10 Surreal Experiences You MUST Try in New Zealand

New Zealand. It’s a surreal part of the world with breathtaking natural beauty. A country filled with Kiwis – the birds / the fruit / the locals – and famous inventions and people that Aussies claim as our own love. Aotearoa [ow-tee-ah-roh-ah] – land of the long white cloud – looks as poetic as it sounds. Featuring diverse landscapes with everything from steamy geothermal reserves and stunning fiords, to icy glaciers and vast turquoise lakes. Make this place your next dreamy destination with these 10 best experiences you must try in New Zealand.

1. Waitomo Glowworm Caves

There we were, gliding along the smooth water, silent but for the odd ‘drip-drop’ of water somewhere in the blackness. Above us, a galaxy of stars twinkled like sapphires, reflecting off the glassy black water beneath us.

But we were in a cave, and the stars were actually glowworms. Or as I was told by an enthusiastic guide earlier in the day. Glow maggots.

Yep, I felt sick even writing that.

See, Glowworms aren’t worms at all, they’re a type of insect larvae, so ‘glow maggot’ is technically correct. But somehow I don’t think that name will be catching on. 

The caves are unmissable if you’re visiting the North Island of New Zealand. Located in Waitomo, an easy stop between Auckland and Rotorua by car or bus. A tour will set you back about $53.00 NZD for just the Glowworm Cave, or $94.00 NZD for both the Glowworm and Ruakuri caves.

• At Ruakuri Cave, the longest underground walking tour in New Zealand, get an up-close photo opportunity of the glowworms; explore stunning formations, and marvel at the engineering behind incredible man-made features and lighting.
• At the Glowworm Cave, you’ll listen to your hilarious and entertaining Maori guide’s fascinating stories, then stop at Cathedral Cove with its near-perfect acoustics. Finishing up with the most surreal and unique New Zealand expereince; a grotto boat ride under a galaxy of glowworms.

TIP: Photos are allowed in Ruakuri Cave, but not the Glowworm Caves. So book the combo if you want that ‘gram worthy pic. 

2. Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland

Rotorua, on New Zealand’s North Island, is a pungent reminder of the geothermal activity in the region. Rather kindly nicknamed the ‘The Sulphur City’, there’s no escaping it, the place smells like your brother’s farts rotten eggs. 

But the…ah…fragrance…is only a hint of the geothermal activity in the area. It’s at Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland where mother nature gets her groove on. The diverse, technicolored landscape makes you feel as if you’re on another planet. It’s one of the most surreal places in the world – in the top 20 in fact – if TripAdvisor is anything to go by. Which makes it a unique experience in New Zealand.

There’s various parts to the park:

• The boiling, gurgling, explosive mud pool; New Zealand’s largest.
• Lady Knox Geyser, which erupts at 10:15am every day with the help of enviromentally-friendly soap. The geyser reaches heights of 10-20m, which is just high enough to see over the inevitable group of monsters people using iPads as a camera. 
• Finally, the actual thermal reserve is a feast of out-of-this-world features.

As if they aren’t crazy enough just to look at, the names are fantastic too;

• The hyper-coloured hues of the Artist’s Palette.
• The effervescent 74c Champagne Pool, with its insta-worthy red crust and disappointing lack of Moet.
• And not to forget the sinister neon Devil’s Bath; a rugged crater that looks like something out of Harry Potter.

FYI: These three also happen to be my favourites, if you’re low on time. 

To get to Wai-U-Tapu Thermal Wonderland:

1. Self Drive: 30min from Rotorua, pay $32.50 NZD for entry into the thermal park and Lady Knox Geyser.
2. Tour: For those without a car, book with a company like Headfirst for $85 NZD. This includes entry fees, return pickup from your accommodation, and transport between mud pools, Lady Knox Geyser, and thermal park – with guided commentary on the drive.

3. Maori Rock Carvings – Lake Taupo

The great rock carving of Ngātoroirangi – high priest and legendary navigator – on beautiful Lake Taupo is the most incredible piece of contemporary Maori art in New Zealand. Smaller sculptures that depict the local tribe’s guardians and ancestors flank the stoic face, which is accessible only by water. Matahi Whakataka-Brightwell – a traditionally taught carver – is a descendant of Ngātoroirangi and the artist behind the work.

The cruise to see the carvings was one of my best experiences in New Zealand. The jaw dropping bit – when you recover from the incredible detail and majestic af’ness grandeur – is that it was only completed in 1980. Yep, we’re talking the same year that cheesy hits like Air Supply’s All Out of Love came out. It’s not that long ago. But the area feels as sacred as a far more ancient discovery, proving there’s never a bad time to represent and preserve indigenous culture.

You can get to the Ngātoroirangi carving by boat or kayak.

• I went on a replica steamboat with Ernest Kemp Cruises, due to time constraints. It was $45 NZD for a 2 Hour cruise, including a complimentary tea, coffee or hot chocolate. There’s also Chris Jolly Cruises, and even Sail Fearless  – a pirate themed sail boat!
• Taupo Kayaking Adventures offer a half day guided kayak to the carvings with a stop for refreshments on the way back, this costs around $110 NZD.

Boat cruises and kayaking adventures can be booked through the Taupo i-Site, be sure to check out the small replica carving of Ngātoroirangi by Brightwell himself while you’re there.

4. Maori Cultural Experience

A waka (Maori war canoe) appeared from around the bend, cutting through the crystal clear water of the Wai-o-whiro steam, accompanied by the fiery orange flicker of torch light. The warriors’ chanting grew louder as they rowed toward my place on the banks amongst native New Zealand bush. One by one, they came into view – some donned in fur pelts or feathers – with bone or pounamu Jade carvings at their necks. The chief sat in the middle, leading the chant, his face almost entirely covered by tattoo. 

Maori tattoo –Ta Moko – was traditionally a process of cutting or carving the design into the skin using a chisel made from albatross bone, filling it with ink, then cauterising it with hot embers from the fire. Luckily our hot chief’s facial tattooing was done in 10 minutes, with face paint. 

Mitai Maori Village in Rotorua is designed to take you back in time to when Maori customs were the way of life.

Learn about their cultural heritage over the course of a three part visit;

• Be enchanted by the surreal war canoe entrance, an authentic wooden waka hand-carved by the Mitai family themselves.
• See how a hangi (food cooked in the earth) is done, and enjoy a buffet-style feast at the end.
• Enjoy the cultural performance, the real highlight of the evening, where and learn about their weapons, legends and way of life.

Despite a hundred other people sitting with you, the performance manages to feel intimate. The welcome ceremony or Pohiri is fascinating, a silver fern is offered by an intimidating warrior to an ‘elected’ chief (aka fellow visitor). You’ll see traditional agility exercises, be moved by their soulful singing and music, and be hypnotised by the women’s graceful poi dance. There’s a powerful Haka of course, though a little different to the “Ka mate, ka mate” of an All Blacks game.

Some people would call these types of experiences ‘touristy’, what with the high number of visitors and all. However a cultural experience in New Zealand is the best way to not only learn about Maori culture, but be immersed in it. Plus it creates job opportunities within the Maori community and promotes pride and knowledge of their amazing customs and history.

5. Milford Sound

Yeah okay. You’ve heard it before. ‘Milford sound is the 8th Wonder of the World’ yada yada yada. Shut up Amelia! I can hear you yelling in the direction of my tomato-proof raincoat. The thing is, Milford Sound (or should I say Milford Fiord) really IS that beautiful. After hearing from a few people how the boat cruise experience was slightly ruined by too many boats on the water – and a barrage of passengers flinging selfie sticks around, gladiator-style – I was prepared to be ever-so-slightly disappointed.

TOO WRONG! It’s one of the top experiences in New Zealand for good reason. Maybe I was lucky with the day we had – overcast and raining with super high winds –  because I only saw a couple of other boats. And the selfie stick battalion wasn’t much of a problem as people taking a million photos from the same angle, instead of taking in THIS with their own eyes.

Epic. That’s how I’d describe it. A narrow inlet of Aegean coloured water, flanked by soaring cliffs in various green hues. Waterfalls cascading into the fiord’s depths, fuelled by the week’s rain, almost making up for us getting battered by wind on the top deck. If you’re game, you can even go to the bow and get up close and personal with a waterfall!

Whether by boat, plane or foot, don’t miss exploring Milford Sound on your visit to the South Island.

6. Scenic Helicopter Flight over Franz Josef or Fox Glaciers

Franz Josef Glacier and Fox Glacier on the South Island of New Zealand are known for their convenience-to-impressiveness ratio. Unlike the terminal face of most glaciers at a similar latitude, they both flow nearly to sea level. However, they’re currently retreating at a much faster rate than before. So while you can walk to the foot of the terminals, the glaciers themselves can only be accessed by helicopter. 

I did a scenic flight with Glacier Helicopters in Franz Josef, and from start to finish it was one of my most surreal experiences in New Zealand. After an easy-but-thorough safety briefing from the incredible staff, we were taken out to the helicopter and our fab pilot. We floated gracefully up into air, against the steady ‘fwhup fwhup fwhup’ of the rotor blades, and were greeted almost immediately by insane views. 

We soared over the spectacular Franz Josef glacier, with its huge crevasses and blue-ice features. And took in boundless views of the Southern Alps and Westland Tai Poutini National Park. Landing in a vast area of glorious crunchy snow on the glacier itself, before returning. Truly, nothing beats seeing this area from the air! A scenic helicopter flight over a glacier definitely makes for one of the most surreal experiences in New Zealand. 

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7. Hotspring Star Gazing in Tekapo

There’s few things more relaxing than floating under the stars in a hot spring on a snowy evening. I was lucky; snow at the end of spring in New Zealand is rarer than me having a good hair day. But even without it, being told about our universe through a mix of astronomy and Maori legend was a totally unique thing to do in Tekapo. The town is located in Mackenzie International dark sky reserve, and has special restrictions that result in very little light pollution.

This means there’s no better place to take in the night’s sky, and no better company to do it with than Tekapo Stargazing. 

They gave us a truly awesome night;

• We met at their office in town, and were driven to the hot spring.
• Here we enjoyed a hot chocolate or tea whilst being introduced to Tekapo’s sky, in a unique way that weaves art of storytelling with astronomy.
• Telescopes were set up outside to look at various constellations and planets. And, due the snowy weather that day, our guide blew on a Maori Putatara – or conch shell trumpet – to send vibrations up into the atmosphere. Asking the Maori sky-father Ranginui to clear the skies…never hurts to ask after all.
• It wasn’t quite clear enough, so we went back inside to do a surprisingly impressive VR tour of the solar system instead.

Then it was hot-spring time!

We were lucky, by this point the sky had cleared. We floated on pool hammocks in the hot springs against the backdrop of soothing music. And our guide pointed out stars and formations whilst we relaxed, telling us more Maori legends. After getting out and scurrying to the change-rooms in the cold, we had a final chance to look through the telescopes or take photos, before being dropped back at our accommodation. 

The Mackenzie dark sky reserve is only one of 11 in the whole world. So combining stargazing with hot springs, science, and myth is one unique experience in New Zealand that you will not forget.

8. Odyssey Sensory Maze – Queenstown

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Picture this; you’ve ticked off all the usual adrenaline actives that Queenstown has to offer. You literally fear nothing anymore…except all the non-height related fears you had before, those are still there. Aaaaanywaaays. Or – like me – all your activities have been booked out or canceled due to bad weather. What kind of offbeat activity can you do then?

A sensory maze! 

‘What’s a sensory maze?’ I hear you ask.

It’s a trippy-looking technicolour maze where you’ll navigate;

• Quirky & crazy obstacles & challenges
• Optical illusions
• Dark spaces
• The insane feeling of being transported to a totally different place
• Each room in the maze is designed to stimulate the senses, and exploits touch, sight, sound and smell in unusual ways. 

‘Ah…okay, but what is it actually?’.

Well if I told you I’d have to- you know the cliche. They keep it all under wraps, like with an escape room. Visitors aren’t even allowed to take their phone into the maze with them. To avoid the spoiling the experience for other people. Otherwise it’d become a…unsensory maze? a senseless maze?…look, it just wouldn’t be as cool okay?

What I can tell you is this;

• Choose the package where you get to go through as many times as you want within an hour, it includes the funky glasses for free ($39.50 NZD).
• Buy the funky glasses regardless of which ticket you choose, it’s nowhere near as fun, convincing or trippy without them.

Going through Odyssey sensory maze is one of the most random-yet-fun experiences in New Zealand, it’ll make you feel like a kid again. I definitely recommend you do it with a friend though, so be sure to take along your newest travel buddy, BF, local dog or whoever and enjoy!

9. ‘Gallipoli: The Scale of Our War’ Exhibit at Te Papa Museum Wellington

The doomed Gallipoli campaign of WW1. More than 130,000 lives lost across both sides of the conflict. 50,000 Aussies and 8556 New Zealanders served in the campaign as ANZACs; the Australian New Zealand Army Corps. With a combined 11,508 deaths.

It’s be fair to say that the good natured ribbing and bond of mateship between our two countries comes from the spirit of ANZAC. We share with Turkey a unique desire to remember those lost in this horrific campaign. And like many museums around the world, the very human cost of war.

Enter Weta Workshop with their immersive ‘Gallipoli: The Scale of Our War’ Exhibition at Te Papa Museum. This insanely surreal experience in New Zealand’s capital city of Wellington is groundbreaking. Freezing in time specific memories of real New Zealanders in their own words, with eight sculptures on a colossal scale of 2.4 times human size. Every pore, every glistening bead of sweat, and every raised hair or drop of scarlet blood is brought to life with meticulous detail. It’s a unique and heartbreaking look at the desperate sorrow of war. 

In addition to the sculptures are a range of interactive experiences, 3D maps, projections, and genuine artefacts;

• Experience the advantages and pitfalls of using a periscope rifle
• The intensity of walking through a breached trench/tunnel
• Open crates of supplies and see the type of dreary food and provisions soldiers were given to live on.
• You can even try your hand at morse code

Te Papa’s Gallipoli: The Scale of our War exhibition is an incredibly touching and unique experience in New Zealand. Ensuring people remember the ill-fated Gallipoli campaign, whilst encouraging them to interact with the exhibit; as any great museum should.

10. TranzAlpine Train Journey

Ever wanted to take a scenic train journey and then realised, ‘pfft, never affording that!’. Or is that just me? Well never-you-mind, my scenery-loving friends, New Zealand has you covered! Making it’s way from the East coast to the West coast of the South Island, the TranzAlpine is consistently rated as one of the most scenic rail journeys in New Zealand and the world. 

• Carving through the Canterbury Plains, following the Waimakariri River and crossing great viaducts in the majestic southern alps.
• The train stops briefly at Arthurs Pass before being swallowed by the 8.5km Otira tunnel – under the alps – and spat out into dense rainforest.
• Finally, pass through the idylic fishing town of Moana and vast Lake Brunner, before arriving in Greymouth. 

For me, the thing that makes this one of the best experiences in New Zealand is not just the scenery itself (NZ is a beautiful place, seriously) but the diversity of the scenery. And because it’s a short journey of 5-hours the price is reasonable, around $199 NZD, making it much more affordable to tick off the bucket list. 

Yep, a scenic rail journey was on my bucket list, I’m weird, what can I tell you?

One thing is for sure, nothing beats incredible views, comfy seats and a cold NZ Sav Blanc – with local cheese platter – from the dining car. Or head to the open-sided viewing car, where you can get photos without glass in the way. Hot tip: I recommend the right-hand side for the best views, when traveling from Christchurch to Greymouth. I know this because I was not on the right-hand side in the viewing car #StillSalty

Honourable Mentions

Note: I haven’t done these personally, but they come highly recommended!

• The Tongariro Crossing, in the North Island, one of New Zealand’s most surreal tramping / hiking experiences. Like walking another planet
• Doubtful Sound is Milford Sound’s equally badly named fiord sibling. It’s a bit more peaceful as it’s harder to get to and has only two cruise operators.
• Hobbiton is the one experience in New Zealand a LOTR fan cannot miss! Step into the pages of Tolkein’s beloved books.

So there you have it, the 10 best experiences you MUST try in New Zealand. There’s no shortage of surreal moments in this thrill-loving country with its magical landscape. What’s your most favourite experience in the Land of the Long White Cloud? Have done any on the list? Let me know in the comments below!