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Akaroa Museum
An arduous postquake revamp has rewarded Akaroa with one of the smartest regional museums in the land. Learn about the various phases of the peninsulas settlement and its fascinating natural and industrial history, and hear stories of old characters including Pompey the penguin. A
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Pukekura Park
The pick of New Plymouths parks, Pukekura has 49 hectares of gardens, playgrounds, trails, streams, waterfalls, ponds and display houses. Rowboats (per half-hour $12, summer only) meander across the main lake (full of arm-size eels), next to which the Tea House serves light meals (
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Waimarie Centre
The historical displays are interesting, but everyones here for the PS Waimarie , the last of the Whanganui River paddle steamers. In 1900 she was shipped out from England and paddled the Whanganui until she sank ingloriously at her mooring in 1952. Submerged for 41 years, she was
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Pukaha Mount Bruce National Wildlife Centre
About 30km north of Masterton, the 1000-hectare Pukaha Mt Bruce National Wildlife Centre is one of NZs most successful wildlife and captive breeding centres. The scenic 1½-hour loop walk gives a good overview. Theres also a kiwi house here and a series of aviaries for viewing other
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Toitū Otago Settlers Museum
Storytelling is the focus of this excellent interactive museum. The engrossing Māori section is followed by a large gallery where floor-to-ceiling portraits of Victorian-era settlers stare out from behind their whiskers and lace; click on a terminal to learn more about the individu
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Giant’s House
An ongoing labour of love by local artist Josie Martin, this playful and whimsical combination of sculpture and mosaics cascades down a hillside garden above Akaroa. Echoes of Gaudí and Miró can be found in the intricate collages of mirrors, tiles and broken china, and there are ma
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Lake Kaniere
Lying at the heart of a 7000-hectare scenic reserve, beautiful Lake Kaniere is 8km long, 2km wide, 195m deep, and freezing cold as youll discover if you swim. You may, however, prefer simply to camp or picnic at Hans Bay , or undertake one of numerous walks in the surrounds, rangin
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Len Lye Centre
Great art goes 50-50 with great architecture. So said Len Lye, the world-beating NZ artist (1901–80) to whom this super new art gallery is dedicated. And indeed, the architecture is amazing: an interlocking facade of tall, mirror-clad concrete flutes, inside of which is a series of
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Tairawhiti Museum
The Tairawhiti Museum, with its fab gallery extension, focuses on East Coast Māori and colonial history. It is Gisborne’s arts hub, with rotating exhibits and excellent historic photographic displays. Theres also a maritime wing, with displays on waka, whaling and Cook’s Poverty Ba
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Pancake Rocks
Punakaikis claim to fame is Dolomite Point, where a layering-weathering process called stylobedding has carved the limestone into what looks like piles of thick pancakes. Aim for high tide (tide timetables are posted in town; hope that it coincides with sunset) when the sea surges
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Wellington Botanic Gardens
These hilly, 25-hectare botanic gardens can be almost effortlessly visited via the Wellington Cable Car (nice bit of planning, eh?), although there are several other entrances hidden in the hillsides. The gardens boast a tract of original native forest, the beaut Lady Norwood Rose
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Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre
This exceptionally brilliant museum houses film-director Peter Jacksons collection of original and replica Great War aircraft, brought to life in a series of dioramas that depict dramatic wartime scenes, such as the death of the Red Baron. A new wing houses Dangerous Skies, a WW2 c
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Whangarei Art Museum
At the Te Manawa Hub information centre , Whangareis public gallery has an interesting permanent collection, the star of which is a 1904 Māori portrait by Goldie. Also planned is the Hundertwasser Art Centre , based on architectural plans by the late Austrian artist Friedensreich H
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Mauao
Explore Mauao (Mt Maunganui) itself on the walking trails winding around it and leading up to the summit. The steep summit walk takes about an hour return (with a rest at the top!). You can also clamber around the rocks on Moturiki Island , which adjoins the peninsula. The island a
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Glowworm Cave
The guided tour of the Glowworm Cave, which is behind the visitor centre, leads past impressive stalactites and stalagmites into a large cavern known as the Cathedral. The highlight comes at the tour’s end when you board a boat and swing off onto the river. As your eyes grow accust
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Auckland Art Gallery
Following a significant 2011 refurbishment, Aucklands premier art repository now has a striking glass-and-wood atrium grafted onto its 1887 French-chateau frame. It showcases the best of NZ art, along with important works by Pieter Bruegel the Younger, Guido Reni, Picasso, Cézanne,
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Botanic Gardens
Strolling through these blissful 30 riverside hectares of arboreal and floral splendour is a consummate Christchurch experience. Gorgeous at any time of the year, the gardens are particularly impressive in spring when the rhododendrons, azaleas and daffodil woodland are in riotous
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Huka Falls
Clearly signposted and with a carpark and kiosk, these falls mark where NZ’s longest river, the Waikato, is slammed into a narrow chasm, making a dramatic 10m drop into a surging pool. From the footbridge you can see the full force of this torrent that the Māori called Hukanui (Gre
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Museum of Waitangi
The new Museum of Waitangi is a modern and comprehensive showcase of the role of the Treaty of Waitangi in the past, present and future of New Zealand. The second storey is comprised of the Ko Waitangi Tēnei (This is Waitangi),exhibition and the ground floor features special tempor
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Taupo Museum
With an excellent Māori gallery and quirky displays, which include a 1960s caravan set up as if the occupants have just popped down to the lake, this little museum makes an interesting rainy-day diversion. The centrepiece is an elaborately carved Māorii meeting house, Te Aroha o Ro
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