New Zealand's must see places to visit: Cape Palliser to Christchurch

28-41: Must see Kiwi destinations Cape Palliser to Christchurch

28. Stand on the southernmost point of the North Island

Cape Palliser is where Te Ika-a-Māui meets the ocean, just an hour’s drive from Martinborough. Archaeologists believe Māori first settled here in the 1300s. Visit the lighthouse, which has been guarding sailors from the cliffs since 1897 — climb the 253 steps to get a closer look. The cape is also home to the North Island’s largest fur seal colony — visit November to January for the chance to see some pups. Travel with Martinborough Wine Tours on their Pinot to Palliser Tour and your driver will take you through Ngawi, a small fishing village, out to Palliser Bay for lunch, then back in Martinborough you’ll visit a vineyard for an end of day wine tasting. martinboroughwinetours.co.nz

29. Explore Stonehenge Aotearoa

Did you know we have our own version of England’s Stonehenge, right here in New Zealand? It’s similar in size and appearance to its English inspiration, but our Kiwi version is a complete and working open air astronomical observatory, designed for its precise location in NZ. Guided daytime tours will teach you more about the stars and celestial bodies, as well as Polynesian and Pacific star navigation knowledge, or visit on a Friday or Saturday night for stargazing through powerful telescopes. stonehenge-aotearoa.co.nz

30. Eat and drink your way around the capital

For such a small city, Wellington has a big appetite — there is no end to the culinary highlights to be found, many of which are in easy walking distance wherever you might be staying. Every visit will see you come across something new, and you’ll find pretty much any kind of international cuisine you can imagine. Wash all that down in one of the city’s many independent cafes, breweries, cocktail bars and pubs, and you’ll be sure to go home satisfied.

31. Get back to nature in Wellington Botanic Gardens

While the official gardens were established here in 1868, the history of the land dates back much further than that. There were well-established pās in the area when Europeans arrived, with Te Ātiwa using the land for food cultivation, and collecting native plants for food, fibre, medicine and construction, until they were displaced in the mid-1800s. Now, the Wellington Botanic Gardens span more than 25 hectares of specialised plant collections, colourful displays, native forests, some of the oldest exotic trees in Aotearoa, and great views over the city, easily accessible via the famous cable car from Lambton Quay.

32. Experience the Abel Tasman National Park

This may be New Zealand’s smallest national park but it could easily accommodate its own 65-item list of things to experience. There’s golden beaches, lush forest trails, historical Māori sites, seal colonies, penguin colonies, kayak tours, hiking tours, helicopter tours, beachfront lodges, sailing, walking ... it’s almost endless. Really, Abel Tasman National Playground would have been a more suitable name. But if your itinerary is pressing then we recommend jumping on one of the day — or half-day — tours that whizz you out by sea, show you around and drop you back in time for tea.

33. Take a trip to Golden Bay

Stretch your legs on a guided tour of Farewell Spit at Golden Bay. This 34km stretch of natural wonder is one of the world’s longest natural sandspits and, for those that get to its top, offers a speedy sliding descent bouncing along its signature wavy sand ripples. The panoramic views along the way are incredible so don’t forget your camera as they offer views of Abel Tasman National Park, the wild waters of Cook Strait, and the Golden Bay mountains.

34. Take a mail-boat cruise on Pelorus Sound

A contender for best job in the world: being a sea postie in the Marlborough Sounds. For almost a century, the Pelorus Mail Boat has been delivering supplies, groceries and mail to the isolated homes found in the secluded bays of the Marlborough Sounds, and visitors can tag along for the ride. Trips include commentary on the history of the sounds and its residents, and highlights can include dolphins, gannets, king shags, a greenshell mussel farm and much more along the 379km of pristine shoreline. themailboat.co.nz

35. Drink sauvignon blanc at the source

Sauvignon blanc accounts for more than 86 per cent of the wine New Zealand exports, so while we might take it for granted, international drinkers know our winemakers are doing something pretty special. Marlborough is the country’s largest sauv region and the conditions are just right to produce the wines for which we’ve become famous the world over — low rainfall, consistently high sunshine hours, and big temperature shifts during the ripening period. The region is home to many wonderful wineries with cellar door tastings and gourmet restaurants — hire a bike and cycle between a few, or take a guided tour so someone else does the driving for you.

36. Ride the rails on the South Island’s east coast

Whether travelling from Picton or Christchurch, the best way to arrive in Kaikōura is on the Coastal Pacific train. The service was suspended as the country has worked its way through alert levels, but will resume from October 13, operating on Tuesdays, Wednesday and Thursdays. The five-hour journey takes you through Marlborough wine country, along the Kaikōura coastline, and down to the Canterbury plains. Some of the journey’s highlights are crossing the Okarahia Viaduct and the Kahutara River Bridge, rounding the southern end of Mangamaunu Bay, and travelling through the salt plains at Lake Grassmere. greatjourneysofnz.co.nz/coastal-pacific

37. Eat fresh crayfish from Nins Bin

Ranked seventh out of 500 global experiences on Lonely Planet’s Ultimate Eatlist, the famous blue and white caravan 20km north of Kaikōura is a third-generation family food truck which has been serving the day’s catch to locals and tourists since 1977. Grab an uncooked cray to take away, or indulge in one freshly cooked in garlic butter while you sit on a picnic table looking out to sea. The perfect Kiwi experience? We think so. Just make sure you check opening hours before you visit — hours vary, and we’d hate you to be disappointed. facebook.com/ninsbin

38. Meet the marine mammals of Kaikōura

Kaikōura is one of the few places in the world where sperm whales can be seen year-round and close to shore, thanks to the 3km deep Kaikōura Canyon, which has a rich marine food chain for the majestic mammals to feed on. Tours with Whale Watch Kaikōura operate Fridays to Mondays (daily during school holidays) and they have a 95 per cent success rate, so you can be pretty confident you’ll see at least one whale while out on the water (if not, you’ll receive an 80 per cent refund). As well as giant sperm whales, you might see New Zealand fur seals, pods of dusky dolphins, endangered albatross and, depending on the season, humpback, pilot, blue and southern right whales. whalewatch.co.nz

39. Get soaked in Hurunui

Cantabrians have been soaking up the mineral-rich waters of Hanmer for generations. There is something for everyone, from family pools to private pools, to a lap pool and even a river, all filled with geothermally warmed waters that began life as snow, seeped its way into the earth’s basement rock to be warmed by the earth’s core. Visit to soak your bones and relax, or throw yourself down New Zealand’s largest waterslide if you’re there for thrills. hanmersprings.co.nz

40. Take a wine tour in North Canterbury

Pinot noir is a fussy grape. It has thin skin, and grows in tight clusters which make it susceptible to disease. It likes cool weather and is sensitive to temperature fluctuations, and it likes to stay on the vine for longer than other varieties. Which means the places this finicky plant thrives are very special indeed. The North Canterbury wine region spans 200km of coastline, and is best known for its pinot noir and aromatics. A tour of the region will take you to the cellar doors of dozens of producers, large and small.

41. Let the kids run riot at the Margaret Mahy Playground

When it comes to playgrounds, Christchurch ain’t playing. The newish Margaret Mahy Family Playground (it opened in 2015) is the largest playground in the entire Southern Hemisphere and is suitable for all ages and all abilities. There’s all manner of fun stuff for the kids to climb, swing, slide and jump on as well as a water play area and electric barbecues so you can really make a meal of your time there. If you’ve ever been in charge of any amount of children for any period of time then you’ll know that a good playground is worth its weight in gold, and here you’ve really struck it rich.