Pukekura Park is a 52-hectare botanical garden right in the heart of New Plymouth, and it is the kind of place that makes a city feel genuinely liveable. Two interconnected lakes sit at the centre, surrounded by mature trees, a fernery, a cricket ground (one of the most scenic in New Zealand), a miniature steam train, and walking paths that wind through the whole thing without ever losing the sense of being in a proper garden.
The fernery and Display House hold tropical plants and orchids worth a look in any weather. The park connects directly to the adjacent Brooklands Park, which has a large open-air stage used for major concerts, and together the two spaces form a substantial green belt in the city centre. Free entry; the park is open all year.