Visit the Museum of New Zealand in Wellington

Learn about New Zealands rich cultural history by visiting Wellington's Te Papa New Zealand.  Te Papa is the Museum of New Zealand, you can find it on the waterfront near Wellington's CBD.  There is no entry fee to visit and the museum has alot of cultural and permanent exhibits showcasing the history of the land and people.  

Wellington is also the capital city of New Zealand and the government buildings are located here, the national government building is called the Beehive and if you visit it during a weekday they will take you on a tour.

Visit an active volcanic area

New Zealand straddles an active fault line, the effects of which can be experienced in both the North and South Islands.  In the North Island you can visit Rotorua, Taupo, and Bay of Plenty's White Island for that real Volcanic island experience.

We recommend visiting Rotorua for bubbling mud pools, geothermal hot springs and seeing geysers burst out of the ground.  For those wanting to see an active volcano, hop on board a scenic helicopter flight around White Island.

In the South Island you can go to the famous Hanmer hot springs located just 90 minutes west of Christchurch.