The Franz Josef Glacier Hot Pools are a series of hot springs in Franz Josef village that include three main pools 36ºC, 38ºC and 40ºC. The complex also has several private pools.
You get free entry to the hot pools if you go on one of the heli glacier hikes run by Franz Josef Glacier Guides.
InterCity Coachlines stop in Franz Josef on their Fox Glacier–Greymouth and Franz Josef–Queenstown routes with direct coach services to Fox Glacier, Greytown, Queenstown and Wanaka.
InterCity coaches stop at the bus stop on Main Road and some coaches also stop outside the YHA hostel.
Freefall Xtreme at the Agrodome is the only skydive simulator in New Zealand. Body flying involves leaping into a 220km/h column of wind that is generated by a twin turbo Detroit Diesel V12 engine. There’s a safety net to prevent you from falling into the engine.
If you’ve wondered what skydiving is like but prefer to fly two metres (rather than 4000 metres) off the ground then this may be just the activity for you. As a bonus, you get to fly for longer than freefalling from a plane.
Newmans Coach Lines stop in Geraldine en route between Christchurch and Queenstown.
Coaches stop outside the Kiwi Country Tourism Complex just north of the town centre.
Geraldine’s small museum has exhibits of local history including a manual telephone exchange.
The Geraldine Vintage Car & Machinery Museum is a small transport museum that features 1,400 exhibits including a 1929 Spartan biplane, 30 vintage cars and 101 tractors including the oldest working tractor in New Zealand.
InterCity Coachlines coaches run from Gisborne to Auckland (via Whakatane, Rotorua and Hamilton) and Wellington (via Napier, Hastings and Palmerston North).
Coaches stop outside the i-SITE Visitor Information Centre at 209 Grey Street, Gisborne.
Stratford’s Tudor-style clock tower is home to New Zealand’s only glockenspiel, which features six figures of Romeo and Juliet and performs for five minutes daily at 10am, 1pm, 3pm and 7pm.
The Golden Bay Museum and Gallery is housed in Takaka’s former post office. This small museum has displays on local history including a diorama depicting Abel Tasman’s fateful visit to Golden Bay in 1642.
The Goldmine Experience is a re-created gold mine that sits on the original site of the 1868 Golden Crown claim and features working mining equipment dating from the 1870s. A visit includes a tour of three original tunnels.
The Gore Historical Museum is a small museum inside the Hokonui Heritage Centre complex that has displays on the region’s social history including exhibits on Southland’s early settlers and trout fishing.
InterCity Coachlines connect Gore with Ashburton, Christchurch, Dunedin, Invercargill, Oamaru, Te Anau and Timaru.
Coaches stop outside the visitor information centre on Hokonui Drive.
The Government Buildings Historic Reserve – commonly referred to as the Old Government Buildings – is an impressive wooden government building is situated across the road from the Beehive. The building dates from 1876 and up until 1998 it was the second-largest wooden building in the world.
This building has a beautiful interior with cast-iron fireplaces, sweeping staircases and native timbers.
It is now home to Victoria University of Wellington’s Law School, although the grounds are open to the public and it is also possible to visit the displays on the ground floor and the first floor Cabinet room.
The Govett-Brewster Art Gallery is an excellent contemporary art museum that combines a permanent collection with a variety of temporary exhibitions. It is an impressive gallery for such a small city.
The adjacent Len Lye Centre has a collection focusing on the works of Christchurch-born artist Len Lye.
Great Barrier Airport (GBZ), also known as Claris Airport, is the island’s main airport. It is a short walk from the village of Claris, which is about a half-hour drive north of Tryphena. Barrier Airlines and FlyMy Sky have frequent flights to Auckland International Airport, although there are also direct flights from Claris to Ardmore, Hamilton, Auckland North Shore, Tauranga, Waiheke Island, Whangarei and Whitianga.
The one-way fare between Auckland and Claris is $79–145.
The Great War Exhibition was created by Weta Workshops’ Sir Peter Jackson to portray the horror of war. The exhibition focuses on the Western Front during the First World War through displays of artefacts and photographs. Exhibits include detailed life-size dioramas and even a full size tank and all the photographs have been painstakingly restored and hand-coloured.
The exhibition is housed in the old Dominion Museum building near the National War Memorial south of Wellington city centre.
Only a tiny part of the Greenstone and Caples Tracks lie within Mount Aspiring National Park, but they are still regarded as some of New Zealand’s major walks. The tracks follow the Caples and Greenstone River valleys and there is an option of combining one of the two tracks with the Routeburn Track.
Although the Greenstone and Caples Tracks are two separate walks, they are often combined to make a loop (50km, 4–5 days).
Info & Track/Backpacker Express and Glenorchy Journeys run shuttle buses to the track from Glenorchy.
The track follows the Caples River to Upper Caples Hut, passing Mid Caples Hut after 2½ hours.
The track becomes rougher as it climbs through beech forest and crosses the McKellar Saddle before a steep descent to Lake McKellar and McKellar Hut.
This section is a relatively easy walk along the Greenstone River valley.
The final stretch of the Greenstone Track follows the Greenstone River past Sly Burn Hut and through a long narrow gorge. After the junction with the Caples River, it’s just a short walk to the road end.
InterCity operate bus and coach services from Greymouth to Nelson and Fox Glacier.
The Greymouth InterCity coach stop is located at the train station on MacKay Street in the town centre.
Greymouth is the terminus for the TranzAlpine train from Christchurch. For many people this breathtaking train trip is the highlight and the only reason for visiting Greymouth.
Greymouth railway station is on Mackay Street close to the town centre.
InterCity Coachlines stop in Haast en route between Franz Josef and Queenstown with direct daily coach services to Fox Glacier, Franz Josef, Queenstown and Wanaka.
The Haast InterCity coach stop is on Marks Road opposite Wilderness Backpackers.
Unlike other wet trips, Haggas Honking Holes doesn’t involve cave rafting, but it is definitely an adventure. This fast paced trip involves three abseils in waterfalls while exploring the caves.
Hamilton International Airport, 12km south of central Hamilton, is New Zealand’s tenth-busiest airport. Air New Zealand have flights from Hamilton to Christchurch, Palmerston North and Wellington.
Super Shuttle run a door-to-door shuttle bus service between the airport and central Hamilton.
Hamilton’s impressive 58ha botanic garden features a “Story of Gardens” theme, with five different garden collections exploring garden design traditions, history, the relationships between people and plants, and more. It is a pleasant spot to relax, walk or have a picnic.
The Northern Explorer train service stops in Hamilton en route between Auckland and Wellington.
Hamilton railway station is located on Fraser Street in Frankton, which is a half-hour walk into the city centre; although local buses stop on Queens Avenue just a short walk from the station.
The Hamilton Transport Centre is Hamilton’s main bus and coach station. It handles both local and regional bus services as well as InterCity Coachlines long distance coach services.
InterCity Coachlines have direct coach services linking Hamilton with Auckland, Cambridge, Gisborne, Hastings, Napier, New Plymouth, Otorohanga, Palmerston North, Rotorua, Taupo, Tauranga and Wellington.
InterCity coaches depart from platforms A–D and most local buses depart from platforms E–V. Buses to Cambridge and Te Awamutu leave from Bryce Street and ManaBus and Naked Bus services and buses to Raglan depart from Anglesea Street.
Situated on 21ha of parkland, Hamilton Zoo is impressive for a small town zoo and is home to a variety of wildlife from Africa, Asia and Latin America. The zoo also boasts a huge walk-through aviary, which is home to many rare and endangered New Zealand birds.
Several companies, including Skytrek, operate tandem hang gliding trips departing from Queenstown.
Skytrek’s hang gliding and paragliding excursions operate from Coronet Peak, a 20-minute drive outside Queenstown. Coronet Peak is New Zealand’s highest commercial paragliding and hang gliding launch site, which means that you get better views and a longer flight.
In both instances you get a tandem flight with an experienced pilot so you don’t need any experience to try this exhilarating sport, although it is also possible to have instructional hang glider flights if you’re interested in the techniques involved in hang gliding.
Although both hang gliding and paragliding offer a similar experience, hang gliding is generally thought to be more fun. Hang gliders can handle stronger wind and they can also fly in more turbulent conditions. While hang gliders can fly almost as slow as paragliders, they are able to fly much faster and much further. Although hang gliding is thought of as a more exhilarating sport than paragliding, it is also considered safer.
InterCity Coachlines coaches stop in Hanmer Springs en route between Picton and Christchurch.
The route between Christchurch and Hanmer Springs is also served by minibuses operated by both Hanmer Connection and Hanmer Tours and Shuttle.
Buses and coaches stop at the bus stop on the corner of Amuri Avenue and Jacks Pass Road, across the road from Robbies Restaurant.
The Hanmer Springs Thermal Pools and Spa features seven open-air thermal pools, three sulphur pools plus a sauna, steam rooms and a swimming pool with waterslides. The best time to visit the pools is lunchtime or around 7pm–8pm, when there are fewer people around.
InterCity Coachlines coaches stop in Hastings on their Gisborne–Wellington, Hastings–Auckland, Hastings–Tauranga, Napier–Palmerston North, Napier–Wellington and Tauranga–Palmerston North routes.
InterCity coaches connect Hastings with Auckland, Gisborne, Hamilton, Napier, Palmerston North, Rotorua, Taupo, Tauranga and Wellington.
The Hastings InterCity coach stop is across the road from Subway at 117 Russell Street.
Havelock is served by InterCity Coachlines route linking Nelson and Picton.
Coaches stop at the bus stop outside the Mussel Pot restaurant at 75 Main Road in the centre of Havelock.
InterCity Coachlines stop in Hawera en route between Wellington and New Plymouth with direct coach services to New Plymouth, Palmerston North, Paraparaumu, Stratford, Wanganui and Wellington.
Hawera is also served by the Connector bus, which goes to New Plymouth (via Stratford) several times per day.
Buses and coaches stop on High Street outside the i-SITE Visitor Information Centre.
Archives New Zealand is responsible for maintaining New Zealand’s government records and the most important documents are on display at the He Tohu exhibition, which is jointly run by New Zealand’s National Library.
The exhibitions highlights include the 1835 Declaration of Independence of the Chiefs of New Zealand, the original 1840 Treaty of Waitangi and the 1893 Women’s Suffrage Petition (New Zealand was the first country in the world to give women equal voting rights).
The Heaphy Track (82km, 4–6 days) offers beautiful scenery and crosses a diverse landscape that includes tussock downs, forest and rugged coastal scenery.
Although it is a long hike, the track is well formed making it relatively easy going.
Most people hike from north to south, reaching the highest point on the first day and allowing for a mostly downhill hike.
After leaving Brown Hut, the track crosses the Brown River and then traverses a grassy plain before climbing and reaching the track’s highest point (915m) half an hour before reaching Perry Saddle Hut.
The track crosses Perry Saddle shortly after leaving Perry Saddle Hut and then continues along windswept plains.
The track crosses tussock plains for most of this section.
This part of the track crosses the border between the Nelson-Tasman region and West Coast Region. The track gently climbs through the Mackay Downs and the ground can get boggy after rain.
The gradual descent to sea level begins after leaving James Mackay Hut. This section sees the environment change from beech forest to incorporate nikau palms and the taller trees that are associated with the West Coast.
The track now follows the path of the Heaphy River and passes through forests of tall rata and rimu trees before reaching the Heaphy Hut on the West Coast.
The final leg of the track follows the sea through nikau palm rainforest. This section offers a few opportunities to walk along the beach.
A helicopter flight offers a birds-eye view of the glacier and several of the helicopter operators are licensed to land on it.
Scenic helicopter flights start from a quick 20-minute buzz over Fox Glacier to a longer flight over both Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers and flights that take in Mount Cook and Fox, Franz Josef and Tasman Glaciers.
Helicopter flights are operated by several companies including Fox and Franz Heliservices, Glacier Helicopters and the Helicopter Line.
If you’re thinking about shelling out for a helicopter flight, you should also consider both the heli-hiking tours on Fox Glacier and also skydiving as both these activities include scenic flights over Fox Glacier.
The following video and bookings are for scenic helicopter flights operated by Glacier Helicopters.
A helicopter flight offers a birds-eye view of Franz Josef Glacier and several of the helicopter operators are licensed to land on the glacier.
Scenic helicopter flights range from a quick buzz over Franz Josef Glacier to flights over both Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers and flights that include a glacier landing.
Helicopter flights are operated by several companies including Fox and Franz Heliservices, Glacier Country Helicopters, Glacier Helicopters and the Helicopter Line.
If you are thinking about a scenic helicopter flight you should consider the heli hiking tours run by Franz Josef Glacier Guides as these also include the helicopter flight to and from the glacier.
The following video and bookings are for scenic helicopter flights operated by Glacier Helicopters.
This huge 10ha site is home to a large array of geothermal features including boiling mud pools, New Zealand’s only accessible mud volcano and the Kakahi Falls – the largest hot waterfall in the Southern Hemisphere. The complex also includes mud baths and a sulphur spa.
Fox Glacier is around 2km longer than Franz Josef but it receives fewer tourists than its northern neighbour. However, like Franz Josef, guided glacier walks involve a short helicopter ride onto the glacier surface making it a rather expensive activity.
Guided walks on Fox Glacier are the number one activity at Fox. Fox Glacier Guiding offer several options for hiking and ice climbing on Fox Glacier. These include a half-day glacier heli hike, a full-day glacier heli hike and the more advanced full-day heli ice climb. There are also guided walks to the terminal face as well as challenging full-day and two-day heli-treks to Chancellor Dome.
The Fox Trail terminal face walk is the shortest and cheapest activity at Fox Glacier. This involves a guided walk up the Fox Valley to the terminal face of Fox Glacier. This does not involve a helicopter ride and although you get to see the glacier, it does not involve actually walking on Fox Glacier.
Flying Fox: Heli Hike is the half-day heli hike which involves return helicopter transfer onto an area of Fox Glacier, 800m above sea level, where you are able to see stunning arches, tunnels and ice caves as well as the spectacular Victoria Falls, fed by melting ice from the Victoria Glacier.
On this trip you are decked out in hiking boots with crampons and each tour has between three and 11 people. Allow four hours for the tour, which includes two helicopter rides (flying in and out) and three hours on the ice.
Extreme Fox: Heli Hike is the full-day heli hike, which is an extended version of the the Flying Fox tour. Depending on ice conditions, you may ford crevasses, abseil down ice walls and be lowered into moulins (ice holes). Like the half-day hike you will also be able to see arches, tunnels and ice caves.
On this trip you are decked out in hiking boots with crampons and each tour has between three and four people. Allow 8–9 hours for the tour, which includes two scenic helicopter flights (flying in and out), lunch, a t-shirt and up to six hours on the ice.
Both the Flying Fox and Extreme Fox heli hikes offer breathtaking photo opportunities, both on the ice and on the helicopter flights there are back.
Fox It Up is the tour for you if you have always wanted to experience ice climbing but never had the opportunity. This is a more active alternative to the heli hikes where you get to learn the techniques involved in ice climbing using crampons and ice axes.
On this trip you are decked out in hiking boots with crampons, helmets and an ice axe and each tour has between three and four people. Allow 8–9 hours for the tour, which includes two scenic helicopter flights (flying in and out), lunch and up to six hours on the ice.
The Browne Fox Heli Trek is a good introduction to mountaineering where you fly in by helicopter, landing above Chancellor Hut before ascending the 2004m Chancellor Dome summit, which offers breathtaking views over the Southern Alps and towards the Tasman Sea.
The Browne Fox Heli Trek comes in two flavours: a full-day trek and a two-day trek. If you choose the full-day hike, after making it to the summit you will descend back down to Chancellor Hut for your return helicopter flight back to Fox Glacier village.
The overnight version of the trek starts off like the one-day trek, but rather than flying back in the afternoon you have dinner and stay overnight at Chancellor Hut and the following day you descend towards the ice features of Victoria Flat. This trip offers the opportunity to see alpine wildlife including chamois and kea.
There are between two and three people on each Browne Fox tour.
Note: Although this trip offers views of the glaciers, it is not a glacier hike and does not involve walking on the glacier.
Guided walks on Franz Josef Glacier are the most popular activity at Franz Josef, however since 2012 all glacier walks require a helicopter flight past the unstable terminal face. Franz Josef Glacier Guides run two tours on the glacier: a glacier heli hike and the more advanced heli ice climb.
The half-day glacier heli hike involves a helicopter flight that lands on the glacier followed by a three hour guided hike that lets you see ice formations including blue ice. The tours include gear such as crampons, boots and ice picks and gives you plenty of photo opportunities.
The heli ice climb is a more advanced alternative to the heli hike, which introduces you to the techniques involved in ice climbing. This is a five-hour excursion that gives you four hours on the ice.
Both trips also include entry to the Franz Josef Glacier Hot Pools to relax after your hike.
Arthur’s Pass National Park has a good selection of hiking trails.
Short walks include the Devil’s Punchbowl Waterfall Walk (1 hour return), which follows the Bealey River and then climbs to the base of this impressive 131m waterfall. The easy Bridal Veil Track (1½ hours return) rewards you with nice views of Arthur’s Pass village. There is also a good selection of full day walks.
The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit film trilogies were filmed on farmland near Matamata and the Hobbiton Movie Set can be visited by tour.
The set was constructed a year prior to filming to allow weeds to grow so the set would look more realistic and lived in. It was built as a film set meaning that it was not built to last longer than the initial film shoot (like many film sets corners were cut with sets made from plywood and polystyrene). However, in 2010 the set was rebuilt in a more permanent manner for the filming of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.
The 5.5 ha (14 acre) film set features 44 hobbit holes, although it is only possible to enter a few of them. The interior shots were filmed in a studio in Wellington so don’t expect the interior of the holes to look the same as in the films.
Despite tours being relatively pricey, the set is a very popular tourist attraction attracting over half a million visitors since tours began in 2002.
The set is now home to The Shire’s Rest Cafe, where you can enjoy a second breakfast and the Green Dragon Inn (a replica of the Green Dragon that featured in the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit trilogies) was opened in 2012.
Admission is by two-hour tour and tours can get booked out during busy periods so it is best to book in advance to ensure that you have space on the tour.
Because there’s no bridge across the Hokianga Harbour you will have to take the Hokianga car ferry, which sails between Kohukohu and Rawene about once an hour between 7.45am and 8pm (the last sailing from Rawene is at 7.30pm). The crossing takes around 15 minutes and the one-way fare costs $20 per car, $2 for foot passenger and $5 for a motorcycle.