, Mishima in 2001.

5. Waterfall



The artificial waterfall is located between the Hatchery Lawn and the Main Lake. It represents the Waiwahakiho River in its passage from its turbulant beginnings on Mount Taranaki/Egmont. The waterfall comes to life at night with its colourful illuminated lights.

6. Band Rotunda



The band rotunda is one of the oldest such structures in the country and has long been a feature of the park with building completion in 1891. It is located at the base of Cannon Hill overlooking the Main Lake and next to the Jubilee drinking fountain.

7. Jubilee Drinking Fountain



Close to the rotunda, the marble fountain was erected to mark Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee in 1897 and is still functional for the thirsty park visitors of today.

8. The Poet's Bridge



Poet's Bridge is located at the narrow point between the Main and Upper lake of Pukekura Park. It was opened in 1884 and served the park until deterioration caused it to be replaced just before the Second World War. Its colour scheme is based on the famous red lacquer bridge at Nikko, Japan.

9. Waterlily Lake and Aotearoa Sculpture



Located at the Bowl of Brooklands, Waterlily Lake was formed during the 1890s by damming a stream to form the lake which now features artist Michael Smither's sculpture, Aotearoa.

10. Brooklands Fireplace

The Brooklands Fireplace is the only surviving remnants of Captain Kings home that was burnt down during the Maori War of 1860. It is typical of those in English farmhouses of the 1840s with is huge open fireplace and massive iron bar with a smaller baking oven in the back wall.

11. The Gables Colonial Hospital



One of New Zealand's earliest surviving crown health enterprise, the Gables Colonial Hospital was built in 1847 and lived on Mangorei Road until 1907 when Mrs Mary King had the then derelict building moved to its current location at Brooklands. In 1985, it was extensively restored to become the Taranaki Arts Society gallery. It is popularly known as 'The Gables'.


12. Moongate



The Moongate at the entrance to Kunming Garden, is a circular opening in the garden wall that acts as a pedestrian passageway. The Moongate is a traditional architectural element in Chinese gardens. The materials for this structure were imported from China as part of the gift from New Plymouth's sister city, Kunming in 2005.

13. Spring Wind Pavilion



The Spring Wind Pavilion sits in the middle of Kunming Garden. 12 Chinese craftsmen and 34 tonnes of timber, stone and carvings shipped over in two containers from Kumming City in China, created this beauty. The structure was made without powertools or using nails or screws.