New Plymouth

New Plymouth

New Plymouth is the major city of the Taranaki Region on the west coast of the North Island of New Zealand. It is named after Plymouth, Devon, England, from where the first English settlers migrated. New Plymouth District includes New Plymouth City and several smaller towns. New Plymouth District is the 15th largest district (out of 73) in New Zealand, and has 1.7 percent of New Zealand's population.New Plymouth District has a population of 68,901 – nearly two thirds of the total population of the Taranaki Region. This includes – New Plymouth City (52,500), Waitara (6,288), Inglewood (3,090), Oakura (1,359), Okato (531) and Urenui (429). The city is a service centre for the region's principal economic activities including intensive pastoral activities (mainly dairy farming) as well as oil, natural gas and petrochemical exploration and production. It is also the region's financial centre as the home of the TSB Bank (formerly the Taranaki Savings Bank), the largest of the remaining non-government New Zealand-owned banks.

Climate

New Plymouth has a warm, moist, temperate climate. The average summer afternoon temperature is 21–22 °C (70–72 °F); average summer night-time temperature is 12–13 °C (54–55 °F). In winter the average afternoon temperature is 13–14 °C (55–57 °F) and night-time temperature is 5–6 °C (41–43 °F). The average annual rainfall is 1,432 mm (56.4 in). On 15 August 2011 it snowed in New Plymouth which is such a rare event that it has been described as a once in a generation occurrence.

Education

There are three schools within the central city, and suburban schools in Fitzroy, Frankleigh Park, Lynmouth, Mangorei, Marfell, Merrilands, Moturoa, Spotswood, Vogeltown, Welbourn and Westown. The Western Institute of Technology at Taranaki has its main campus in central New Plymouth. In the inner city, New Plymouth Boys' High School and New Plymouth Girls' High School are single-sex secondary (years 9–13) schools with rolls of 1219 and 1218respectively. The Boys' School was founded in 1882. The decile ratings of the two schools are 8 and 7, respectively. Central School is a coeducational contributing primary (years 1–6) schools with a roll of 212 and a decile rating of 8. Central School opened in 1884.

Features and attractions

New Plymouth District has a reputation as an events centre, with major festivals (the annual TSB Bank Festival of Lights, Taranaki Rhododendron and Garden Festival, WOMAD and the G-TARanaki Guitar Festival, and the biennial Taranaki Arts Festival), sports fixtures (including international rugby, cricket and tennis matches, and the annual ITU World Cup Triathlon) and concerts (from Sir Elton John, Jack Johnson, Westlife, R.E.M and Fleetwood Mac). With its rich volcanic soil, the city is well known for its gardens. Chief among them are the 52 ha Pukekura Park in the centre of the city (named a Garden of National Significance), and Pukeiti, a rhododendron garden of international significance high on the Pouakai Range. Pukekura Park is also the home of the TSB Bank Festival of Lights, which runs for free every year from mid-December to early February. It has daytime and night time programmes of events for people of all ages, and the festival itself transforms the park into an illuminated wonderland every evening.

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