Flowers On Mothers Day

1) Drive up to one of the northest point in New Zealand - Cape Reinga. There you get to see a lighthouse and a directional pole that shows the distance and direction of some major cities and landmarks.

2) Stroll along Ninety Mile Beach where you enjoy a stretch of endless sand and sea. Although the actual length is only 55 miles or 88 kilometres, it will take quite some time if you want to cover the whole stretch on foot.

3) Goat Island is known for the rocky shore when the tide is low. You can even walk across some rocks to take a closer look at the seabed. Do be careful not to damage any marine biodiversity.

4) Take a photo with you inside the frame at Shakespeare Regional Park. On a gorgeous clear day, the picturesque Hauraki Gulf forms the perfect backdrop for your photo. Cost: priceless.

5) Mission Bay in Auckland is one of the hip and modern beaches in New Zealand, with a variety of alfresco dining places and Movenpick ice cream shop. From the shore, you get a perfect view of Rangitoto Island.

6) Auckland Botanic Gardens is the place to go if you want to see native plants. During December, you get to walk through an avenue of flowering Pohutukawa trees - also known as New Zealand Christmas trees.

7) Take a walk or drive up 2 extinct volcanoes in Auckland. Both Mount Eden and One Tree Hill offer fantastic city skyline view. Check out the naturally formed craters from the top of Mount Eden.

8) The Paradise Garden Collection in Hamilton Gardens showcases some of the most beautiful landscape designs. The English Flower Garden, Italian Renaissance Garden and Indian Char Bagh Garden are my favourites.

9) Gisborne is the first major city to see the sunrise daily. Get up bright and early to watch the start of a beautiful day. Now, you can proudly declare that you have seen the sunrise first before the rest of the world.

10) Smell sulphur (or somewhat like rotten egg) and you know you are nearing Rotorua. All around the city, you can see steam emitting from ground openings - from roads to green spaces.

11) In the middle of New Zealand lies a little English town known as Cambridge, known as Town of Trees & Champions. You might even get to see thoroughbred horses around.

12) Enjoy the view of Huka Falls from the bridge. This small canyon has up to 220,000 litres of water flowing through per second. Huka means foam in Maori language, as the light blue water resembles foam flowing down.

13) Walk along the edge of Lake Taupo. Be awed by the naturally formed crater-turned-lake caused by eruption over 26,500 years ago. It is the biggest freshwater lake in Oceania and approximately the size of Singapore island.

14) As you drive along State Highway 1, you will pass by a stretch of Desert Road between Turangi and Waiouru. Here you get a stunning view of the 3 peaks - Mount Tongariro, Mount Ngauruhoe and Mount Ruapehu.

15) Check out the windfarms around New Zealand. They are located at the Tararua Ranges in Manawatu region. Drive up and be awed by the 70-metre high structure with three 35-metre blades spinning. Get a blow!

16) Be amused by the place names in the town Bulls at Rangitikei District. With the police station known as Const-a-Bull, imagine the rest, it is definitely 'an unforget-a-Bull town like no udder'.

17) Visit the beehive, known as the Parliament Building, in Wellington. It is 72 metres in height, with 10 floors above ground and 4 floors below. There are free guided tours for those who want to learn more.

18) Te Papa (mean Our Place in Maori) Museum tells you all about New Zealand - from history to lifestyle. Most of these galleries are free and open daily. Do check out how this building is мейд quakeproof!

19) The Weta Cave in Miramar, Wellington, is a mini-museum, shop and theaterette. You get to see beind-the-scenes look at Weta and see some of the characters, props and displays from LOTR and Chronicles of Narnia.

20) Get the Lord of the Rings location guidebook and drive all around the island to find the various film sites. Almost half of the sites are located around Wellington - from Mount Victoria to Kaitoke Regional Park.

21) You can see sand dunes at many beaches all around New Zealand. The difference is in the height and shape of these dunes. The bigger sand dunes are found in Northland.

22) There are many parks with wonderful walks available all around New Zealand, from leisure walking to adventure tramping. Auckland Domain is for easy walk, while Tongariro Crossing can be quite a challenge.

23) If you are into climbing mountains and hills, there are heaps of peaks available for you for various levels. The popular ones would be Mount Egmont and Mount Maunganui.

24) Check out the beautiful harbours around New Zealand. The bigger ones are Auckland and Wellington Harbours. In my opinion, I find the prettiest one is Gulf Harbour Marina even though it is quite small.

25) There are many art galleries - both big and small - that allow free entry most of the time. Just take a walk in, who knows, some abstract art might just spark a new idea in you.

26) Arts and cultural performances are common in New Zealand, both outdoors and indoors. Wherever you are, check out any upcoming festivals and free performances at the local I-Site.

27) If you are driving, you can stop at various towns to take photos of their unique structures. You find a big gumboot at Taihape, big carrot at Ohakunue, big apple at Otorohanga, cookie plane at Mangaweka, etc.

28) New Zealand Manuka honey is known to be one of the best honeys. Many places that sell honey provide free tasting, and they are located all around the island. Most of these places are accessible by car and coach.

29) If you are into wines, you might want to check out a vineyard and go for wine tasting. They are all over the countries, pop by them when you pass by. Just remember, don't drink and drive.

30) Go WWOOFing (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms/Willing Workers on Organic Farms) to fully immerse in the Kiwi lifestyle and culture. Just work in these farms to exchange for free food and lodging.