Hey AF!
I'm from New Plymouth :) I *just* wrote out a list of stuff to do in the area for someone else so you are lucky!
New Plymouth
Coastal Walkway (you can hire peddle cars to mini drive)
Aquatic Centre
Lee Break water walk
Climb Paritutu
Farmers Markets Sunda 9-12pm
Govett Brewster Art Gallery
Brooklands Free Zoo and Gardens
Pukekura Park and the Festival of the Lights
Pouakai Zoo
Pukeariki Museum
Round the Mountain Drive
Inglewood
Fun Ho! Toy Museum
Pioneer Village
South Taranaki
Tawhiti Museum
Dairy Land
Wool and Fur shops
Oakura and around the coast
Surf Highway 45
Stoney River Cafe and Walk
Lots of little craft and junk shops out this way
Okurukuru Cafe and Winery
Waitara ways
Sentry Hill Winery
Wairau (sp?) Winery
White Cliffs Brewery
Lots of PYO fruit and vege places
There are some great little places to eat in town: Breakers, Marbles (seafood buffet), Cobb n Co, Sunworld (cheap and nasty but tasty asian food buffet), Burger Wisconsen, Burger Fuel, Crowded House (which is a bar), Zanzibar, Marinovich's, India today.
You are right in the middle of town and they are pretty much all within a walk or 2 min drive