Top Things to do in South Island
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What to do and see in South Island, New Zealand: The Best Natural History Museums
Discover the best top things to do in South Island, New Zealand including Higgins Heritage Park, Otago Museum, The Vanished World Centre, Gemston & Fossil Museum Birdlings Flat, Waimate Museum and Archives, EcoWorld Aquarium & Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre.
Restaurants in South Island
1. Higgins Heritage Park
2. Otago Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,124 reviews
Reviewed By geckopoo
We visited this place 12 years ago when on holiday with our kids, so excited to come back after all these years, and so relieved it is still as good as we remembered (if not better!). Always loved the Animal Attic, great homage to the old-fashioned classical museum collections complete with stuffed specimens in original glass cabinets, fantastic! We were staying just a block away so we just loved visiting the Animal Attic first thing in the morning as the museum opened when it was nice, quiet and oh so peaceful out there, just us and the animals, it was like having our own private museum. A floor down was the maritime gallery and natural history section, also our favourite areas - the moa skeletons on display are well curated, labels very informative and interesting. On the first floor is the special exhibits area which until April this year honours 130 years of collecting in New Zealand, very intriguing array of examples ranging from the heart of a great white shark to a petrified rat collection to gold coins from the Elizabethan period. This is a very modern and spacious museum yet it still has a rather conservative and traditional feel - we love it! The technology is well used to enhance and inform without being too gimmicky and glitzy. Good toilets, water fountains and rest areas on all floors too. Best of all, it’s free. Well done, Dunedin for having this excellent museum in your midst!
3. The Vanished World Centre
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 39 reviews
Reviewed By jonhenryDuntroon - Whangarei, New Zealand
To look at fossils that are 25 million years old is thrilling. I spent over an hour there. The friendly person on duty used my camera to photograph me standing beside a large fossil. This venue is well worth the visit.
4. Gemston & Fossil Museum Birdlings Flat
5. Waimate Museum and Archives
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 3 reviews
28 Shearman Street Waimate South Canterbury Museum Hours Tuesday to Friday 12.00 noon - 3.00pm Monday closed (other times by appointment) Admission by Donation Group Bookings are welcome Archives Hours Tuesday through Thursday 1.30pm - 4.00pm (appointments recommended) Architect P.F.M.Burrows. Built in 1879. Originally the Waimate Court House, it was built in a neo-classical style. Annual Bookarama is held Labour Weekend this year it will fall on Saturday 20th until Thursday 25th of October
Reviewed By Waimate1 - Waimate, New Zealand
This museum provides a good idea about the local heritage of this area. There is an excellent rock and Moa display as well as a large selection of horse drawn vehicles. The court house is a interesting old building. The staff will happily give information and if the door is closed there is a phone number to arrange an opening.
6. EcoWorld Aquarium & Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre
Overall Ratings
3.5 based on 361 reviews
Meet amazing Marlborough Sounds creatures up close✓ Touch our rare living dinosaur (Tuatara - can live up to 250 years) Get close to rescued Little Penguin*, native fish and more ✓conservation in action ✓nature ✓heritage ✓explore & learn ✓family–friendly ✓FUN Get up close and discover some of the amazing animals that live in our beautiful Marlborough Sounds. EcoWorld’s knowledgeable staff share with you outstanding, intimate animal experiences with our animals that have been rescued, donated or bred by us. •Tuataras - New Zealand’s very rare “living fossil” •Little Blue Penguins - Wildlife Rehabilitation Refuge •Yellow and Red Kakariki - endangered parrots •Seahorses - New Zealand pot-bellied seahorses •Giant Squid - “Monster of the deep” •Fish - species from the Marlborough Sounds •Lizards, frogs, turtle refuge etc. •Orca and Hectors Dolphin - life size models •Touch pool, kid’s area, movies, shells, displays etc.
Reviewed By 828libbys
This aquarium is so cool the pufferfish is amazing. I thought I was in a coral reef. There was a giant squid in a container dead because they did experiments on it. We went on a tour - we got to pat heaps of animals and sea life and we learnt heaps.
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