Got what it takes to be an All Black? The New Zealand Rugby Museum. Photo / Supplied

21. Find out if you’ve got what it takes to become an All Black

Within Te Manawa Museum, you’ll find the New Zealand Rugby Museum where you can discover how the sport grew to become the country’s favourite obsession. It claims to hold the largest collection of rugby memorabilia in the world, inlcuding the original All Blacks jersey, and a pair of Dan Carter’s boots. In the Have a Go area, visitors can test their skills of tackling, sprinting, jumping, kicking and in the scrum. See if you’ve got what it takes to be called up to the squad. rugbymuseum.co.nz

Be the first to greet the new day on Maunga Hikurangi. Photo / Supplied

22. Be the first to welcome the new day

Maunga Hikurangi, Tairāwhiti Gisborne’s highest peak, is the first site in the world to see the sun each day. Be the first person to see first light on a tour with Ngati Porou Tourism, the only commercial operator with permission to provide guided tours of the maunga. On the Te Urunga-Tu — Sunrise Experience, guides take guests from Ruatoria to the pou site at the top of the mountain, where they talk about Māori gods and legends, the mountain’s significance to Aotearoa’s history, as well as the meanings behind the traditional carvings. Guests also receive a native seedling to plant, part of an eco-project, which means you will always be a part of the maunga for generations to come. maungahikurangi.com/sunrise-tour

Eastwood Hill Arboretum is the National Arboretum of New Zealand. Photo / Supplied

23. Immerse yourself in nature at our National Arboretum

Just 30 minutes’ from Gisborne, Eastwoodhill Arboretum encompasses 131 hectares of exotic and native trees, shrubs and plants. Once a private farm, the land was gifted to the people of New Zealand in perpetuity through the 1975 Eastwoodhill Trust Act. Visitors will find the largest collection of Northern Hemisphere trees in the Southern Hemisphere amongst its more than 25,000 species of trees and plants, and there is a range of walks to talk you through the different parts of the garden. Visit at any time of the year — the outlook changes depending on the season, but the arboretum’s beauty remains. eastwoodhill.org.nz

The only way to see Lake Taupo's Mine Bay Maori carvings is by boat or kayak. Photo / Destination Lake Taupo

24. Visit the Mine Bay Māori Rock Carvings

Only accessible by boat, this giant carving of Ngātoroirangi on Lake Taupō is highly regarded as one of the country’s most extraordinary contemporary artworks. The work was carved into a cliff face at Mine Bay by traditional marae-taught carver Matahi Brightwell, a 27th generation descendant of Ngātoroirangi. To see it for yourself, take a scenic cruise, sailing boat or kayaking trip from Taupō harbour.

Turangi is internationally renowned for its trout fishing. Photo / Supplied

25. Catch a trout in Taupō or Turangi

Brown and rainbow trout were introduced to Lake Taupō in the late 1800s and since then the region has grown its reputation internationally as an angler’s paradise. Families of aspiring young anglers should visit the Tongariro National Trout Centre and hatchery in Turangi, where you can try your luck in the fishing pond. The more experienced can head out into the back country with a professional guide. For the ultimate experience, book into Poronui, a luxury sporting retreat, and take a helicopter flight into the mountains to find a private spot to yourself. poronui.com

Good morning: Sunrise Hut in Hawke's Bay. Photo / Peter Sim

26. Spend the night at Sunrise Hut

Located in the Ruahine Forest Park, the original hut on the top of the Ruahine Range was constructed in 1983, with an upgrade in 2005. Heated by a woodburner, the large hut is popular for day trips and weekend visits, but is best experienced as the sun comes up. Bookable between October and April, you’ll have to be prepared for a communal benched sleeping area, long drop toilet and no cooking facilities. But the view makes it all worthwhile.

Take a vintage tour of Napier's Art Deco highlights. Photo / Suppplied

27. Go vintage in Hawke’s Bay

Napier is famous for its art deco architecture, but you don’t need to save your visit for the annual festival — take a vintage art deco car tour to relive the glamour and style of the jazz era. Drivers in period costume will give fascinating insights into the region’s history, including the earthquake that destroyed the city and the people who led the rebuild. Tours through the Art Deco Trust also give access to the Napier Municipal Theatre, where you can take a look inside the beautiful interior. artdeconapier.com