Pukekura Park

What a wonderful park in the city of New Plymouth. We walked there from downtown and found it impressive for a public park. In the morning, the lake was still and reflections were perfect. However later, there were more ripples in the water. It was a lot more serene and tranquil earlier on. The forest is so lush and had so many plants. I expected cobwebs and flying insects but did not run into any. The park is so clean and well maintained. It is truly a gem. There are waterfalls, gardens, fountains and a free zoo.

The park is large and convenient near the center and has many areas such as waterfalls, lakes, cool canopy walks, fern gardens, and a variety of tropical plants and the zoo near by.

After strong north-easterlies,and rain there is a natural tranquility & freshness to Pukekura park.nSoaking up the oxygen and crispness of a the aftermath of a late winter storm.nBlue skies squeezing out the moth balls of clouds abovenLooking for reflection in a full lake, with the Burgess Tea Rooms as a backdrop, along with the band rotunda and bridge in strong red.

Beautiful amazing park ! It is like a prehistoric Jurassic Park! I got lost twice in the park because of the hidden small tracks ! The park itself is not that big but God forbid it is bushy and there are tracks everywhere..You may end up in on of the car parks or tennis clubs or horse race course not knowing where it is ! It was an adventure for me. It may give you a bit of nerve wrecking if you go to the sideway tracks, mainly because it is so solitary. A great way to rewind yourself I think because it is a forest itself. The flora and fauna are amazing. 2000 year old Ginko and Puriri trees were the highlight God forbid. Birds are everywhere, although you can’t see them. There are more trees in this park than in half the World: from Californian Redwoods to Greek Cypresses. During the late afternoon the sun glitters through the trees or simply reflect everything on the main lake! It was a painting itself! Do remember it can be nerve wrecking wandering at late but it should be safe, I think. I saw a couple of kids in the playground completely surrounded by the dark. Also there were a few runners. It is just completely dark as the park is not well lit with lights, or anything at all. I do recommend wandering around before 4pm as its gets dark quickly in winter.

A gorgeous park, will the spot we visited was. We were by the bowl of Brooklands, Brooklands Zoo & the Rhododendron Dell. We will be back to explore some parts of the park more some day soon.