Canterbury of New Zealand has a variety of wildlife and nature attractions, hence, it offers many opportunities for outdoor and adventure activities. Some highlights here include Mount Cook, Kaikoura, Hanmer Springs, Christchurch, Akaroa and Arthur’s Pass National Park.

Mount Cook is the highest mountain in New Zealand. The Mount Cook National Park is a world-renowned climbing and hiking destination. In total, there are about 23 peaks more than 3,000m high. Mount Cook village, located at the foot of the mountain, serves as a base for climbers and hikers.

If you are interested to watch whales, dolphins and fur seals, then you should not miss visiting Kaikoura. There are opportunities for whale watching tours and other marine activities at Kaikoura. An interesting experience you can have is watching fur seals lounge on rocks just a few metres away from the shore and seeing dolphins frolic in the sea. 

The thermal village, Hanmer Springs, is situated near to Kaikoura. It is a peaceful alpine village, popular for its thermal pools and spa. Visitors come here to relax and unwind. There are also plenty of outdoor activities available which include mountain biking, hiking, river rafting, trout and salmon fishing, jet boating and bungy jumping.

Christchurch is the largest city in South Island. It has more than 700 parks and is a centre of art and culture. The oldest village in Canterbury is Akaroa. Taking a cruise from Akaroa habour can enable you to encounter marine life such as dolphins, seabirds, seals and penguins. At Arthur’s Pass National Park, you can view beautiful alpine scenery, lovely native flora and fauna, and interesting wildlife. Besides, you could be entertained by alpine parrots as well! Canterbury of New Zealand

The Botanic Gardens in Wellington is an excellent place for a relaxing stroll. There is a rose garden known as the Lady Norwood Rose Garden which has both new as well as old flower species. The Begonia House in the Botanic Gardens has tropical and temperate plants, a lily pond, orchids and carnivorous plants. During summer, the beautiful blooms display a truly stunning sight. There is also a children’s playground in the gardens. The visitor information centre, Treehouse Visitor Centre, can be access via a tower lift. The easiest way to get to the Botanic Gardens is by cable car. The ride lasts about five minutes.

The Parliament Buildings of New Zealand consist of three main buildings: Parliament Building, Parliament Library and the Beehive. These buildings stand next to each other. In the grounds, there are beautiful historic trees and a rose garden.

The Old Government Buildings stand just across the street from the Parliament Buildings. Built in 1876, these buildings are considered as one of the largest wooden buildings in the world. Currently, these buildings are occupied by the students from Victoria University’s Law School. However, the original cabinet room on the first floor and the exhibits on the ground floor are open to the public.

Museum of New Zealand – Te Papa Tongarewa is one of the largest museums in the world. It housed some of the most important taonga (treasures) of New Zealand. There are Maori, Pacific Island and European cultural exhibits. The museum housed the National Art Centre which has its displays scattered at different places in the museum. Ad-hoc exhibitions are held in the galleries. There are state-of-the-art time travel and virtual reality centres, a library, reading room, souvenir shop and cafes.

Old St Paul’s Church is one of the most beautiful churches in New Zealand. This church is built entirely of wood, including its nails. It is a remarkable building with an early English Gothic-style design. A great number of shops in Wellington are located along the main shopping street of Lambton Quay. This street stretches to about 1,100m long and is filled with arcades, plazas and walkways.

Wellington city is a beautiful city with many wonderful sights. It has remarkable historic buildings, beautiful parks, superb museums and art galleries. Furthermore, with its fine location, the views from the city towards the sea or the mountains are simply wonderful. The atmosphere of this place is cool and refreshing. Wellington city is a great choice for a relaxing holiday vacation!  Wellington City New Zealand.

The Government Gardens are located in the front of the Rotorua Museum of Art and History. It has croquet lawns, bowling greens, flower beds and steaming thermal pools. The Rotorua Museum of Art and History housed a wide collection of Maori artifacts. This Tudor-styled building was previously a spa retreat. The history of the building is depicted in a section at the museum. The museum has a collection of taonga (treasures) of the Arawa people, which includes handicrafts, woodcarving, flax weaving and jade. There is also a 20-minute film explaining Rotorua’s geothermal activity and Maori’s history. Ad-hoc exhibitions are held in some of the galleries. There is a café with great views.

Another popular attraction in Rotorua is Lake Rotorua.  Formed by an eruption, it is the largest lake in Rotorua. Many visitors come to Lake Rotorua for activities such as fishing, windsurfing and kayaking. There are cruises available at the lake’s front jetty. At the centre of the lake is the Mokoia Island, which is known to be rich in native bird life and also has the Hinemoa’s thermal pool. Lake Rotorua usually has a great number of visitors during summer.

A great Rotoura sightseeing destination not to be missed is the geothermal area at Rotorua. This interesting place, also known as Whaka, has two sections – Te Puia (New Zealand Maori Arts and Crafts Institute) and Whakarewarewa Thermal Village. It is the largest and most famous thermal reserve in Rotorua. In Te Puia, there are Maori’s art and crafts, and geysers Pohutu and Prince of Wales Feathers. Visitors who come here can learn about Moari’s weaving as well as wood and greenstone carving processes. Furthermore, they can have the opportunity to watch Maoris carvers and flax weavers at work. Moari concerts are held daily here. There is a souvenir shop selling wood, paua shell, greenstone carvings, and traditional clothing korowai (cloak). The Thermal Village is located at the eastern side of Whaka. It has a meeting house, hot thermal springs and a cemetery. Thermal water has been used for many years by tribal people for cooking, bathing and washing. The meeting house hold concerts for visitors. Some shops located near the entrance of the village sell sheepskins, fur and handicrafts. There are tour guides to take visitors on group tours at both Te Puia and Whakarewarewa Thermal Village.

Rotorua city is a wonderful place to visit. As described above, there are many popular attractions in this city. Visitors have many exciting activities to do. Apart from Rotoura sightseeing, there are interesting adventure and sports activities available here such as camping, swimming, hiking, water-skiing, yatching and boating. Furthermore, visitors who come here can gain interesting knowledge about Maori history and culture. Truly, Rotorua city has plenty of exciting things to offer. It is indeed a wonderful holiday destination!  Rotorua City New Zealand.

Fiorland is a magnificent place in New Zealand. It is located southwest of South Island. Fiordland is the largest national park in the country. This region is now a World Heritage Park, being recognised as a great ecological area. Milford Sound is regarded as the most remarkable part of Firodland. At Milford Sound, there are spectacular sights on landscapes, cliffs, mountains and waterfalls. Visitors can also see fur seals, dolphins and penguins here. The most famous landmark is Mitre Peak, a pyramid shaped mountain with a height of about 1,692m. Other remarkable features are Lion Mountain, the Elephant and Copper Point. Striking Milford Sound waterfalls such as the Bowen Falls and the Stirling Falls are captivating sights here.

Concerning Milford Sound weather, downpour of rain is common here. However, the rain creates stunning waterfalls and a misty scene that makes the atmosphere here more mystical and captivating. The huge mountains are softened by the mist which instils a sense of great calmness in the air. The whole ambience feels awesome.

An Underwater Observatory, located in one of the bays of Milford Sound, enables visitors to see black coral, red coral, anemones, starfish and other fishes that live in the fiord. Visitors can peek below the top layer of water to view beautiful sea creatures and corals that are living under water.

Some visitors come to Milford Sound via the Milford Track while others take a bus ride to the cruise wharf. The Milford Track spans about 5.3km from Lake Te Anau to Milford Sound over the Mackinnon Pass. It takes about three to four days to reach Milford Sound using this track. A drive to Milford Sound from Te Anau will pass Cascade Creek, Upper Hollyford Valley and Homer Tunnel. During peak periods, the visitor centre tends to be crowded with people. Usually, there are more visitors during the day than at the end of the day.

Going for one of the Milford Sound cruises is a must activity here. It is one good way to explore the place. A day cruise usually lasts about one to two hours. All the cruises depart from the wharf visitor centre. There are also scenic flights available here for tourists to view the place.

Milford Sound is indeed a remarkable natural wonder. The marvellous sights of huge mountains, such as Mitre Peak, rising from the surface of the sea and stunning waterfalls tumbling from great heights to the sea waters are truly breathtaking. For those who are keen to visit places with great scenic beauty, Milford Sound would be a good one to explore. It is certainly a ‘must see’ for those travelling to New Zealand!  Milford Sound New Zealand

The Bay of Islands is a favourite recreation spot for many locals as well as tourists due to its favourable climate, great beaches, silent coves and aquamarine waters. Many visitors come here for deep-sea fishing, swimming, kayaking, sailing, cruising, water-skiing, jetboating and diving. This place is usually most crowded during summer in New Zealand.

A good way to explore the Bay of Islands is to go for a sailing trip. In this way, you can slowly view the surroundings of this beautiful place. Besides, during the sailing trip, you can include activities such as swimming, snorkelling, kayaking or fishing. There are dolphin swimming trips available here. For these trips, you can have opportunity of cruising around the islands as well as watch and swim with the dolphins. If you are keen in sea kayaking, you can choose to join a guided tour or go for it yourself by renting a kayak. Besides kayaking, visitors can enjoy the fun and excitement of jet boating.  There are other interesting activities for tourists such as scenic flights, paragliding and horse-trekking. As this place is famous for its coastal scenery, going for a scenic flight would enable tourists to enjoy the beautiful scenery.

Paihai is a popular town in the Bay of Islands. This small town has a great number of visitors, especially during summer. Previously a mission post, this place has become a bustling modern town with plenty of activities to offer. There are many shopping areas, restaurants and cafeterias. All types of accommodations are also available here. Paihai is a base for deep-sea game fishing. Its popular wharf offers cruises and fishing trips around the bay. There are many historical places here and they are indicated by plaques placed along the seafront.

Some attractions are located near Paihai. Waitangi National Reserve is located within walking distance from Paihai. The Lily Pond Park, located at the north of Paihai, is a great destination for family outing. This park gives its visitors the opportunity to interact with many kinds of farm animals. The animals in the park include goats, sheep, eels, alpaca and emus. Another attraction, the Haruru Falls, is located about 3km from Paihai.

Russell is a beautiful historic town in the Bay of Islands. It is a quiet town with many historic buildings and a wonderful waterfront. Another town, Kerikeri, is popular for its orchards and outdoor cafes.

The Bay of Islands is indeed one the most beautiful and historic regions in New Zealand.  If you are looking for a place for recreational activities, like camping, boating, fishing or simply relaxing, you can consider visiting this place. The Bay of Islands.

The wet weather conditions at Fiordland give the region its unique character. Huge amounts of rainfall make Fiordland a place full of lakes, rivers, streams, waterfalls and fiords. At spring and winter months, the steep mountain ranges sometimes cause avalanche conditions on the Milford Road. The rainfall varies significantly from areas immediately at the coastline to mountain passes. This means that while Milford Sound may experience above average rainfall, Te Anau’s rainfall can fall below average. 

At Milford Sound, the climate is cool temperature. The coldest months are May to August where frosts produce ice on the valley floors. The warmest months are November to February where temperatures can rise above 25 degrees Celsius (77 Fahrenheit). Average high temperatures range from 67F in February, to 48F in July. Average low temperatures range from 51F in January and February, to 34F during the month of July.

Regardless of the Milford Sound Weather,  it is worth a visit at any time of the year. Although there may be rain, the wonderful scenery created such as the amazing waterfalls, glistening surface of the sea and the misty scene of the fiord will not fail to keep you fascinated. Milford Sound Weather.

Kelly Tarlton’s Antarctic Encounter and Underwater World is a popular tourist attraction in Tamaki Drive, Auckland. It is a world-class facility where visitors can view all kinds of marine life from a moving walkway (conveyor belt) passing trough a huge transparent ocean tunnel. In Kelly Tarlton’s Antarctic Encounter and Underwater World, visitors have the opportunity to see sharks, stingrays, fishes, penguins and many other interesting sea creatures. One popular attraction here is a giant stingray named Phoebe which weighs about 200g. It is placed in a separate stingray enclosure called the Stingray Bay. Similarly, octopus, eels and sea horses are placed in separate enclosures. Visitors are allowed to actually step off from the conveyor belt any time to have a closer look at the sea creatures.

The Antarctic Encounter is one of the greatest highlights here. With below zero degree temperature, it is just like a winter wonderland. The Antarctic Encounter features a walk through a replica of Robert F Scott’s 1911 Antarctic hut. It also features a Snow Cat ride through a sub-antarctic landscape, to view the colony of King and Gentoo penguins in a snow and ice environment. Furthermore, visitors can see some interesting displays here depicting an Antarctic scientific base of the future and the history of Antarctic.

The population of Auckland Zoo is not limited to native animals. The Auckland Zoo has a wide range of animals such as seals, elephants, penguins, cheetahs, squirrels, monkeys, kiwis, kakas and kakarikis. The animals are placed in natural settings. The squirrel, monkeys and macaques can be viewed at close range in a rainforest. An African savanna with Xulu huts are provided for the zebras and giraffes to live in. The hippopotamuses are enclosed in a wetlands environment. At Auckland Zoo, visitors can have the opportunity of seeing tuatara, a rare species from the reptile family and a relative to the dinosaur, which is found only in New Zealand.

Devonport, a beautiful town, is located at the bottom of North Shore. It takes about ten minutes to reach this town via ferry from Auckland’s Ferry Building. Devonport has a village atmosphere with many remarkable Victorian and Edwardian buildings, art galleries, cafes and restaurants. Many cafes, restaurants and book shops are located at Victoria Road which is a five-minute walk from Victor Wharf, the place where ferries arrive. Many lovely villas are located along the waterfront. You can take an enjoyable stroll in the area to appreciate the remarkable Victorian building architecture. From this place, you can also enjoy wonderful views of Auckland’s central business district. Two extinct volcanoes, Mount Victoria and North Head, are nearby and they can be reached by car or by walking.  These two places offer stunning views of Auckland city and across the harbour to the eastern bays.

From the above, you can see that Kelly Tarlton’s Antarctic Encounter and Underwater World, Auckland Zoo and Devonport are interesting places to visit. These places are great destinations for family outings. They provide great enjoyment for the whole family. Each place offers a different experience and there is a variety of different activities to do, making the family outing a fun-filled one. 

Auckland Discount Tickets

The Sky Tower is Auckland city’s most distinctive landmark. Being a popular tourist attraction, the tower has about one million visitors a year. The Sky Tower is part of Sky City complex, which is a large complex with two casinos, restaurants and a five-star hotel. The Tower, with a height of 328m, has four observation levels: the lower observation level, main observation level, outdoor observation level and sky deck. At these observation levels, visitors can see stunning views of the city of Auckland to about 80km. The entry to the lifts is via an underground gallery. The lower observation level has a café, known as the Sky Lounge cafe. At the Main Observation level, there are free multilingual audio guides, live weather forecasts and touch-screen computers. The sky deck is the country’s highest public viewing area. The Tower’s Sky Jump is a 192m cable controlled base jump. At night, the Sky Tower is even more visible, being lighted up with different coloured lights. With these bright lights, its observation pod looks very much like a flying saucer!

The Auckland Museum was built in 1929 to commemorate the end of World War I. It has a stunning façade that resembles the Greek temples. The Auckland Museum has a wide range of collections, interactive displays and performances. The museum’s collection is housed on three levels. There are displays on the people of New Zealand, both the Maori and European descent, and the Pacific region. Visitors can learn about New Zealand’s history and see a good collection of Maori treasures and Pacific artefacts. The galleries have displays on social histories, ethnology and arts. The museum has interactive activities for kids to create more excitement for them. The museum has a natural history gallery, with about 1.5 million specimens. These specimens are freeze-dried, pickled, stuffed and skewered. The War Memorial, located at the top floor, serves as a museum with displays on New Zealand’s war history, and a site of commemoration. From the exhibits, visitors can learn how the historical war events have forged the country’s identity. The museum also holds Maori’s cultural performances. There is a shop selling books, jewellery and music items.

The Auckland Art Gallery is New Zealand’s largest art institution with a collection of about 12,500 exhibits. It showcases both international and national art pieces. It also holds exhibitions on a regular basis. The Auckland Art Gallery occupies two neighbouring buildings. The Main Gallery has displays on European collection as well as New Zealand art. The New Zealand’s collection includes works from many of the country’s most prominent artists. The New Gallery housed contemporary art pieces and holds exhibitions.

The Auckland Viaduct Harbour, built around late ‘90s, has a combination of shopping plazas, residential apartments, cafes and restaurants. All these were built overlooking the waters which are filled with bobbing boats. The Maritime Museum is located in the Auckland Harbour. The Maritime Trail is a paved walkway around the rim of the harbour’s basin. Along this path, there are historical plaques and beautiful sculptures, highlighting key aspects of Auckland’s sea adventures. Visitors can enjoy a pleasant stroll here. During summer, there are outdoor performances such as singing, playing or acting. Outdoor cinema shows are held here as well.

In Auckland, the Sky Tower, Auckland Museum, Auckland Art Gallery and Viaduct Harbour are truly interesting places to visit. If you plan to go for a tour in Auckland, you should not give these places a miss. These places offer you different activities to do. Indeed, you will have an exciting time with a variety of things to do.

Cathedral Church of St Paul, Wellington Cathedral of St Paul, Parliament Building, Old Government Buildings, Katherine Mansfield Birthplace, Wellington Cable Car, Wellington Botanic Garden, Victoria University. Visiting these place in Wellington Zealand city center should give you a good taste of this wonderful city.

It is always very exciting to do some shopping when you are abroad to bring back home of the local products. Then you must visit Wellington Zealand premier shopping street at Lambton Quay. This 1.1km route premier shopping street runs through the heart of Wellington Zealand political and commercial life. The Lambton Quay is a lovely street populated with arcades, plazas and elevated walkways. Believe it or not, most parts of it are sited on reclaimed land. Along the footpath, there are plaques to identify the lay of the shoreline before the mid 1800s. Anyway, enjoy your shopping here.

Next, you might want to spend sometime at The Harbourfront. This is a favourite meeting place for Wellingtonians and visitors. If that is the case, how can you miss it? Anyway, what is so great about this place? You can send the whole day here visiting places like the Circa Theatre, The Overseas Terminal, Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, Town Hall, Queens Wharf, Museum of Wellington City and Sea, City-to-Sea Bridge, The Civic Square, Frank Kitts Park etc.. Finally if you need a rest, visit the Courtenay Place to have a cup of tea. Over there, it is lined with bars, clubs, restaurants and theatres.

Wellington Zealand is a vibrant, culture-driven hot spot is an interesting to visit.

Please do consider Wellington Zealand your next vacation visit. Please come back to this website regularly because you will find new and useful information on destination travel and cheap airline tickets.

One final thing. It is always good to check the weather of Wellington Zealand for your visit.

Below is the table showing you the temperature and precipitation, The Wellington Zealand city averages 2025 hours (or about 169 days) of sunshine per year (Ref: A)

Weather averages for Wellington Zealand, New Zealand 

Wellington Zealand weather : High Average
Jan (oC/oF) : 20.3/69 | Feb (oC/oF) :20.6/69 | Mar (oC/oF) : 19/66
Apr (oC/oF) : 16.7/62 | May (oC/oF) : 14.2/58 | June (oC/oF) :12/54
July (oC/oF) : 11.4/53 | Aug (oC/oF) :12/54 | Sept (oC/oF) :  13.5/56
Oct(oC/oF) :15/59 | Nov (oC/oF) : 16.6/62 | Dec (oC/oF) :18.5/65

Wellington Zealand weather : Low Average
Jan (oC/oF) : 13.4/56 | Feb (oC/oF) :13.6/56 | Mar (oC/oF) :12.6/55
Apr (oC/oF) : 10.9/52 | May (oC/oF) : 8.8/48 | June (oC/oF) :6.9/44
July (oC/oF) : 6.3/43 | Aug (oC/oF) :6.5/44 | Sept (oC/oF) : 7.7/46
Oct(oC/oF) :9/48 | Nov (oC/oF) : 10.3/51 | Dec (oC/oF) :12.2/54
Wellington Zealand Precipitation
Jan (mm/in) : 72/2.83 | Feb (mm/in) :62/2.44 | Mar (mm/in) :92/3.62
Apr (mm/in) : 100/3.94 | May (mm/in) : 117/4.61 | June (mm/in) :/
July (mm/in) : / | Aug (mm/in) :/ | Sept (m/in) : 100/3.94
Oct(mm/in) :115/4.53 | Nov (mm/in) : 99/3.9 | Dec (mm/in) :86/3.39

Source: NIWA (Ref B) Oct 2007

Ref A : “Mean Monthly Sunshine (hours)”. National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research. http://www.niwascience.co.nz/edu/resources/climate/sunshine/.
Ref B : “NIWA Climate Data 1971-2000″.  http://www.niwascience.co.nz/edu/resources/climate/.

And what’s more, apart from the wildlife, other interesting places to visit on Otago Peninsula are the historic Larnach Castle and the scenic Sandfly Bay.  There’s no shortage of activities for you to spend a few days on the peninsula.

Larnach Castle is New Zealand’s only castle and it was built between 1871 and 1885. This castle was built by financier, business and politician, William J M Larnach for his wife Eliza.  The Larnach Castle sat on 2 sq km of bush and gardens has many fine features, such as elaborated craved and decorated ceiling sand also has a large hanging staircase.  You can climb up the narrow stone steps to the top of the tower for the best panoramic view. Can you imagine how great that feels?

Next, visit the Royal Albatross Centre situated at Taiaroa Head. By the way, this place is the world’s only mainland royal albatross colony.  The Royal Albatross Centre opened in 1989, display these birds. You can see the birds nestling and flying during the nesting period at the observatory. Besides, from the observatory, you can also see a colony of Stewart Island shags. But that’s not all, after seeing the birds, be sure to visit the one of its kind in the world Armstrong disappearing gun. Find out how the gun disappear!

And what’s more, visit the award-winning Penguin Place where you can see the world’s rarest species of yellow-eyed penguin. You can only find Yellow-eyed penguins on the Otago Peninsula and other isolated east coast areas of Otago and Southland. Over here, there is a system of camouflaged trenches where you can see the nesting penguins at close range without disturbing them. As you probably know, these birds are most active at dusk.   As the sun goes down, these penguins will shoot out of the waves at high speed and waddle over the dunes. However, if you want to see large number of penguin, be sure to visit during the breeding season and adult moult periods (mid Oct to late Feb and early May).  Nonetheless, you are almost guaranteed to see some birds all year round especially around dusk. There are truly stunning.

Having seen both the albatross and the penguin, the next highlight is to see the endemic Hooker’s sea lion.  Believe it or not, the Hooker’s sea lion is the rarest of the world’s five species of sea lions. The most accessible place to see the seals is around Taiaroa Head.  But first a warning,  while they may be easily accessible, do not go near them for your own safety. Enjoy them at a safe distant.

If you need some outdoor exercises, you can try outdoor activities such as sea kayaking, cruising and walking are also available.

If you intend to stay there for a day or so, you can try Larnach Lodge, Conehenge, 932 Harington Point Village Motel, Homestate, Margate-by-the-Sea, Nisbet Cottage, Bus Stop Backpackers, McFarmer’s Backpackers, Penguin Place Lodge. For more excitement, you can also try Portobello Village Tourist Park which is a motorcamp and campsite. 

As this is a peninsula, do not expect too much of eating place. Indeed, there are only two restaurants and some scattering cafes. Nevertheless, it is good enough to fill your stomach.

For all these reasons, be sure to make Otago Peninsula one of your highlight when you visit New Zealand South Island and you will be rewarded with spectacular scenery.