Pukekura Park Botanic Gardens and Bowl of Brooklands

A major New Plymouth attraction, Pukekura Park is a 25-hectare botanic garden, with fernery, floral display houses, a lake and play and picnic areas. It is rated a Garden of National Significance.
From late December to early February, the park is transformed by an extensive and varied set of lighting effects. On most evenings in this period there is music to listen to, played by groups as diverse as country and western and jazz artists.
In March the Bowl is the venue for the popular WOMAD New Zealand International Music Festival.
Grouped at one of the lake are an historic kiosk, an elegant band rotunda, Jubilee Monument for Queen Victoria and a waterfall. Further up the lake is thePoet's Bridge

The New Zealand version of Monopoly rates Pukekura Park so highly it is the most valuable asset on the board.

Associated with the park are the cricket oval and the Brookland's Zoo.

The park was converted to a Japanese Army Base for the filming of The Last Samurai (2002), other sets being around the region including a battleground at Uruti.

Image Credit Poet's Bridge: Pseudopanax at en.wikipedia

Pukekura Park - Poet's Bridge by Michael Smither