South Taranaki district, Taranaki, New Zealand

Places to visit near Patea

Patea is a town in South Taranaki district, Taranaki, New Zealand, home to about 1,286 people. Within 50 km by road there are 87 places to visit — 31 hill stations & viewpoints, 17 wildlife, forests & gardens, 15 lakes, dams & reservoirs and 14 forts & heritage. The must-see places are Aotea Utanganui / Museum of South Taranaki (1 km), Turuturu Mokai Pā (34 km) and Bushy Park / Tarapuruhi (48 km).

Updated · Distances are road estimates · Open Patea on the map

Patea, Taranaki
Patea, South Taranaki district, Taranaki, New Zealand. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

Patea at a glance

Location
South Taranaki district, Taranaki, New Zealand
Population
about 1,286
Coordinates
39.7583° S, 174.4833° E
Places within 50 km
87 (3 must-see)
Best time to visit
October to February for cool, clear air for hill stations & viewpoints; November to March for sightings for wildlife, forests & gardens

Top places to visit near Patea

Ranked by how worth the drive they are from Patea: must-see places and the closest well-loved spots first. Open a place for photos, today’s visitor status, timings and directions.

More places near Patea

Things to see near Patea, by type

Hill stations & viewpoints near Patea

137 hill stations & viewpoints within 100 km of Patea. The closest is Tarere (25 km). Best time: october to february for cool, clear air.

  • Tarere · viewpoint · South Taranaki · ~25 km
  • Rangiwhakaoma · viewpoint · South Taranaki · ~29 km
  • Ratanui · viewpoint · South Taranaki · ~30 km
  • Mangaone · viewpoint · South Taranaki · ~31 km
  • Rimunui · viewpoint · South Taranaki · ~32 km
  • Patete · viewpoint · South Taranaki · ~32 km

All hill stations & viewpoints in Taranaki →

Wildlife, forests & gardens near Patea

54 wildlife, forests & gardens within 100 km of Patea. The closest is Waverley Domain Recreation Reserve (16 km). Best time: november to march for sightings.

All wildlife, forests & gardens in Taranaki →

Lakes, dams & reservoirs near Patea

26 lakes, dams & reservoirs within 100 km of Patea. The closest is Lake Oturi (15 km). Best time: august to december when reservoirs are full and gates may open.

All lakes, dams & reservoirs in Taranaki →

Forts & heritage near Patea

23 forts & heritage within 100 km of Patea. The closest is Kaihuahua Pā (18 km); the best-known is Turuturu Mokai Pā (34 km). Best time: october to february.

All forts & heritage in Taranaki →

Waterfalls near Patea

11 waterfalls within 100 km of Patea. The closest is Ototoka Falls (40 km). Best time: july to january, best august to november right after rains.

All waterfalls in Taranaki →

Museums near Patea

8 museums within 100 km of Patea. The closest is Aotea Utanganui / Museum of South Taranaki (1 km). Best time: year-round.

All museums in Taranaki →

A one-day trip from Patea

5 of the best places within 60 km, in driving order so you don’t double back: about 98 km on the road.

  1. Start in Patea
  2. 1 km Aotea Utanganui / Museum of South Taranaki · museum, South Taranaki
  3. 32 km Turuturu Mokai Pā · heritage site, South Taranaki
  4. 45 km Waverley Domain Recreation Reserve · nature spot, South Taranaki
  5. 3 km Ihupuku Swamp Wildlife Management Reserve · nature spot, South Taranaki
  6. 2 km Lake Oturi · lake, South Taranaki
  7. 15 km Back to Patea

Plan a longer trip from Patea — the planner adds a place to stay each night and keeps the route to one loop.

From travellers near Patea

No traveller has reported from around Patea yet. Been to one of these places recently? Open it and post what you found — is the waterfall flowing, how crowded was the temple, is the beach safe — so the next visitor knows before they drive.

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How to reach Patea

    All places near Patea by distance

    15–50 km — half-day trips

    50–100 km — one-day trips

    Count by type (within 100 km)

    Places near Patea by type
    TypeWithin 50 kmWithin 100 kmNearest
    Hill stations & viewpoints31137Tarere (25 km)
    Wildlife, forests & gardens1754Waverley Domain Recreation Reserve (16 km)
    Lakes, dams & reservoirs1526Lake Oturi (15 km)
    Forts & heritage1423Kaihuahua Pā (18 km)
    Waterfalls311Ototoka Falls (40 km)
    Museums38Aotea Utanganui / Museum of South Taranaki (1 km)
    Parks14Water Tower Reserve (32 km)
    Treks04Atene Skyline Track (72 km)
    Churches13Saint Marys Anglican Church (32 km)
    Other attractions13Wendy Statue (33 km)
    Rivers, islands & mangroves03Corliss Island (65 km)
    Caves02Puraroto (73 km)
    Beaches & coast11Waihi Beach (33 km)

    Patea: questions travellers ask

    What are the best places to visit near Patea?

    Aotea Utanganui / Museum of South Taranaki (museum, about 1 km), Turuturu Mokai Pā (heritage site, about 34 km), Lake Oturi (lake, about 15 km), Waverley Domain Recreation Reserve (nature spot, about 16 km), Ihupuku Swamp Wildlife Management Reserve (nature spot, about 17 km), Lake Herengawe (lake, about 18 km).

    How many tourist places are there within 50 km of Patea?

    87 places on Spotwander: 31 hill stations & viewpoints, 17 wildlife, forests & gardens, 15 lakes, dams & reservoirs, 14 forts & heritage, 3 waterfalls.

    Which is the nearest viewpoint to Patea?

    Tarere, about 25 km by road; Rangiwhakaoma (29 km) is next.

    Which is the nearest sanctuary to Patea?

    Waverley Domain Recreation Reserve, about 16 km by road; Ihupuku Swamp Wildlife Management Reserve (17 km) is next.

    Which is the nearest lake to Patea?

    Lake Oturi, about 15 km by road; Lake Herengawe (18 km) is next.

    What is a good one-day trip from Patea?

    Start in Patea, visit Aotea Utanganui / Museum of South Taranaki, then Turuturu Mokai Pā, then Waverley Domain Recreation Reserve, then Ihupuku Swamp Wildlife Management Reserve, then Lake Oturi, and drive back — about 98 km by road in all.

    What is the best time to visit places near Patea?

    October to February for cool, clear air for hill stations & viewpoints; November to March for sightings for wildlife, forests & gardens.

    Towns near Patea

    Sources: places from OpenStreetMap contributors, Wikidata and GeoNames; Patea’s location and population from GeoNames; see also Patea on Wikipedia. Data sources & credits.