There seem to be no dearth of reasons for booking cheap flights to New Zealand. Here is an introduction to just some of the best sights in the country such as Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers, Glow-worm Cave, Te Papa, and Botanic Gardens.
lmost every jaded traveller has either taken or definitely wanted to book cheap flights to New Zealand at some time or the other. After all, the country is one of the most beautiful places on the planet and a holiday here ensures a lifetime of pleasingly haunting memories. Being a thriving tourism hub, New Zealand is very well connected and there are many flight options for those planning to travel to the country. Take a short trip through a few of the defining tourist attractions of this wonderful land.
Botanic Gardens
Sprawling over an area of some 25 hectares, the Botanic Garden is full of exotic varieties of native bush as well as other flora life forms. An intoxicatingly delightful spot here is the Norwood Rose Garden with its more than 100 species of roses. The Botanic Gardens also has the New Zealand World Wide Fund for Nature headquarters, a visitors centre, and teahouse.
Te Papa
For an interactive experience of New Zealand history, make sure to visit Te Papa, the Museum of New Zealand. The museum dominates the waterfront and has been frequented by more than nine million visitors. In fact, Te Papa is a national symbol. The treasures adorning Te Papa include a simulated European settlement, exhibits on environment and natural history, contemporary art and culture, discovery centres providing hands on experience for children, meeting house, and a big Maori collection. To add some drama, there are provisions for a virtual bungee jump and a simulated earthquake. This huge museum may prove too big to completely explore on a single day. The one hour tour called ‘Introducing Te Papa’ is a convenient way to get acquainted with the place. The museum also has a couple of cafes.
Arts Centre
The Arts Centre is the brilliantly transformed enclave of grand Gothic Revival buildings. The area overflows with tourist trappings such as arts and craft outlets, cafes, restaurants, and theatres and makes for one of the most worthwhile reasons for booking flights to New Zealand. Free guided tours of the complex are offered.
Glow-worm Cave
The Glow-worm Cave tour takes one to an amazing world of stalactites and stalagmites into a huge cavern called ‘Cavern’. This place has magnificent acoustics and has been the concert venue for famous bands like Vienna Boys Choir and Dame Kiri Te Kanawa. However, the star attraction is a boat ride in the dark. During the course of the ride, one gets to see the dazzling spectacle of small flickering stars. These are not stars and are actually scores of glow worms.
Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers
A visit to the Franz Josef & Fox Glaciers treats one to the sight of surreal natural beauty. Franz Josef and Fox are perhaps the most famous of New Zealand’s glaciers. It is breathtaking to watch these two huge stretches of ice sloping their way down a valley. Visitors can stay either at the Franz Josef or Fox Village. A stay at the Fox also spells as an opportunity to experience an Alpine village ambience. In fact, the experience of visiting the Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers is alone worth booking flights to New Zealand.
Auckland Art Gallery
The Auckland Art Gallery stocks the works of eminent artists like Guido Reni, Pieter Bruegel the Younger as well as a permanent New Zealand art collection. Temporary exhibitions are held as well. A popular exhibit is the portraits made by Gottfried Lindauer and Charles Goldie. The portraits are on tattooed Maori subjects. The Auckland Art Gallery is housed within two adjacent buildings makes for a mesmerising travel spot.
Auckland Museum
The Auckland Museum has extensive displays artefacts from the Maori and Pacific islands. A couple of popular attractions are the Thames area extant carved meeting house and a big war canoe. The exteriors are no less impressive. The museum is housed within a majestic Greek temple and boasts a magnificent dome. An Auckland holiday may well be incomplete without visiting this museum.
Cadbury World
Taking cheap flights to New Zealand also gives one the chance to sample the country’s famous chocolates. One of the best places for this indulgence is the huge Cadbury World. Besides getting to taste Cadbury’s addictive product, visitors also get to watch the company’s liquid chocolate waterfall and hear some colourful historic anecdotes and facts related to production.
Christchurch Art Gallery
The Christchurch Art Gallery is home to an overwhelming permanent collection of art works spread out across contemporary and 20th century galleries. Temporary exhibitions of works by New Zealand artists are held as well. Besides exploring the venue on a guided trip, visitors can also have delicious refreshments at the café wine bar and indulge in some retail therapy at the gift shop. The site plays no mean feat in making Christchurch an essential part of New Zealand tourism.
