Parks in New Zealand

“I went to the Auckland Botanical Gardens first thing after exiting the airport on October 6. It was a good experience, very quiet early in the morning. It's entirely free and supports the local community. Some of the highlights would be the water features, the grouping of plants by ecosystem, and the main building, which hosts I spent around an hour there. That was a little short; I think the optimal amount of time is around two hours.”

“It is a botanical jungle within the city which has fauna & flora of most plants. Each one of them has been labelled & grouped in different category, making it a haven for botany students & easy to differentiate for the layman. Must visit while in Auckland.”

“Well worth a visit. Lots of birds, great informative signage, beautiful bush. Good place to visit if you don't have time to do any bush walking - gives you a great taste of it! Also, the Cafe is excellent! Great coffee and really lovely food”

“Wonderful new cafe, lots of animals and variety of landscapes such as streams, waterfalls, hills. Well worth visiting though take care on the narrow road to Staglands.”

“Awesome service, have done clutch, general services, turbo issues when other garages couldn't. Quick turn around when urgent and great communication of whats up if anything. He also suggested an auto electrician rather than chew through labour time. Honest. My go to garage for years now.”

“Willowbank Wildlife Reserve is absolutely amazing, a perfect mix of native, farm, and exotic animals. The kiwi enclosure was the highlight for me, peaceful, natural, and the closest I’ve ever been to seeing a kiwi up close! The staff are super friendly, knowledgeable, and clearly care deeply about conservation. The grounds are clean and easy to walk through, with beautiful native bush and photo spots everywhere. Feeding the eels and lemurs was such a fun surprise. Great for all ages, and only a short drive from the city or airport. Definitely one of Christchurch’s must-visit attractions!”

“Such a unique place at the heart of Hamilton! I initially thought this would like any other botanical gardens but I was wrong. The concept of having different themed gardens (Japanese, Italian, Chinese, Indian) was quite refreshing to see and that made the whole experience unique and engaging throughout the visit. Highly recommend if you’re looking to take professional photos as the garden has a lot of color and diverse options.”

“Great two hour stop. We did the windows walk. This included approximately 100 man made steps. Dark and wet mining tunnels ( bring a light and waterproof shoes). Part of the lower track is closed, so to make it a loop take the Battery track back. We didn't and got to do the 100 steps all over again! Two suspension bridges to cross to get there. One has a lot of bounce! Easy parking with a toilet. Probably a 3 out of 10 on strenuous ( only because of the stairs). Not handicap friendly. Bad knees; beware.”

“Big range of variety of gardens and plants. Nice walk to the aviary to see heaps of kākā and parrots. Duck feeding is available near the information center. Lots of other birds to watch around the gardens. Lots of street parking.”

“Wanted to try Tob Coffee as heard there's always a queue. It's a busy place with a great vibe. Service is quick and efficient, and staff is very friendly. Purchased beans, Vietnamese latte and Mocha. Enjoyed the experience and great coffee. Will visit again.”

“Kids Cove is a amazing centre. My son has been attending the centre for a year and a half and I am grateful for the time , effort, love and care that was given to him. Especially the Storytellers team, Teacher Shuchie and her team have done an amazing job teaching my son, he comes home every day using big words like Translucent and Transparent and explaining to me what those words mean. Those are just a simple example of how much my son has thrived intellectually and emotionally at Kids Cove.”

“Beautiful place and nice walk to get there. Waterfall itself is not so big but all nature around is Very beautiful!”

“⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Review: “This was our first visit to the Howick Historical Village, and it’s been on my bucket list for years since moving to New Zealand. Tonight’s Halloween festivity finally made it happen — and what a wonderful experience it was! The atmosphere, the creativity, and the family-friendly fun made it truly special. I’m definitely looking forward to coming back to enjoy all the other events and experiences the village has to offer.”

“Volunteers were very kind. They were happy to explain history of this house.”

“We really enjoyed the new lunch menu offered with obento boxes! My brother was in happy land with his lamb meal as well.”

“Celebrated our wedding anniversary and did not disappoint. Every food is delicious and the customer service is superb. We will surely recommend and come back again ❤️❤️”

“True authentic Italian with great service and atmosphere. The pizzas were delicious and the lemon cello & tiramisu is a must! We would certainly return - fair price and no complaints! Would recommend booking as it’s quite a small restaurant”

Orewa Nails & Beauty is a beauty salon providing nail care. The team is known for friendly service and professional care.

“National museum of New Zealand that hold a big native collection, 3 floors with a lot of history, and for me, the most impressive is the war one, with it's people representing what they were doing in a big scale, that you can view the details of the figures. Worth to take a look and visit it! :)”

“A nice walkway next to the wharf that provides nice views of the harbor, and leads to a nice happening area with various restaurants, bars, and high end shops. The walk is flat and easy so can be managed by anyone with basic fitness, however it’s windy in general and in a windy day it gets slightly challenging to walk. The walk from the parking lot at this location to the shops is 1.6 KM / 1 mile. Walking from the parking lot to the other end will take at least 30 minutes with plenty of stops around monuments on the way.”

“I visited the Mount Victoria Lookout, which sits at the highest point in Wellington, and the experience was truly breathtaking. From one side, you get a stunning view of the endless sea, and from the other, the entire Wellington city opens up beautifully beneath you. You can even watch planes landing and taking off at the airport—it’s a mesmerizing sight from that height. The lookout also features photos showing how Wellington has evolved from the early 1900s to today, which adds a lovely historical touch to the visit. Overall, it’s one of the finest places to explore with family, offering unforgettable views and a calming atmosphere.”

“Top views of Wellington and surrounding areas. Great place to start a walk.”

Beauty Spot Johnsonville is a beauty salon providing brow shaping and waxing and tanning. The team is known for friendly service and professional care.

GLO Hairdressing is a hair salon offering cuts and styling. The team is known for a clean, tidy setting.

“Super friendly people and obvious dog-lovers. Absolutely no hesitation to recommend For Dogs Sake to everyone and anyone, you'll LOVE it!”

“Highly recommended for everyone in the family. A beautiful free (donations are welcome) museum, filled with far more aircrafts than we initially expected. Lots to read and discover, displays were well put together and the pacing through the exhibits is perfect. If you need a break, there is a simple cafe, a lovely little gift shop and peaceful grounds. Wish we had more time to explore this past visit. We will have to set aside more time the next visit!”

“We had a perfect morning for this planned trip thankfully as you need to prebook on the website. The pools were clean and the staff were friendly and helpful. While we spent the entire visit in a single pool, there were many choices and I have tried them out on different occasions. In my opinion this is a great pool to bring a baby/toddler family to. The 1st pool has a big terraced entrance for new water babies and a deeper part so that adults can hover along the edge of the shallow section supporting their tamariki. I highly recommend.”

“Great walk fantastic views of the city and the bays on the other side of the hill. Seeing is believing”