Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Carter Observatory
ASTRONOMY
( 04-910 3140;
www.carterobservatory.org
; 40 Salamanca Rd; adult/child $18.50/8;
10am-5pm, to 9.30pm Tue & Sat)
At the top of the Botanic Gardens (
Click here
)
, the Carter
Observatory features a full-dome planetarium offering regular shows with virtual tours of
the local skies; a multimedia display of Polynesian navigation, Maori cosmology and
European explorers; and some of NZ's finest telescopes and astronomical artefacts.
Check the website for evening stargazing times.
DON'T MISS
TREASURES OF TE PAPA
GOOGLE MAP
(
www.tepapa.govt.nz
;
55 Cable St;
10am-6pm
Te Papa
OFFLINE MAP
Fri-Wed, to 9pm Thu)
is the city's 'must-see' attraction, and for reasons well
beyond the fact that it's NZ's national museum. It's highly interactive, fun and full
of surprises.
Aptly, 'Te Papa Tongarewa' loosely translates as 'treasure box'. The riches inside
include an amazing collection of Maori artefacts and the museum's own colourful
marae(meeting house); natural history and environment exhibitions; Pacific and
NZ history galleries; Nga Toi/Arts Te Papa (the national art collection, see
www.arts.tepapa.govt.nz
)
, and hands-on 'discovery centres' for children. Expect
impressive gallery spaces and plenty of high-tech twists. Big-name, temporary ex-
hibitions incur an admission fee, although general admission is free.
You could spend a day exploring Te Papa's six floors but still not see it all. To cut
to the chase, head to the information desk on level two and collect a map. For ex-
hibition highlights and to get your bearings, the one-hour 'Introducing Te Papa'
tour ($14) is a good idea; tours leave from the info desk at 10.15am, noon and 2pm
daily in winter, more frequently in summer. Two cafes and two gift shops complete
the Te Papa experience, one which could well take a couple of visits.
Zealandia
WILDLIFE RESERVE
( 04-920 9200;
www.visitzealandia.com
;
Waiapu Rd; adult/child/family exhibition only $7.50/5/
20, exhibition & valley $17.50/9/44; 10am-5pm, last entry 4pm)
This groundbreaking
ecosanctuary is tucked in the hills about 2km west of town (the Karori bus passes nearby,
or see the Zealandia website for the free shuttle). Living wild within the fenced valley are
more than 30 native bird species, including rare takahe, saddleback, hihi and kaka, as
well as tuatara and little spotted kiwi. An excellent exhibition relays NZ's natural history
