City: New Zealand
Top Things to do in New Zealand
Top Hotels in New Zealand
- 1. Kamana Lakehouse
- 2. Fable Auckland, MGallery
- 3. Cordis, Auckland by Langham Hospitality Group
- 4. Sudima Christchurch City
- 5. Rydges Wellington Airport
- 6. Aoraki Court Aoraki/Mt Cook Village
- 7. Queenstown Park Boutique Hotel
- 8. Auto Lodge Motor Inn
- 9. Rainforest Retreat
- 10. Sojourn Apartment Hotel
Top 10 Science Museums in New Zealand, New Zealand
New Zealand (/njuːˈziːlənd/ ( listen); Māori: Aotearoa [aɔˈtɛaɾɔa]) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. The country geographically comprises two main landmasses—the North Island (Te Ika-a-Māui), and the South Island (Te Waipounamu)—and around 600 smaller islands. New Zealand is situated some 1,500 kilometres (900 mi) east of Australia across the Tasman Sea and roughly 1,000 kilometres (600 mi) south of the Pacific island areas of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga. Because of its remoteness, it was one of the last lands to be settled by humans. During its long period of isolation, New Zealand developed a distinct biodiversity of animal, fungal and plant life. The country's varied topography and its sharp mountain peaks, such as the Southern Alps, owe much to the tectonic uplift of land and volcanic eruptions. New Zealand's capital city is Wellington, while its most populous city is Auckland.
Restaurants in New Zealand
1. Faraday Centre museum
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 148 reviews
Fuel your imagination as you walk around Hawkes Bay’s largest Hand’s-on Interactive Museum. It’s a fascinating, family-friendly place, a place where children of all ages can have fun while learning. You can immerse yourself in an Aladdin’s Cave of technology, science and history. Explore our large collection of vintage machines, gadgets, or simply take a trip down memory lane while playing in the arcade, or phoning a friend the old fashioned way.
Reviewed By 318sallyf
If you have a place in your heart for nostalgia, you will love this museum. From pedal cars to Horse drawn Hearse, or 1950s School Dental Clinic, you will find plenty to take you back to the "good old days"!
2. Te Awamutu Space Centre
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 145 reviews
An inspiring educational attraction for all ages. Experience the world of space and astronomy through displays and interactive activities. Our centrepiece exhibit is a small but fascinating collection of artifacts from the American and Russian/Soviet space programmes. You'll also find informative displays about the Universe, the history of space exploration and scientific research. Use the interactive screens to see what's in the night sky, tour the Solar System, create your own orbital systems and more. Watch videos, ask us questions and just hang out chatting about space. We also have a small space shop featuring new and secondhand items.
Reviewed By Greatdayout2020
Had a great trip to the SpaceCentre. The kids loved it and so did the adults. The virtual reality was amazing. A real find.
3. Waitomo Caves Museum
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 2 reviews
Reviewed By carlenemabeym - Omokoroa Beach, New Zealand
Amazing information - very well presented and extremely well priced - great facts to go with a cave visit or great on its own, the history, the facts and everything you need to know about the area.
4. Otago Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,124 reviews
Reviewed By geckopoo
We visited this place 12 years ago when on holiday with our kids, so excited to come back after all these years, and so relieved it is still as good as we remembered (if not better!). Always loved the Animal Attic, great homage to the old-fashioned classical museum collections complete with stuffed specimens in original glass cabinets, fantastic! We were staying just a block away so we just loved visiting the Animal Attic first thing in the morning as the museum opened when it was nice, quiet and oh so peaceful out there, just us and the animals, it was like having our own private museum. A floor down was the maritime gallery and natural history section, also our favourite areas - the moa skeletons on display are well curated, labels very informative and interesting. On the first floor is the special exhibits area which until April this year honours 130 years of collecting in New Zealand, very intriguing array of examples ranging from the heart of a great white shark to a petrified rat collection to gold coins from the Elizabethan period. This is a very modern and spacious museum yet it still has a rather conservative and traditional feel - we love it! The technology is well used to enhance and inform without being too gimmicky and glitzy. Good toilets, water fountains and rest areas on all floors too. Best of all, it’s free. Well done, Dunedin for having this excellent museum in your midst!
5. Puke Ariki
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 537 reviews
Welcome to Puke Ariki - an integrated knowledge hub comprising museum, library, research centre, museum store and i-SITE for a visitor experience that is like no other. Puke Ariki is a place where people come together and where there is a place for everyone. Sited in New Plymouth, between the majestic Mount Taranaki and the wild Tasman Sea, Puke Ariki is a place of wonder, of excitement, of discovery and adventure. "Te hiringa ā rangi, te hiringa ā nuku, te hiringa o Puke Ariki, kia tupu te toiora, kia tupu te toi auaha o te tangata, pupū mai ai i a Taranaki o mua ki Taranaki o nāianei, honohono ake te hunga kāinga, te motu me te ao ki ngā aronga hou, ki ngā ara huhua o tikanga kē, o iwi kē." "At Puke Ariki we aim to inspire creativity and enrich lives by promoting the heritage of Taranaki and connecting local people and visitors to new ideas and other cultures from around the world."
Reviewed By Marloid2 - Greater Manchester, United Kingdom
I found Puke Ariki to be an excellent local/regional museum and attraction covering, history, geology, marine etc. Very well presented, very open and modern. Also has an excellent gift shop. Next time in New Plymouth I shall return.
6. Taranaki Aviation Transport and Technology Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 43 reviews
Reviewed By kaylas2204 - Auckland, New Zealand
It doesn’t look like much from the outside but this place is an amazing treasure trove! Absolutely packed to the brim with old machinery and technology, including a few interactive pieces. Amazing value for money, we will be back to further explore the nooks and crannies
7. Goat Island Marine Discovery Centre
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 35 reviews
The Goat Island Marine Discovery Centre educates visitors about the marine environment & the research activities of the Institute of Marine Science at the University of Auckland. The interactive displays are great fun & provide a wealth of information about the marine environment. The Goat Island Marine Discovery Centre is suitable for all ages and makes for a great family day out.
Reviewed By Emilyjd2 - New Zealand, null
Small but well presented building full of interactive displays and information. We may have been lucky to visit at a good time because we were there when a temporary resident octopus was being fed. We took our kids aged 6 and 9 before we went out snorkeling and it was a good compliment to that experience. We ended up staying much longer than I thought we would.
8. Waimate Museum and Archives
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 3 reviews
28 Shearman Street Waimate South Canterbury Museum Hours Tuesday to Friday 12.00 noon - 3.00pm Monday closed (other times by appointment) Admission by Donation Group Bookings are welcome Archives Hours Tuesday through Thursday 1.30pm - 4.00pm (appointments recommended) Architect P.F.M.Burrows. Built in 1879. Originally the Waimate Court House, it was built in a neo-classical style. Annual Bookarama is held Labour Weekend this year it will fall on Saturday 20th until Thursday 25th of October
Reviewed By Waimate1 - Waimate, New Zealand
This museum provides a good idea about the local heritage of this area. There is an excellent rock and Moa display as well as a large selection of horse drawn vehicles. The court house is a interesting old building. The staff will happily give information and if the door is closed there is a phone number to arrange an opening.
9. Yaldhurst Museum of Transport and Science
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 26 reviews
Yaldhurst Museum is a hidden gem, just 20 minutes from Christchurch city centre. Our display of Classic cars spans 101 years, our historic racing cars forms part of a fascinating collection of over 150 vehicles from horse and buggy to classic cars, printing presses to fire engines all set in the grounds of the original homestead of built 1876. For 50 years the museum has been committed to offering a unique experience of New Zealand’s technological past, close to the center of Christchurch and International Airport, Find us signposted just off SH73. We are open 10 am to 5 pm, 5 days a week Wednesday to Sunday. Please note last entry to the Museum is 3:45 pm.
Reviewed By steventaylorphoto - Christchurch, New Zealand
I loved this museum for it's take on New Zealand's history. Some exhibits are indoors and look like they have been well used, which gives them a more historical feel. The outdoor exhibits are deteriorating and as you look at them you feel like an Urban Explorer getting inside a derelict building. Looking through the often broken windows of the vehicles you can see the decay and rust of the interiors and if you touched them they could crumble so easily. I would like to see a bigger gap between the exhibits, but apart from this it is a fascinating place to visit.
10. Volcanic Activity Centre
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 16 reviews
Turangi’s Volcanic Activity Centre in the Taupo Volcanic Zone is a hands-on interactive educational tourist visitor centre that aims to explain the fascinating world of volcanoes, earthquakes and geothermal activity through a wide range of exhibits which include visual, electronic media and interactive displays that makes learning about all matters volcanic easy, interesting and fun for all ages. Many spectacular natural volcanic and geothermal features in this area are attributed to the Taupo Volcanic Zone and at the Volcanic Activity Centre we explain in an entertaining and interesting way how all this comes about. Explore how the epic forces within the earth shape our world! Free Wi-Fi Language Translations Available
Reviewed By HillsontourNZ
A fantastic, highly educational centre with so much interesting information. Both of our kids were fascinated with the various exhibits and especially loved the earthquake simulator. Lots of cool hands on displays from getting to light up all of the key volcanic locations in the area on the large central map, to being able to feel of all the different types of rocks. Well worth a stop and important to understand the forces that have, and will continue, to shape our wee isles!
