Discover Rotorua's rich culture, volatile landscape and legendary figures in this ‘must-see' museum.
Explore the fascinating stories of Rotorua’s beautiful Government Gardens during the free walking tours hosted by Rotorua Museum guides who won the TrustPower Rotorua Lakes Council Community Supreme Award for their Outside the Walls walking tours. Despite Rotorua Museum being closed for earthquake strengthening until 2021, Museum guides have continued taking tours, sharing the fascinating history of the area that became known as the Government Gardens.
Visitors learn about New Zealand’s most photographed building, the iconic Rotorua Bath House*, from spa to restaurant, cabaret to a night club and finally home to Rotorua Museum. Their stories include the Spanish Mission/Art Deco style Blue Baths, almost as famous as the Bath House and those of the other heritage buildings in the vicinity. https://www.rotoruanz.com/visit/see-and-do/museums-galleries/rotorua-museum
Paradise Valley Springs is Rotorua's must-see wildlife park where visitors of all ages can interact closely with a range of New Zealand’s wild animals, native birds, farm animals and trout, as well as view and get up close to a large pride of African Lions. The wildlife park is set amongst beautifully maintained New Zealand native bush, offering easy walking along flat accessible walkways in all types of weather. You can hand-feed animals that are found wild around the country such as Deer, Goats, Tahr and Wallabies.
Visit the Kea, New Zealand’s infamous and comical alpine parrot in their walk-through aviary. Stroll through the waterbird wetland for great views of native and introduced waterfowl, and look out for the different native birds living wild around the park.
Pat and feed the very sociable farm animals - alpacas, donkey, emus, sheep and more.
Hundreds of Rainbow and Brown trout can be fed in the natural stream as well as in the spring-fed display pools, and viewed at eye level through an underwater window below their pool. Spot some of the large native long-finned eels lazing in their pools. Drink straight from the cool waters of the freshwater spring, or purchase some of their bottled ‘Paradise Pure’ to take away with you. Take the elevated treetops to walk in a secluded area, putting you up near the canopy of the trees.
In a separate area of the park, there is also a pride of African Lions that can be seen all day in an enclosure that allows visitors to get very close to these wild animals.
Lion pride feeding is at 2.30pm, followed by kea and possum feeding at 3pm every day.
10-15 minutes drive from central Rotorua. Open every day of the year including all public holidays. https://www.rotoruanz.com/visit/see-and-do/leisure-wildlife-parks/paradise-valley-springs-wildlife-park
Take a ride in Queenstown’s iconic Skyline Gondola and immerse yourself in spectacular panoramic views of Queenstown and the surrounding mountains. But there’s more to enjoy! When you get to the top, discover a host of family-friendly activities on offer. Get your fix of downhill fun with the Skyline Luge, settle in for a relaxing evening with the best of New Zealand and international cuisine at Stratosfare Restaurant & Bar, or journey into the hidden world of the Southern night sky with Skyline’s guided Stargazing experience. Located an easy five minute walk from the centre of town, a visit to Skyline Queenstown is a must do! https://www.newzealand.com/au/plan/business/skyline-queenstown--gondola/
The magnificent scenery and views around Queenstown, New Zealand can only truly be experienced from the air via a scenic helicopter flight. Glacier Southern Lakes Helicopters operated by Helicopters Queenstown Ltd offer a selection of scenic Queenstown helicopter flights which can fly you over the high points of Lake Wakatipu, The Remarkables, Coronet Peak, Kawarau Gorge, Shotover River, & Skippers Canyon. Experience the thrill of landing on snow and glaciers deep within the alpine ranges and there is plenty of Middle Earth to see for Lord of the Rings & The Hobbit fans also.https://www.glaciersouthernlakes.co.nz/scenic-flights/queenstown-flights/
Otuihau Whangarei Falls is a picturesque waterfall, falling vertically for 26.3 metres over basalt cliffs. Three viewing platforms allow easy access to the dramatic views and a circular walk around the falls allows them to be seen from all angles.
Traditionally this area was a good eeling spot for the local Māori and around the turn of the century it was known as a popular picnic spot from Whangarei.
In the late 1920's Mr Archibald Clapham bought the property, reputedly to prevent the falls being developed as a commercial watermill. In 1946 a local businessmen's association raised the purchase price by public subscription and the property became a public domain. http://www.wdc.govt.nz/FacilitiesandRecreation/WalksTrails/Pages/WhangareiFalls.aspx
Taupo Museum contains an array of exhibits with everything from Māori treasures, a ‘cute as’ Kiwiana caravan, a 'virtual' tour of the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, Art Galleries and a fishing tale or two. https://www.greatlaketaupo.com/things-to-do/listings/taupo-museum-ora-garden-of-wellbeing/
The sheer volume of water flowing over the falls amounts to 220,000 litres per second - enough to fill one Olympic sized swimming pool in 11 seconds! https://www.greatlaketaupo.com/things-to-do/must-do/huka-falls/
Brooklands Zoo is a free, family focused zoo which is home to farmyard animals, oriental small-clawed otters, meerkats and both capuchin and cotton-top tamarin monkeys, as well as a selection of colourful birds housed inside a walk-through free-flight aviary. http://visitnewplymouth.nz/activities/providerid/675
A number of the Rotorua lakes were named by Ihenga, a grandson of the captain of the Arawa canoe Tamatekapua.Lake Rotorua is the largest lake in the district and the most productive trout fishery in New Zealand. http://www.rotoruanz.com/visit/explore/lakes/lake-rotorua
The Elms | Te Papa Tauranga, one of the oldest heritage sites in New Zealand. As a place of early contact between Māori and Pākehā, this historic site remains at the centre of Tauranga’s history and identity today. https://www.bayofplentynz.com/things-to-do/the-elms-te-papa-tauranga-15038235