The West Coast
Tiptoe through the darkened kiwi house to watch the birds rummage for tasty insects, or stare a tuatara – a reptile unchanged for 150 million years – in…
Must-see attractions in South Island
Dunedin & Otago
Ōamaru's heyday is brought to life by costumed guides inside this 1882 grain store – and you too can don vintage costumes (adult/child $20/10) and get…
Dunedin & Otago
Nobel Prize–nominated writer Janet Frame (1924–2004) grew up in this simple suburban home and drew on her time here to write her three acclaimed…
Fiordland & Southland
Stretching over 24 hectares, this beautiful park includes landscaped gardens fringed by an expanse of native bush, plus a children's playground and duck…
Dunedin & Otago
The main drawcard in Moeraki is this collection of large spherical boulders, scattered along a beautiful stretch of beach like a young giant's discarded…
Fiordland & Southland
Less a museum, more a cabin strung with antique agricultural tools and old moa bones, Gunn's Camp Museum is worth a peep into, if only to browse the…
Dunedin
Dunedin's original Scottish settlers founded Otago's first Presbyterian congregation upon their arrival in 1848 and built this grand church 25 years later…
Wanaka
Push past the Barbies to get to the beer – the tasting room for the Wanaka Beerworks is rather incongruously at the rear of the toy museum gift shop. Get…
Marlborough Region
The primary purpose of this centre is animal rehabilitation: all sorts of critters come here for fix-ups and rest-ups, and the odd bit of hanky-panky!…
The Great Coast Road
For a true taste of the region’s gold-mining past, swing into this former mine, 3km north of Charleston. You'll get a friendly primer on the 1860s mining…
Dunedin
Dunedin's second grand Presbyterian church sprang up in 1876, only three years after the equally imposing First Church, and quickly became an emblem of…
Dunedin
Built to recognise the contribution of Dunedin's Chinese community, this walled garden was constructed in Shanghai before being dismantled and reassembled…
Fiordland & Southland
More than 300 motorcycles spanning over a century are displayed in this shiny-floored showroom, including three-wheelers and sidecar bikes. It's utterly…
Fiordland & Southland
A lovely walk along wooden walkways and fern-fringed tracks brings you to the attractive McLean Falls, named for an early 20th-century settler renowned…
The West Coast
Okarito is home to world-class landscape photographer Andris Apse. His precisely composed gallery showcases his beautiful works, which are printed on-site…
Blackball Museum of Working Class History (Mahi Tūpuna)
The West Coast
Consisting of outdoor displays and a couple of shipping containers, this appropriately humble 'museum' tells the fascinating story of how Blackball came…
Fiordland & Southland
Gore Historical Museum, incorporating the Gore visitor centre , celebrates the town's proud history of fishing, farming and Māori heritage. The more…
Waikawa Museum & Information Centre
Fiordland & Southland
A one-stop shop in a one-horse town, Waikawa's museum incorporates an information centre, acts as the reception for various local holiday rentals, and…
Christchurch
Canterbury College's most famous alumnus was the father of nuclear physics, Lord Ernest Rutherford, the NZ physicist who first split the atom in 1917 …
Fiordland & Southland
An easy 45-minute return walk leads through forest to Lake Mistletoe, a small glacier-formed lake.
Timaru
Historic and natural artefacts of the region are displayed here. Highlights include the Māori section, a full-scale model of a ship's cabin from 1859, and…
Dunedin & Otago
Sculpted by wind, rain and rivers, the huge limestone boulders of this bizarre landscape were used as Aslan’s Camp in the NZ-filmed Narnia movies (2005–10…
Queenstown
Located in the old underwater observatory beneath the main pier, this 30-minute experience promises a journey back in time, explaining Lake Wakatipu's…
Fiordland & Southland
A steep sealed road leads up to the top of 265m Bluff Hill (Motupōhue), where a path spirals up to a lookout. Various walking tracks head up here,…
Christchurch & Canterbury
On the town’s northwestern fringe, Talbot Forest Scenic Reserve is a good place for a peaceful wander. Leafy delights include lofty kahikatea (white pines…
Christchurch & Canterbury
A somewhat dusty window on to rural NZ of old, this museum endears with its farm machinery, model aeroplanes, dodgy dioramas and eclectic ephemera…
Fiordland & Southland
Historic photographs are the stars of this small museum focused on local natural and human history, and featuring Māori artefacts, whaling gear and…
Nelson Region
In Mapua village it won't be hard to sniff out the Golden Bear – a microbrewery with tons of stainless steel out back and a dozen or so brews out front…
The West Coast
Alongside the highway, 32km northeast of Haast Junction, and within the bounds of the World Heritage wilderness, Lake Moeraki is an undeveloped and…
Queenstown & Wanaka
Covering much of the Pisa Range, this conservation reserve has several walking trails through the tussock grass. To get the full show, the 19km tramp to…
Te Anau
By the lake, this set of outdoor aviaries offers a chance to see native bird species difficult to spot in the wild, including the precious icon of…
Dunedin & Otago
A regular stop for tour buses, Wrinkly Rams stages 30-minute shearing and sheepdog shows, including lamb-feeding in season. Phone ahead to check show…
Nelson Region
This tiny unstaffed museum fills a corridor of the former council office with a quirky collection of saddlery, moa bones, shells, sewing machines and old…
Central Otago
This volunteer-run local museum showcases Māori and Victorian exhibits, and traces the construction of the Clyde Dam. You can also peep into the old…
Dunedin & Otago
The valley's most impressive winery, Pasquale produces killer pinot noir, pinot gris and riesling, as well as less common varietals such as…
Dunedin
Showcases work by members of the Otago Art Society, with changing temporary exhibitions in the main gallery and works for sale in the shop. Pieces donated…
Christchurch & Canterbury
With more animals than Dr Dolittle's, this farm park is great for kids. Llamas, Tibetan yak, deer, goats, guinea pigs and chinchillas all feature, and…
Fiordland & Southland
This 275m-high cascade is a worthwhile detour when driving the Milford Hwy. Reach the lookout point on an easy 1.2km hike through rainforest (30 minutes…
Takaka
This small museum's standout exhibits include a diorama depicting Abel Tasman’s 1642 landing, and some dubious human taxidermy. Ask about the albatross,…
Geraldine Vintage Car & Machinery Museum
Christchurch & Canterbury
Rev-heads will enjoy this lovingly maintained vintage car collection, featuring a 1907 De Dion-Bouton and a gleaming 1926 Bentley. There's also a purpose…
