56 Cool and Unusual Things to Do in New Zealand - Atlas Obscura

Matamata, New Zealand

Hobbiton

The real life Hobbiton, this sheep farm has been forever transformed since being built for The Hobbit film series.

-37.8721, 175.6829

Waitomo, New Zealand

Waitomo Glowworm Caves

A cave lit with glowworms.

-38.2610, 175.1043

Added by michelle

Milford Sound, Fiordland National Park, New Zealand

Milford Sound, New Zealand

Milford Sound

Dolphins, ancient clams and hundreds of waterfalls make this one of the world's top tourist destinations.

-44.6694, 167.9256

Added by michelleferlito

Castle Hill, New Zealand

Castle Hill: Spiritual center of the universe

Castle hill in New Zealand, named the 'Spiritual center of the universe' by the Dalai Lama in 2002.

-43.2300, 171.7161

Added by Bananaface

Lonely tree amongst mountains in Wanaka.

Wanaka, New Zealand

Lone Tree of Lake Wanaka

A solitary tree has grown up all alone on Lake Wanaka, backdropped by the beautiful Southern Alps.

-44.7001, 169.1175

Added by Blindcolour

Starkly colors on the shores of Tekapo

Lake Tekapo, New Zealand

Lake Tekapo

A perfect turquoise lake colored with glacier dust.

-44.0051, 170.4775

Added by Kilkennycat

Te Waikoropupu Springs.

Takaka, New Zealand

Te Waikoropupu Springs

Some of the clearest water anywhere in the world.

-40.8475, 172.7707

Added by Bananaface

Note Leyh in the sphere.

Kaukapakapa, New Zealand

Electrum

The world's largest Tesla coil.

-36.6167, 174.4983

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lindsaysuzanne wants to go to Hobbiton

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Stories About New Zealand

Lord Howe Island is one of the surviving landmasses of the lost continent of Zealandia.

Amazing Ways to Visit Zealandia, Earth's Lost Eighth Continent

Eight places where you can explore the sunken landmass above water.

October 09, 2017

The view from the deck of the ship <em>JOIDES Resolution</em> while it drills a core sample.

Scientists Are Just Starting to Understand Earth's Eighth Continent, Zealandia

It wasn't always under all that water.

by Kelsey Kennedy

September 27, 2017

<em>White Terraces, Rotomahana</em>, by Charles Blomfield, 1897.

The Quest to Rediscover New Zealand's Lost Pink and White Terraces

A German diary from 1859 might point the way to a geothermal wonder buried by a volcanic eruption.

by Kelsey Kennedy

September 06, 2017

A mud bubble in a Rotorua mud pool.

The Controversy Over Five Tons of Imported Party Mud

Locals in New Zealand say it's like importing sand to the desert.

by Natasha Frost

Pōhutukawa blossoms are a common sight in December in New Zealand.

This Iconic New Zealand Tree Is Probably From Australia

But pōhutukawa disappeared from the continent a long time ago.

by Kelsey Kennedy

A rat in a cage in New Zealand.

New Zealand's Quixotic (Perhaps) Mission to Kill Every One of Its Rats

The country wants its birds back.

by Erik Shilling

The home movies (not pictured) were found in New Zealand.

Found: Old Scottish Home Movies From the 1970s—in New Zealand

How they got there is a mystery.

by Erik Shilling

A surveillance image of the suspects.

A Shark Suit, a Hammer, And an 'Unknown' Amount of Missing Candy

Things got a little weird recently in New Zealand.

by Erik Shilling

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