If you are in Taranaki (North Island, west coast halfway between Auckland and Wellington) you could do a lot worse than visit Pukekura Park.
It is the most beautiful park I have ever been in, boasting a unique cricket ground in a natural bowl, and the most gorgeous concert venue - the Bowl of Broolands - which, this December, hosts Elton John and has in the past seen gigs by REM and the Pretenders to name but two.
The stage rests at the bottom of a natural bowl and has a large pond in front of it. The park also hosts Womad anually and puts on a free month-long festival, The Festival of Lights from December into January, with local and national bands. A large lake adds to the ambience of New Plymouth's jewel.
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