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

Unusual
Attractions
in New Zealand

Matamata, New Zealand

Hobbiton

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

Waitomo, New Zealand

Waitomo Glowworm Caves

A cave lit with glowworms.

michelle

Added by michelle

Milford Sound, New Zealand

Milford Sound

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

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.

Bananaface

Added by Bananaface

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.

Blindcolour

Added by Blindcolour

Lake Tekapo, New Zealand

Lake Tekapo

A perfect turquoise lake colored with glacier dust.

Added by Kilkennycat

Waiotapu, New Zealand

Devil's Bath

This electric green sulphur lake in New Zealand looks like a cartoonish radioactive dump site.

EricGrundhauser

Added by EricGrundhauser

Takaka, New Zealand

Te Waikoropupu Springs

Some of the clearest water anywhere in the world.

Bananaface

Added by Bananaface

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Unique
Food & Drink
in New Zealand

Tim Tam Slam

Gastro Obscura

Ritual & Medicinal

Tim Tam Slam

The world's least practical and most delicious edible straw.

Gastro Obscura

rachelrummel

Added by rachelrummel

Fairy Bread

Gastro Obscura

Fairy Bread

A rainbow of flavor that harks back to childhood.

Gastro Obscura

Ella Morton

Added by Ella Morton

Stinging Nettles

Gastro Obscura

Fruits & Vegetables

Stinging Nettles

Boil away this plant's poisonous hairs, and you're left with a tasty, spinach-like leaf.

Gastro Obscura

rachelrummel

Added by rachelrummel

Afghan Biscuits

Gastro Obscura

Afghan Biscuits

These beloved New Zealand cookies have a mysterious past.

Gastro Obscura

rachelrummel

Added by rachelrummel

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Explore New Zealand

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Recent New Zealand Activity

Miss Elby has been to Opossum World

Randolph wants to go to Putangirua Pinnacles

Randolph wants to go to The Town of Bulls

Randolph has been to Waipu Caves

Randolph has been to Rotorua

Stories
About New Zealand

Tāne Mahuta

One of New Zealand's Most Majestic Trees Is in Danger

Tāne Mahuta is one of the oldest kauri trees in the world.

by Sarah Laskow

The sudden disappearance of a country of 4.7 million people.

Why Is New Zealand So Often Left Off World Maps?

An island nation's call for help.

by Natasha Frost

The "Six O'Clock Swill" at a bar in Victoria, Australia.

The ‘Six O’Clock Swill’ Was an Hour of Drunken Anarchy

How Australia and New Zealand’s restrictive alcohol laws fostered a culture of binge drinking.

by Natasha Frost

A present-day view of the Chatham Islands gives a clue to the island's traditional name, meaning "Misty Sun."

The Sad Story of the Moriori, Who Learned to Live at the Edge of the World

How the remoteness of the Chatham Islands forged a resilient people.

by Natasha Frost

If you want free cheese, make haste to New Zealand. And get ready to pay with your time.

Complete This 2,000-Piece Puzzle to Win Free Cheese

Dairy has never been so puzzling.

February 23, 2018

The Swim Reaper, out doing his own special kind of beachcombing.

This Water Safety Campaign in New Zealand Has a Stylish, Sinister Mascot

Meet the Swim Reaper.

November 21, 2017

Alan Tennyson holds more than 20 fossilized kakapo beaks. Just 154 of the birds are alive today.

The Pit of Death That Holds the History of New Zealand's Flightless Birds

A natural trap that became a grave for thousands of avians.

by Natasha Frost

November 17, 2017

New Zealand birdwatchers survey the coast of North Korea.

The New Zealand Birdwatchers Who Fly to North Korea in the Spring

The quest for a bird that continues to defy international sanctions.

by Natasha Frost

November 07, 2017