Waikato & the Coromandel Peninsula
The main attraction of the 170-sq-km Pirongia Forest Park is Mt Pirongia, its 959m summit clearly visible from much of the Waikato. The mountain is…
Must-see attractions in North Island
North Island
Paraparaumu's oddest claim to fame is surely this 14m-high statue of the Madonna, looming over the town from a 75m-high hill. It was commissioned by the…
Parnell & Newmarket
Auckland's Anglican cathedral is a hodgepodge of architectural styles, especially compared to St Mary's Church next door, a wonderful wooden Gothic…
Bay of Islands & Northland
Catholicism arrived in Aotearoa in the form of well-respected French bishop Jean Baptiste Pompallier, who celebrated NZ’s first Mass at Totara Point…
Wellington
A beacon of culture and delight, the excellent Dowse is worth visiting for its jaunty architecture alone. It’s a family-friendly, accessible art museum…
Wellington Cathedral of St Paul
Wellington
At 88m long and 18m high, this modern Anglican cathedral exudes quasi-Moorish architectural vibes inside its lofty interiors. It first opened its doors in…
Napier
Wooden palisades, carved pou (memorial posts) and a carved gate help bring this pā (fortified village) site to life. An hour-long loop walk across grassy…
Katherine Mansfield House & Garden
Wellington
Often compared to Chekhov and Maupassant, Katherine Mansfield was one of NZ’s most distinguished authors, who pushed the short-story form to uncharted…
Bay of Islands & Northland
This coastal reserve features sand dunes, pohutukawa trees, jutting headlands and picturesque beaches. DOC-managed accommodation includes an eight-person…
Auckland Region
It’s a mark of the esteem in which Colin McCahon is held that the house he lived and painted in during the 1950s has been opened to the public as a mini…
Tauranga
This shady little cemetery, overlooking the bridge, has some interesting memorials relating to battles fought between local Māori and government forces in…
Taupo & the Ruapehu Region
Maybe not so much 'Don't Miss' as 'Impossible to Miss', this roadside tribute to Ōhakune's biggest crop was erected in 1984. Carrots were first grown in…
Tauranga
Shaded by huge pohutukawa trees, spooky Monmouth Redoubt was originally a Māori pā (fortified village), then taken over and adapted by British soldiers…
Wellington
Committed to conservation, research and captive breeding, Wellington Zoo is home to a menagerie of native and exotic wildlife, including lions and…
Waikato & the Coromandel Peninsula
Just past Te Mata (a short drive south of the main Raglan–Hamilton road) is the turn-off to the 55m-high Waireinga, 4km from the main road. From the car…
Bay of Islands & Northland
Handcrafted wines include chardonnay, pinot gris and Bordeaux-style reds, and the beautiful vineyard is a great spot for a shared antipasto platter to…
Wellington
Housed in a heritage red-brick warehouse on the waterfront, this estimable gallery presents a diverse range of NZ portraiture and caricature from its own…
Kawhia Regional Museum & Gallery
Waikato & the Coromandel Peninsula
Kāwhia's modest waterside museum has local history, nautical and Māori art and artefacts, as well as regular art exhibitions. Don't miss the huge fossil…
Waikato & the Coromandel Peninsula
The Raurimu Spiral, 30km south of town, is a unique feat of railway engineering that was completed in 1908 after 10 years of work. Rail buffs can…
Tauranga
On clear days this lofty wooden viewing platform, located about 13km west of the city centre, provides a panorama of nearly the entire Bay of Plenty – see…
Waikato & the Coromandel Peninsula
Four kilometres west of Kāwhia is Ocean Beach and its high, black-sand dunes. Swimming can be dangerous, but one to two hours either side of low tide you…
Wellington
Ngā Taonga is a vortex of NZ moving images into which you could get sucked for days. Its library holds tens of thousands of titles: feature films,…
Wellington
The small-but-nifty Cable Car Museum tells the history of the Wellington cable car, arcing back to when it was built in 1902. Take the cable car back down…
Auckland
This 64-hectare park has more than 10,000 plants (including threatened species), dozens of themed gardens and an infestation of wedding parties. By car,…
Taupo
Named after one of the first settlers in Reporoa, this artificial pool is filled by a natural spring. Water levels can vary as a result, but with public…
Rotorua
Tucked in behind Mt Ngongotaha, 10km from Rotorua, this 6-hectare park has trout springs, native longfin eels, native birds and various land-dwelling…
Waikato & the Coromandel Peninsula
Firth Tower was built by Auckland businessman Josiah Firth in 1882. The 18m concrete tower was then a fashionable status symbol; now it’s filled with…
Bay of Islands & Northland
Completed in 1839, this sweet wooden cottage contains relics of the missionaries who once inhabited it, and of Horeke’s shipbuilding past. In the grounds…
Wellington
There's a terrific vantage point at the top of Wellington's cable car tracks. Ride up the hill, ogle the view over the city and Cook Strait, then wander…
North Island
This huge hangar-like museum looks like a 1960s university but houses one of Australasia’s largest collections of antique and unusual cars. Check out the…
Wellington
Just a five-minute amble from the top of Cuba St, Wellington's oldest cottage (1858) has been carefully restored, complete with an organic garden and…
Napier
On the run from the law? Assuage your guilt with a tour of the grim 1862 Napier Prison (the oldest in NZ) on the hill behind the town. There's a self…
Waikato & the Coromandel Peninsula
At the street’s eastern end is Hauaroa Whare, a beautifully carved house. At the western end, Te Rohe Potae memorialises King Tawhiao’s assertion of his…
Tauranga
At its best in late spring and summer, this verdant pocket of roses sits behind an ivy-covered colonnade on a cliff overlooking the harbour, and is like a…
Bay of Islands & Northland
For a bird's-eye view over the canopy, head to the forest lookout, near the very south end of the park. You can either drive to it (the road is well…
Tainui Historical Society Museum
Waikato & the Coromandel Peninsula
Mōkau's interesting Tainui Historical Society Museum has old photographs and artefacts from when this once-isolated outpost was a coal and lumber shipping…
Victoria Battery Tramway & Museum
Coromandel Peninsula
Across the river from the Waikino train station, the Victoria Battery Tramway & Museum is the former site of the biggest quartz-ore processing plant in…
Auckland
Near the excellent children’s playground, this observatory offers regular stargazing and planetarium shows that aren’t dependent on Auckland’s fickle…
Taupo
At the end of the long town beach are patches of warm water right in front of a car park. It’s no Coromandel, but have a dig and you might find some…
North Island
A glimpse into historic Wellington by way of restored wooden trams and museum displays housed in a large garage. Take a 2km tram ride through Queen…
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