North Island's West Coast: Places to Explore

Because it's on State Highway 1, Cambridge provides a good lunch break on your way elsewhere. But this cute town, with its galleries, cafés, historic buildings, and rural English character, is worth... Read more

This quiet country town, a hub for the farming community, can give you a close look at the local history and way of life. Tawhiti Museum is a national gem. For the more adventurous there is the opportunity... Read more

New Plymouth serves one of New Zealand's most productive dairy regions as well as the gas and oil industries. This natural wealth translates into an optimistic outlook that is reflected in New Plymouth's... Read more

Palmerston North—or "Palmy" as the locals call it—is home to several major educational and research institutes. Thanks to these, young students make up one-third of Palmerston North's population... Read more

It's hard to think of a more laid-back, welcoming town than Raglan. On the drive out, tune in to radio station Raglan FM 98.1 to catch the local news and grooves. On sheltered Raglan Harbour, and in the... Read more

The town of Stratford sits under the eastern side of Mt. Taranaki and is a service town for surrounding farms. Its streets are named after characters from Shakespeare's works, and it has the first glockenspiel... Read more

A short drive from the main highway, Waitomo is a small but busy rural village catering to tourists visiting the region's famous cave systems. There's a small but good selection of cafés and a tavern... Read more