Kia ora and welcome to Taranaki, where the best of New Zealand is right on your doorstep!

Live and study alongside friendly locals, improve your English in classes with small numbers of international students, work with education providers to develop your individual talents, and come away with qualifications that lead to fantastic career opportunities in sectors such as energy, engineering, food and fibre and the visitor sector.

Combine this with a lifestyle that offers wealth of events, great places to eat and visit no matter what your budget.

It’s very easy to get here, Taranaki is just a short direct flight from Auckland (40 minutes), Wellington (45 minutes) and Christchurch (1.25 hour) flying with Air New Zealand, once you land at New Plymouth Airport, its just a quick 15 minute drive to the city centre. Alternately Taranaki is a scenic 4.5 hour drive from Auckland or Wellington, 3.5 hours to Rotorua, and is connected to the rest of the country through daily bus services. 

Discover what it's like studying in Taranaki

Explore our Education Providers

In Taranaki, there are educational options for everyone from early childcare through to schools, tertiary institutions, and adult education classes.

Take a look at some of our schools.

How can I get around Taranaki?

The region's compact size makes travel mean that now where is too far away. There is a comprehensive school bus network throughout Taranaki. Students can buy a bus card which allows them to travel on all city and regional buses.

Buy a bus card

WITT students have free travel as part of their study package. For fare and timetable information, see fare and timetable information.

New Plymouth District has a cycle strategy and a comprehensive network of cycle trails.

What is the cost of living like?

Taranaki offers a comparatively less expensive cost of living than New Zealand's larger centres. Food transport and eating out are around 20 per cent cheaper and accommodation approximately 60 per cent. See here for a comparison between New Plymouth City and  Auckland:

Compare cities

What is the job market like for part-time work while I study if I need to work?

There is a range of roles open to students. The tourism and hospitality industry has skill shortages, and international students' language and cultural knowledge are in high demand. If your education provider has a student job service, talk to them about what you are looking for. Student job search is an excellent place to start.

Student Job Search

Student Life In Taranaki

The region's compact size makes travel mean that now where is too far away. There is a comprehensive school bus network throughout Taranaki. Students can buy a bus card which allows them to travel on all city and regional buses.

Buy a bus card

WITT students have free travel as part of their study package. For fare and timetable information, see fare and timetable information.

New Plymouth District has a cycle strategy and a comprehensive network of cycle trails.

Taranaki offers a comparatively less expensive cost of living than New Zealand's larger centres. Food transport and eating out are around 20 per cent cheaper and accommodation approximately 60 per cent. See here for a comparison between New Plymouth City and  Auckland:

Compare cities

There is a range of roles open to students. The tourism and hospitality industry has skill shortages, and international students' language and cultural knowledge are in high demand. If your education provider has a student job service, talk to them about what you are looking for. Student job search is an excellent place to start.

Student Job Search

Ash came to NZ as an international student. See how she made Taranaki her home.

Resources for Education Agents

Study Taranaki (English)
Study Taranaki (Japanese)
Study Taranaki (Chinese)
Study Taranaki (Korean)
Study Taranaki (Vietnamese)

Taranaki Story Resources

Taranaki story is a resource for images, videos, and other marketing assets that can be used to promote the region and its lifestyle.

Taranaki Story

Apply to enrol to study in New Zealand

From 31 July 2022, the border reopens and international students can apply to enrol to study in New Zealand.

Apply here

Get Work Ready

Resources and tools to help you get ready for work in New Zealand, and make the transition from studying to working.

These resources are a guide to finding work and presenting yourself to employers.

Living Here

Find out more about what its like moving to, and living in Taranaki.