Hawera is a South Taranaki service town that passes the spare-day test mostly because of one excellent anchor: Tawhiti Museum. The town itself is modest dairy-country New Zealand, but the museum's handmade historical scenes and Traders & Whalers boat ride are strong enough to pull travellers down from New Plymouth or up from Whanganui.
In town, the Hawera Water Tower gives Hawera its skyline, even though public access has been closed while safety work is assessed. Turuturu-Mokai Pa adds a deeper Maori historical layer, and the small Elvis Presley Museum gives the place an oddball footnote.
Be strict with your time. Hawera is not a substitute for Mount Taranaki or New Plymouth, but it is a worthwhile half-day if Tawhiti Museum is open.