This is an island in a lake, in an island in a lake, in an island in an ocean. Yes, that’s a lot of islands and lakes in one sentence, but Mou Waho, in Lake Wanaka, is as stunning as it is confounding (for the record, Mou Waho means ‘outer island’ and is one of five in Lake Wanaka).

It’s also a scientific reserve that can only be reached by boat and is pest free, so expect to eyeball all sorts of native birds.

Here’s what happens when you plant a few trees around the iron frame of a church – you get this quirky Waikato attraction. Google and the tourism board reckon The Tree Church is the first of its kind in the world, and who are we to argue with them? There’s also a labyrinth walk and an extensive garden.

Is it a rock? Is it an apple? No it’s a rock that looks like an apple that’s been cut in half. This natural geological formation lies between Kaiteriteri and Mārahau near the Abel Tasman National Park and is a must for selfie-seekers.

A public toilet as one of New Zealand’s hidden gems? Hear us out: Austrian artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser lived in the Bay of Islands from 1975 until his death in 2000 and part of his legacy were these public loos which are pretty spectacular.

You won’t know where to look first, because Hundertwasser incorporated everything from empty bottles and bits of ceramics to bricks recycled from a demolished bank. The good news: it’s also a practical attraction where you can spend a penny at one of the country’s most remarkable toilets.

You’re not seeing things: the water really is this blue at these pools just over half way between Wanaka and the West Coast. Follow the track from Makarora Road and you’ll find yourself in this impossibly blue wonderland.

Visitors of a certain age might find themselves humming the iconic 80s anthem Eternal Flame when they visit this attraction at Murchison in the Tasman region. You’re forgiven. This is said to be the only place in the world where flames burn eternally in the bush, and have been doing so since the 1920s when two curious local farmers lit a seepage of natural gas.

Mention The Catlins to most Kiwis and they’ll start waxing lyrical about the raw, natural beauty of this sprawling region at the rump of the South Island. But once you’ve done the scenic thing, head to this quirky house and garden filled with more than a thousand teapots of all shapes, sizes and colours. It’s the brainchild of Graham Renwick who started the collection almost 15 years ago. Don’t be surprised if you fancy a cuppa afterwards.

Head south of Rotorua and you’ll hit Kerosene Creek, the meeting place of a hot spring and freshwater spring. Which means lovely warm water in which to soak your weary limbs. Best of all, it’s free and accessible year round.

Want to know how birds feel? Then check out the 700-metre suspended boardwalk through Rotorua’s Whakarewarewa Forest, or The Redwoods as they’re more commonly called.

Legend has it the forest was planted in 1901 as an experiment to see how exotic plant species would thrive. They clearly did because this forest is now a magnet for visitors who come for the tree walk’s 28 suspension bridges. Last year the New York Times named this one of the top 50 places to see in the world.

So you’ve just been charmed by thousands of glow worms at the Waitomo Caves. It’s hard to top that but Mother Nature gets the chance to try at the nearby Marakopa Falls. Tucked into native bush, the 35m high falls are often called Aotearoa’s most beautiful waterfall. Make your way to the viewing platform where you can watch the water tumble over grey-wacke basement rock.