Te Kuiti

If you’ve ever wanted to try the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona but were afraid of getting trampled or gored, Te Kuiti may be the place for you. Every year on the weekend after Easter, this small town, a 15-minute drive south of Waitomo, hosts the New Zealand Shearing Championships, which includes the very silly “Running of the Sheep”. Over 2,000 of the soft, woolly critters are let loose on Te Kuiti’s main street – a much safer alternative to Pamplona.

Other than being the sheep shearing capital of New Zealand, there’s not a lot going on in Te Kuiti, but it makes a decent base for exploring the Waitomo Caves.