Sanctuary Mountain Explorer Pass

Step through the pest-proof gate into another world, where an ancient forest tower majestically above well-maintained walking tracks and the air is filled with birdsong. Explore the Sanctuary at your own pace or with an experienced guide who will help you spot the wildlife, including kākā, takahē, tuatara, kiwi, tīeke and more. Relax in the clearing or take an optional walk up the 16-metre observation tower, offering a unique perspective from within the forest canopy. Sanctuary Mountain is located in the heart of the Waikato, and as a not-for-profit, every visit helps make our conservation efforts possible. So come and share the mauri and mana of Maungatautari. You will come away enriched and enlightened by this spectacular environment.

Experience Middle-earth with a visit to the Hobbiton Movie Set, featured in The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit films. Your guided tour starts with a drive through our picturesque 1,250 acre sheep farm with spectacular views across to the Kaimai Ranges. Journey past the colourful Hobbit Hole™ doors that scatter the hillsides, including the iconic Bag End, home of Bilbo and Frodo Baggins, before arriving at Bagshot Row™ for a glimpse of the interior of a humble Hobbit’s home. Continue along the pathways past The Millhouse, across the double-arch stone bridge and into the world-famous Green Dragon™ Inn, where you will enjoy a complimentary, exclusive beverage Hobbit™ Southfarthing™ range to conclude your Middle-earth adventure.

Make the first footsteps in the morning dew on the Movie Set as part of our first tour of the day. Your tour guide will escort you through the 12 acre movie set, recounting fascinating details from filming the trilogies and pointing out the most iconic sites and scenes. After a visit to The Green Dragon™ Inn where you will be offered a complimentary beverage from our exclusive Hobbit™ Southfarthing™ range, follow your guide back over the double arch stone bridge to The Millhouse, just across the water from The Green Dragon Inn, where you will be treated to a breakfast spread fit for a Hobbit. After you've had your fill, it's time to make your way back to The Shire's Rest, after all, this is only the second of a Hobbit's seven daily meals.

Connected to the Museum's Collection Rationalisation Project, this free display opens a conversation about why museums collect, how objects are cared for, and how decisions are made about what remains for future generations. Whether you remember sewing at home, learned to stitch at school, or enjoy local history, this display offers a thoughtful look at making, memory, and collection care. Plan your visit today.

The winter light in the South Island offers superb conditions and we will be photographing an incredible variety of landscapes including Aoraki/Mt Cook and the Southern Alps, Moeraki Boulders, Fiordland National Park, Milford Sound, Fox Glacier, Lake Matheson and the Pancake Rocks at Punakaiki. We will also photograph at hidden backcountry locations which few others know of. One of the highlights of our journey is the private helicopter flight into the untouched wilds of the Fiordland National Park, where we capture compelling images of the glacier-carved landscape.

Gather up friends or family and treat yourself to your own personal helicopter flight to your destination of choice. Travel to a destination of your choice in a helicopter via a scenic route. Relax and soak up the local attractions and eateries followed by a return flight.