New Plymouth Observatory


Atop Marsland Hill (great views!) is this wee observatory, with one of the most powerful public-access telescopes in NZ.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Kibby Carillon

0.03 MILES

On top of Marsland Hill is the cacophonous 37-bell Kibby Carillon, a huge automated glockenspiel-like device that tolls out across the New Plymouth…

2. Taranaki Cathedral Church of St Mary

0.15 MILES

The austere Church of St Mary (1846) is NZ's oldest stone church and its newest cathedral! Its graveyard has the headstones of early settlers and soldiers…

3. Pukekura Park

0.28 MILES

Lush Pukekura has 49 hectares of gardens, playgrounds, trails, streams, waterfalls, ponds and display houses. In summer, rowboats (per half-hour $15)…

4. Clock Tower

0.29 MILES

If you lose your bearings in downtown New Plymouth (or just want to know the time), look for the kooky, stripy clock tower, which is often luridly lit at…

6. Puke Ariki

0.39 MILES

Translating as ‘Hill of Chiefs’, Puke Ariki was once a pā (fortified village) site, and is now home to the i-SITE, a fab regional museum, a library, a…

7. Puke Ariki Landing

0.39 MILES

Developed in the 1980s, Puke Akiri Landing connects the city centre with the foreshore. The grassy area in front of Puke Ariki features a large, carved…

8. War Memorial

0.45 MILES

An appropriately austere stone New Plymouth landmark that presides over the Coastal Walkway and a public playground.