Pukekura Park

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Pukekura Park

THE JEWEL IN NEW PLYMOUTH'S CROWN

World-renowned

Pukekura Park is a world-renowned park located in the heart of New Plymouth city.

The park covers about 52ha (128 acres) and contains a diverse range of landscapes, including many plant collections, exotic specimen trees, formal gardens, lakes and walking trails through native bush.

The park includes the Fernery and Display Houses as well as the adjacent garden estate area of Brooklands, home to the acclaimed TSB Bowl of Brooklands and Brooklands Zoo.

Pukekura Park is also the backdrop for the annual TSB Bank Festival of Lights - a spectacular event held from mid-December to early February.

Location

The main gate at Fillis St provides direct access from the centre of New Plymouth. However, there are 22 pedestrian entrances allowing entry from all sides of the park, including car access from Gover Street, Victoria Road and Fillis Street.

• Pukekura Park location map

• Pukekura Park map (One page 1MB PDF)

Opening hours

7.30am–7.00pm and until 8.00pm during daylight savings.

We endorse smokefree parks, playgrounds, sport grounds and walkways.

Highlights

The Gables
The Gables was built in 1848 on instructions from Governor Sir George Grey. It was originally sited on Mangorei Road, New Plymouth, where New Plymouth Girls' High School now stands.

In 1904 the building was purchased by Newton King, the owner of the then private estate of Brooklands, for £10 and relocated to its current site. The Gables was restored by the Council and the Historic Places Trust in 1984. It is currently leased to the New Plymouth Society of Arts Incorporated which holds regular open days.

The building is the oldest colonial hospital still standing in New Zealand.

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Row boats
Row boats on Pukekura Park's main lake are available for hire throughout the TSB Bank Festival of Lights (mid-December to early February) and nominated weekends in March. Hireage is $10 including GST per boat for half an hour. Contact us for more information.

Diverse plantings and features
Pukekura Park features a wide variety of plants and landscapes - from dense remnant kohekohe, tawa, mahoe and pukatea forest, to broad acre lawn with perennial displays, to themed garden plantings.

A native orchid and fern collection is housed among sub-tropical plants in the Fernery. 

Pukekura Park has been awarded the accolade of Garden of National Significance by the New Zealand Gardens Trust since 2004.

Specimen collection
The park is nationally significant and has a large exotic specimen tree collection planted within indigenous bush.
 
Environment
Geology and climate are important factors contributing to the successful establishment of plants in the park. Deep deposits of volcanic ash, combined with an even annual rainfall, mild winters and warm summer temperatures help plant species from around the world to grow.

Mishima Gate
In 2001 a traditional torii gate was built to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of New Plymouth's sister city relationship with Mishima, Japan. The gateway is at the centre of a hillside landscape designed to reflect a typical Japanese forest. The upper slopes are planted with Japanese red cedar, descending through hinoki cypress, maples and karumi azaleas mixed with other associated plants.

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Kunming Garden
The Kunming Garden in Brooklands was a gift from the Mayor of Kunming following the signing of a sister city agreement between New Plymouth District and Kunming, China in August 2003. Chinese craftsmen worked alongside local landscapers and builders on the garden, which includes traditional Chinese features such as a moon gate framing the intricate pavilion and garden, dragon motifs and hand-crafted wood carvings.

Sports ground
Pukekura Park’s sports ground features matches between regional and international teams competing in cricket, rugby league and soccer. The grassed terraces provide a bird's eye view of the ground.

History of Pukekura Park

Pukekura Park began its life as a barren and swampy valley, and over the decades it has been shaped into one of the best inner city parks in New Zealand.

It opened in 1876 as the 15ha Recreation Ground – a name it kept until 1908 when it changed to Pukekura Park. To mark the 1876 opening an oak for Great Britain, a puriri for New Zealand, a Norfolk Island pine for the South Pacific islands and a Monterey pine for America were planted.
 
In 1934 the adjacent Brooklands, a private family farm estate dating from 1843, was bequeathed to the people of New Plymouth and became a public park. On 25 February 1958 the natural outdoor amphitheatre Bowl of Brooklands opened with the first Festival of the Pines event.
 
More recently, Pukekura Park was a major location for the Tom Cruise movie The Last Samurai.

Related links 

• Events
• Friends of Pukekura Park website
• Maps
• Sister Cities

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