Taranaki
A mountain, a coastline and a ten minute commute
Taranaki is built around one volcano with the sea on three sides. New Plymouth is among the easier small cities in New Zealand to live in, and the region's main hospital runs a wider set of services than you'd expect for its size.
Taranaki at a glance
Main centres:
New Plymouth, Hāwera
Population:
Regional population: 130,300
Largest urban centre: 88,300
Health district:
Taranaki
Main hospital:
Taranaki Base Hospital, New Plymouth
Summer average high:
22°C in January
Winter average high:
13°C in July
Sunshine:
2,180 hours a year
Rainfall:
1,430 mm a year
Living in Taranaki, one mountain and one very tidy city
You can pick Taranaki out on a map straight away. The mountain sits in the middle of a near-perfect circle of farmland with the coast running right round it.
New Plymouth is the main centre. There's a coastal walkway the length of the city, the Govett-Brewster gallery, surf breaks in town and a ski field on the mountain in winter.
Hāwera is the main town in South Taranaki, covering the farming districts to the south.
Taranaki Base Hospital, more under one roof than you'd expect
Taranaki Base Hospital in New Plymouth is the region's main hospital. Health New Zealand lists emergency and intensive care, maternity, mental health, oncology and specialist outpatients, with dedicated paediatric, surgical, general medicine and older people's health wards. It has a secondary birthing unit.
Hāwera Hospital has a 24-hour emergency department, inpatient beds, a maternity suite, a dental unit, radiology and a laboratory.
For a region this size that's a solid spread, and it keeps the work varied.
Moving to New Plymouth with family
New Plymouth is small enough to cross quickly and complete enough to have what a family needs. The commute is measured in minutes.
Housing goes further than the main centres, and most homes sit close to either the coast or the mountain.
For its size the region has a strong arts and festival calendar, which counts if you're coming from somewhere with a lot going on.
The fuller picture
New Plymouth Airport has direct flights to Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, so the rest of the country is close when you need it. The region has a strong community feel that newcomers notice quickly.
Health New Zealand describes what Taranaki Base Hospital runs rather than giving it a tertiary or secondary label. The most complex work is referred on.
The region has a strong economy built on farming and energy, and hosts the TSB Festival of Lights in Pukekura Park every summer.
Talk to us about Taranaki
We'll tell you how the services here are structured and how the teams work. If you're moving from overseas, registration, immigration and the practical side of relocating are part of the same conversation.
What is the main hospital in Taranaki?
Taranaki Base Hospital in New Plymouth.
Health New Zealand lists emergency and intensive care, maternity, mental health, oncology and specialist outpatients, with dedicated paediatric, surgical, general medicine and older people's health wards.
Hāwera Hospital covers South Taranaki with a 24-hour emergency department.
Is New Plymouth a good place to live?
It's a small coastal city with short commutes, a good gallery and festival calendar for its size, surf in town and a ski field on the mountain. Families tend to rate how easy daily life is here.
How easy is it to travel from Taranaki?
New Plymouth Airport has direct flights to Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. The most complex clinical work is referred to larger centres.
Contact Us
nz@nzdr.nz
+64 21 288 6937
www.nzdr.nz
Auckland, New Zealand
