Pukeiti is a garden of international significance in

Taranaki Taranaki is a regions of New Zealand, region in the west of New Zealand's North Island. It is named after its main geographical feature, the stratovolcano Mount Taranaki, Taranaki Maunga, formerly known as Mount Egmont. The main centre is the ...

, on the western

North Island The North Island ( , 'the fish of Māui', historically New Ulster) is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, islands of New Zealand, separated from the larger but less populous South Island by Cook Strait. With an area of , it is the List ...

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

. It is in a gap between two sections of the

Egmont National Park Egmont National Park, officially known as Te Papa-Kura-o-Taranaki, is a national park located south of New Plymouth, close to the west coast of the North Island of New Zealand. The park covers three volcanic cones: Taranaki Maunga and its sl ...

, to the northwest of the main cone of

Mount Taranaki Mount Taranaki (), officially Taranaki Maunga and also known as Mount Egmont, is a dormant stratovolcano in the Taranaki region on the west coast of New Zealand's North Island. At , it is the second highest mountain in the North Island, afte ...

, on a saddle between it and the small Kaitake Range which stretches towards

Ōakura Ōakura is a small township in New Plymouth District, Taranaki, in the western North Island of New Zealand. It is located on New Zealand State Highway 45, State Highway 45, 15 kilometres south-west of New Plymouth. Ōkato is 12 km further ...

. The garden named for the Pukeiti (literally 'little hill') lava dome which is nearby. It is listed as one of Taranaki's top 10 visitor attractions. Founded in 1951 by William Douglas Cook (who also founded

Eastwoodhill Arboretum Eastwoodhill is the national arboretum of New Zealand. It covers and is located 35 km northwest of Gisborne, New Zealand, Gisborne, in the hill country of Ngatapa. It was founded in 1910 by William Douglas Cook. Cook's life work would becom ...

, Ngatapa, Gisborne) and Russell Matthews, Pukeiti is now one of the country's top

rhododendron ''Rhododendron'' (; : ''rhododendra'') is a very large genus of about 1,024 species of woody plants in the Ericaceae, heath family (Ericaceae). They can be either evergreen or deciduous. Most species are native to eastern Asia and the Himalayan ...

gardens, run by the Taranaki Regional Council. Facilities include a visitor centre, cafe and covered walkways. The property covers and includes of garden set within original and regenerating rainforest, with a total of of walkways.

References

External links

Pukeiti – Taranaki Regional Council
New Plymouth District Gardens in New Zealand Protected areas of Taranaki {{Taranaki-geo-stub