The survey's authors say Brisbane is the hub of Queensland culture, "offering a peek at the past and a glimpse into the future."
Queenstown has "staggering beauty" and heart-pumping while Auckland offers a distinctive culture blending European, Polynesian, Asian and strong Maori heritage. It points travellers to Maori treasures at Auckland Museum and experience the lives of 19th-century settlers at Howick Historical Village.
Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development general manager destination and marketing Vivien Bridgwater said the TripAdvisor recognition added further weight to the city's marketing efforts to attract domestic and international visitors.
"It's fantastic to see Auckland pick up an accolade which is based on visitors actual experiences of the region and from such a widespread global audience," she said.
The region was coming off a bumper year for tourism, with record numbers of international and domestic visitors to Auckland resulting in a record-breaking contribution of $6.5 billion to the local economy.
More visitors to the region creates more jobs, more money for the economy and helps support the development of better infrastructure to accelerate the transformation of Auckland to the world's most liveable city.
TripAdvisor says Wellington's compact downtown area is easy to explore on foot and the city has a wealth of architectural styles, "from 19th-century wooden cottages to Art Deco masterpieces."
TripAdvisor chief marketing officer Barbara Messing said the sites well-travelled community helped identify the destinations around the world that were gaining in interest and popularity.
Top 10 destinations on the rise in the South Pacific:
• Brisbane
• Queenstown
• Auckland
• Wellington
• Hobart
• Christchurch
• Taupo
• Margaret River
• Broome
• Surfers Paradise
Top five world destinations:
• Marrakech, Morocco
• Siem Reap, Cambodia
• Istanbul, Turkey
• Hanoi, Vietnam
• Prague, Czech Republic
