It may be known predominantly for its bustling dairy industry, but Taranaki has added another string to its bow after it was labelled Lonely Planet's second best travel region for 2017.
The travel guidebook publisher releases a series of top 10 worldwide Best in Travel lists every year - and in the 2017 edition, New Zealand featured four times.
Aotearoa was named the world's second best family adventure destination, while Mt Aspiring National Park's Whare Kea Lodge was named 10th best place to stay and Canterbury's Alps 2 Ocean trail was labelled one of the world's top five bikepacking attractions.
But Taranaki was the big winner, finishing runner-up in the regions category to Choquequirao, an ancient Incan city in southern Peru - and Lonely Planet offered an explanation as to why the North Island province achieved so highly.
"A new motto - 'A Little Bit Out There' - offsets the region's remote location with a deliciously offbeat new gallery dedicated to effervescent kinetic artist, filmmaker, painter and poet, Len Lye," Lonely Planet said.
"In nearby Egmont National Park, meanwhile, a magnificent hiking trail is emerging from the shadows to challenge the Tongariro Alpine Crossing as the country's finest one-day walk."
Canada was named the top country to visit in 2017, ahead of Colombia, Finland and Dominica, while the southwest France town Bordeaux received the title of best city ahead of South Africa's Cape Town, the United States' Los Angeles and Mexico's Mérida.
The best value destination was Nepal, with Namibia, the Portuguese city of Porto and the Italian city of Venice rounding out the top four.
See each of Lonely Planet's Best in Travel lists here.
Newshub.
