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The Best Views
Sky Tower: The paramount city view in not only New Zealand, but also the entire Southern Hemisphere. Once you get out of that glass-faced lift 328m (1,076 ft.) above the city, you'll know just what I mean. Fabulous 360-degree views of Auckland unfold below, and you can test your courage by walking over glass floors!
Hicks Bay: Stop at the high point above Hicks Bay before you descend into Te Araroa to see New Zealand's largest pohutukawa tree and the East Cape Lighthouse. Resting awhile, high up between the two bays, see if you can imagine Captain Cook's expression when he first sighted the area, and his relief to be leaving again after a tragic Maori massacre in which one European was killed and eaten on his wedding night.
Hastings's Te Mata Peak: A big "sleeping giant" of a hill, 393m (1,289-ft.) Te Mata affords big views of endless green and brown undulations, reaching all the way to the coast. Havelock North, Hastings, and Napier all blend together below.
Wellington's Kelburn Cable Car: Not so far above the capital's busy shopping streets, you'll be rewarded with postcard-perfect vistas of glass-faced high-rises silhouetted against the harbor. Step off the cute red cable car into the verdant acres of the Botanical Gardens and look seaward. No matter what the weather, the view is always memorable.
Queenstown's Skyline Gondola: It's everybody's aim to get high in Queenstown one way or another. Make yours by way of a smooth gondola ride to the top of Bob's Peak. Step out into the cool, crisp, exceedingly fresh air with New Zealand's playground spread out at your feet. The Remarkables will keep the view in check, and Lake Wakatipu will be a big blue basin below.
Nugget Point: You may not have seen another human being for hours by the time you make your way to the lookout above Nugget Point. And once you've experienced the blissful solitude of standing on this wild, windswept Catlins promontory, you probably won't care if you don't see anyone for several more. Thick, swirling masses of kelp, seals, penguins, and seabirds galore -- they're all here by the hundreds.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without
notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before
planning your trip.
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