Pukekura Park

Established in 1876 starting life as a 12 ha wasteland in the centre of New Plymouth. It’s now a 52 ha well established park controlled by the New Plymouth City Council featuring lakes, a waterfall, a fountain, bridges, a tea house and a rotunda as well as a beautiful fernery with its entrance through a tunnel carved into the hill. Today the fernery featured many types of orchids and exotic plants. All the plants in the fernery are in pots and changed regularly, sometimes daily to display everything at its peak.
As part of Pukekura park is the Bowl of Brooklands, which is a natural amphitheatre and permanent stage over a lake. The audience sit on the grass bringing their own seating or rugs and wrapping up warm because it can get cold. I’ve seen “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” there with the fairies coming onto the stage on wires from the surrounding bush. I’ve also seen Dame Kiri Te Kanawa singing. The lights attracted moths which got into her dress which amused her. It’s a fabulous well established park. The Festival of Lights is on in the park until next weekend. We went on Saturday night but will go again during the week hopefully with less people around.
The main image is taken in the fernery
First and second images are of the entrance to the fernery
Third - Bowl of Brooklands
Fourth - a sculpture in the waterlily lake.