Things to Do in New Zealand
 The islands of New Zealand lie in the South Pacific Ocean, around 1,600km off the East coast of Australia. With stunning scenery ranging from glaciers to rolling green pastures, soaring mountains and mirror-image lakes, New Zealand is tailor-made for adventure, so we share with you all the great things to do.
Auckland
Auckland Bridge Climb – The Auckland Bridge Climb company offers guided climbs over the Auckland Harbour Bridge for anyone over 10 years of age. The climb can be done any day of the week and on Saturday night for a spectacular view over the sparkling city skyline and the deep, shimmering waters of the harbour below.
Sky Tower – The Sky Tower holds the title of the tallest building in the Southern Hemisphere at 328m high. A glass floor lift to the Sky Deck will allow you breath-taking views of the city for more than 80km in every direction.
For the ultimate test of bravery and an adrenaline rush like no other, you can actually leap from the Observatory level of the Tower (192m tall) in a cable-controlled base jump known as the Skyjump, the highest jump in New Zealand.
Kelly Tarlton's Underwater World – Beyond the country's elegant cities, towering mountains and rolling countryside is another side of New Zealand - an incredible underwater landscape home to an amazing variety of animals.
Kelly Tartlon's Underwater World offers a fascinating glimpse into New Zealand's marine life without having to get wet. Visitors can view the giant aquarium through a clear tunnel walkway and be just centimetres away from sharks and stingrays.
The unique Antarctic Encounter is a virtual tour through the snow and ice of South Pole in a heated snowcat – complete with freezing temperatures and an icy pool full of Antarctic penguins.
Rainbow's End Theme Park – New Zealand's premiere theme park hosts a variety of rides and attractions for kids of all ages. Spend a leisurely day checking out rides like the hair-raising Corkscrew Coaster and the Fearfall Tower, to the comparatively gentle Family Karts and Cadbury Land Castle.
Waiheke - Peaceful Waiheke Island is in the beautiful Hauraki Gulf, a 35-minute ferry ride from Auckland. It's a great getaway from the city with its lush green pasture land, vineyards and olive groves, secluded beaches and forest walks and charming country villages with lovely cafes and restaurants and a variety of accommodation.
Wellington
Te Papa Tongarewa (Museum of New Zealand) – Te Papa is a state-of-the-art interactive museum that tells the story of the ancient country and its people through fascinating tours, films and exhibitions.
There's a Discovery Centre for kids featuring storytelling, cartoons, computer puppets and traditional weaving classes.
Wellington Cable Car Museum – The Wellington Cable Car winds under the motorway, through three tunnels, past Kelburn Park and Victoria University and on to the entrance of the city's Botanic Gardens. Get off at the Kelburn stop and you're a short walk away from the Cable Car Museum, a tribute to the colourful 100-year history of Wellington's 'relentless red machine'.
Queenstown
Beautiful Queenstown is renowned as New Zealand’s adventure sport capital.
Nestled on the edge of Lake Wakatipu in the glacial Otago region of the South Island, but beneath its quiet and charming exterior is a town crazy for blood pressure raising extreme sports. Just some of the weird and wild activities to get your heart pumping are parasailing, bungy jumping, whitewater rafting, and a 300m sky jump out of a helicopter.
Middle Earth Tours
Since the release of the first Lord of the Rings film, Fellowship of the Ring, New Zealand has experienced a tourism boom sparked by travellers who wanted to see the magical scenery of the movie for themselves.
A profusion of tour operators have cropped up offering tours of many of the spectacular natural attractions featured in the epic trilogy. Wellington, Queenstown and Christchurch are good bases for starting an arranged or independent Middle Earth driving tour.
Bungy Jumping
The most famous of Kiwi innovations, bungy jumping is derived from the practice of Land Diving in Vanuatu, in which young men jump from high wooden platforms with nothing more than vines tied to their ankles.
Bungy is wildly popular and bungy sites have been set up all over the country. The most exhilarating/terrifying jump is the diabolical Nevis Highwire Bungy near Queenstown. At 134 metres, it’s the highest bungy in Australasia.
Skiing and Snowboarding
From June to October, mountainous regions in both the North and South islands experience abundant snowfall and excellent skiing and snowboarding conditions. Ski-package tours with accommodation at one of the country's many ski resorts are readily available and represent good value if you want to spend at least a few days in the snow.
Diving
Jacques Costeau named the Poor Knights Islands of Tutukaka one of the Top 10 diving locations in the world. There are dive sites suitable for all levels of divers, with unique underwater terrain formed by volcanic activity, and a variety of temperate and tropical water species to be discovered.
White Water Rafting
White water rafting is one of the icons of New Zealand adventure - a thrilling sport that takes advantage of the country's wild, fast-flowing rivers. Rafting companies operate in New Zealand year-round, and tours are graded according to difficulty level. Most companies have a minimum age requirement of 13, but some operators will take kids as young as 10 on the lower grade rivers.
TOP TEN things to do -
1. BUNGY!
2. See the world through the eyes of a hobbit on a tour of Middle Earth.
3. Enjoy some of the best skiing and snowboarding in the Southern Hemisphere.
4. Admire the view from the top of Auckland's Sky Tower.
5. Take a wilderness tour through the glacial mountains and forests of Fiordland National Park.
6. See some of Wellington's historic sites from the Wellington Cable Car.
7. Take in Auckland's evening skyline on night-time Bridge Climb.
8. Experience fast-paced adventure rafting on a white-water river.
9. See a live performance of the Haka.
10. Visit the innovative Te Papa Museum in Wellington.
This article is courtesy of Holidays with Kids |