Taranaki
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NGLEWOOD sits just below the forested fringe of Egmont National Park and is a good place to stock up before heading out on the many walking tracks. Children – and adults – will be enthralled by Fun Ho! National Toy Museum which produces classic, hand-made, aluminium sand cast toys. Watch toymaker Richard Jordan at
In the vicinity:
work at the foundry furnace. In Inglewood, you will also find a cottage garden, scenic reserves, Californian redwood trees, golf club, high ropes adventure centre and wildlife park where you can enjoy lots of animal cuddles. Venture to picturesque Lake Mangamāhoe for walking and mountain biking with great views.
Inglewood
Opening hours: 10am-4pm weekdays, 10am-2pm weekends & public holidays. Over 3000 toys on display – iconic Kiwiana. Plus slot cars, sand pit, theatrette & dioramas. Operating toy-making foundry on site. Toy models, collectables & spare parts for sale. Also on site: Inglewood Information Centre & Inglewood Heritage Centre. FUN HO! NATIONAL TOY MUSEUM 25 Rata St, Inglewood Ph: +64 6 756 7030 Email: funhotoys@funho.com www.funhotoys.co.nz
Unusual adventures
IN CENTRAL TARANAKI
Mangamāhoe © Rach Stewart
THE STRATFORD GLOCKENSPIEL Head here to
WHANGAMOMONA TOWNSHIP This amusing wee
check out the figures of Romeo and Juliet that pop out to perform a scene from Shakespeare’s tragic drama at the glockenspiel clock tower at 10am, 1pm, 3pm and 7pm daily.
town has been its own republic since 1988, complete with an elected President, which over the years has included a poodle, a goat and a turtle. Visitors can get their passport stamped in the local pub, Whangamomona Hotel, which also serves seriously good home-made chips.
THE FORGOTTEN WORLD HIGHWAY With a creaky, single lane mountain tunnel and concertinaed landscape, this 150km drivable highway is highly intriguing. Weaving between Stratford and Taumarunui, the intrepid journey is so remote, petrol stations cease to exist.
GOBLIN FOREST As a result of kāmahi tree growing all over the trunks of pre-existing trees, this forest now looks hairy. Reach out and touch if you dare – or wait to be tickled by a creeping branch!
YOU AIN’T DONE IN STRATFORD YET!
If you like to visit places that are cool and quirky, circle Central Taranaki on the map. 78
Stratford town is named after Stratford-upon-Avon in the UK: birthplace of William Shakespeare. As well as its Romeo and Juliet glockenspiel, many street names are taken from the playwright’s characters. Other attractions include the Pioneer Village (an exceptional heritage museum complete with a steam train) as well as the Percy Thomson Gallery which is chock-a-block with local artwork.
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