Not to miss

Kelly Tarlton's Antarctic Encounter & Underwater World

Housed in old stormwater holding tanks, this unique aquarium has a transparent acrylic tunnel that you travel through on a conveyor belt with the fish, including sharks and stingrays, swimming around you. The big attraction, however, is the Antarctic Encounter with its replica of Scott's 1911 Antarctic hut, and a Snow Cat ride through a bustling penguin town.

Auckland Botanic Gardens

Opened in 1982, the gardens exhibit youthful exuberance aplenty. Kids love the mythical maze and caterpillar garden. Adults love each other around the formal floral beds for their wedding photographer. Sow the seed of knowledge at the library or plan lunch in the edible garden. And for the weary rambler, the Wiri Rambler 'train' scoots between plant collections on weekends.

Guides are available for groups on weekdays. The gardens are well signposted and the plants labelled, so there is really no problem navigating your way around alone.

Sky Tower

The imposing Sky Tower is part of the Sky City complex - a 24-hour casino with the works. At 328m (1076ft) it is the tallest structure in the southern hemisphere, with a lift that can shoot you up to the observation deck in 40 seconds. It's lovely to go in the late afternoon, when you can sip champagne in the Sky Lounge while watching the sun set.

In a 200km/h wind the top of the building sways up to 1m (3ft). From the preliminary observation levels you can see ant-like humans scurrying around Auckland's centre. The views from the very top level are even more spectacular; from here you can see the harbour as well as the city. For techno-junkies, there are all sorts of interactive displays, audio guides, powerful binoculars and weather monitors.