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All New Zealand

The Atlas Obscura Guide To New Zealand

116 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in New Zealand

Updated October 20, 2023

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Collage of the tunnel at Tunnel Beach, Dunedin, New Zealand, showing the beginning, a look backwards up the tunnel, and a view of the beach at the end of the tunnel. (Wikimedia Commons)
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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 Glowworm Caves.

Waitomo, New Zealand

Waitomo Glowworm Caves

Tubing through a cave lit with glowworms is a magical underground experience.
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.
Castle Hill.

Castle Hill, New Zealand

Castle Hill

The Dalai Lama named this New Zealand landscape the "Spiritual Center of the Universe."
Lonely tree amongst mountains in Wanaka.

Wanaka, New Zealand

That Wanaka Tree

A solitary tree has grown up all alone on Lake Wānaka, backdropped by the beautiful Southern Alps.
The Tree Church

Ohaupo, New Zealand

The Tree Church

One man's dream has turned into this naturally growing chapel made of almost nothing but trees.
Devil's Bath

Waiotapu, New Zealand

Devil's Bath

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

Lake Tekapo, New Zealand

Lake Tekapo

A perfect turquoise lake colored with glacier dust.
See All 116 Things To Do in New Zealand

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in New Zealand

Taupo, New Zealand

Taupo McDonald's Airplane

Eat your Big Mac in a DC-3.
Bunsen Cafe

Christchurch, New Zealand

Bunsen

Enjoy coffee and cake while viewing antique medical equipment at this unique cafe.

Wellington, New Zealand

Hiakai

This fine-dining restaurant features native New Zealand ingredients and Māori cooking.
The Springfield Doughnut.

Springfield, New Zealand

Springfield Doughnut

A giant doughnut was given to the small New Zealand town of Springfield to promote "The Simpsons Movie."
See all 8 Places to Eat in New Zealand
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Stories About New Zealand

There are at least 20 Māori names for the New Zealand fantail, a beloved native bird often seen as a messenger between worlds.

Does the New Zealand Fantail Connect the Human and Spirit Realms?

The bird is sometimes considered an omen of death, but in Māori tradition, that's just one part of its story.
by Roxanne Hoorn
October 20, 2023
The pekapeka-tou-poto, found only in New Zealand, is also known as the lesser short-tailed bat.

The Race to Save the Pekapeka-Tou-Poto, New Zealand's Unique Bat

For scientists, monitoring the feisty, endangered burrowing bat includes moments of "actual madness."
by Monica Evans
September 14, 2023
The mysterious metal cylinder on the shore of Western Australia.

A Massive, Mysterious Object Washed Up on an Australian Beach

Experts say it’s likely space junk—and there’s plenty more where that came from.
by Roxanne Hoorn
July 19, 2023
The Tamil Bell, the broken crown of a ship's bell embossed with Tamil script, has fascinated and perplexed scholars for more than a century.

The Mystery of New Zealand's Tamil Bell, an Archaeological 'UFO'

The strange bronze artifact perplexed scholars for more than a century, including how it traveled so far from home.
by Petrina Darrah
February 8, 2023
The Milky Way and curtain-like auroras fill a clear southern sky off Nugget Point, at the edge of New Zealand’s remote Catlins. While the island nation is too far north to see the aurora australis regularly, aurora-hunters flock to the Nugget Point lighthouse area for its dark skies and unobstructed view off the South Island’s southeastern coast.

Aurora Hunters Capture the Wonder of the Northern (and Southern) Lights

A curated collection of images shows why this natural phenomenon has fascinated and inspired humans for millennia.
by Gemma Tarlach
December 21, 2022
New Zealand's challenging Hollyford Track—including a stretch known as the Demon Trail—follows a river valley past stunning views of the surrounding mountains.

Along New Zealand's Demon Trail, a Family Hunts for True 'Wildness'

A couple and their young daughter hike the South Island's Hollyford Track, enduring rough terrain and vicious sand flies for a glimpse of an untamed world.
by Phillip and April Vannini
November 28, 2022
Frying Pan Lake, one of the world's largest hot water springs, Rotorua, New Zealand.

New Zealand, Off the Beaten Path

Atlas Obscura’s Senior Trips Program Manager, Becca Glatz, speaks about our amazing trip “Natural Wonders of New Zealand’s North Island” and the country in general.
Sponsored by Atlas Obscura Trips

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Join us for a daily celebration of the world’s most wondrous, unexpected, even strange places.
by The Podcast Team
May 26, 2022

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