Stratford

Sitting under the eastern side of Mt. Taranaki, Stratford is a service town for surrounding farms. Its streets are named after characters from Shakespeare's works, and it has the first glockenspiel in New Zealand, which chimes four times a day. A number of the country's most interesting private gardens, including Hollard, are also found in the rich volcanic soil here. Because the town is at the junction of two highways, you'll likely pass through at some stage if you're exploring Taranaki.