Resembling a giant hypodermic needle, the Sky Tower is Auckland’s dominant landmark and an awesome place from which to view the City of Sails and beyond. Take the lift to the observation deck with vertigo-inducing glass floor panels. At 220m above street level, the Sky Deck offers the ultimate outlook, although you can take your visit to another level by bungy jumping off the tower or skirting its edge on a SkyWalk (not for the faint hearted).
Mt Victoria, Wellington
From downtown it’s a ten-minute drive up to the ‘Mt Vic’ lookout, but it’s more adventurous to sweat it out on foot, following your nose along forested paths. Up the final flight of steps is the classic Wellington view – a 196m-high vantage over the city and hilly suburbs, and far away across the harbour to the Hutt Valley and surrounding ranges. (If you can see the tops of the Tararuas you picked a grand day indeed.) Just along the road is the northern summit lookout, made from marble recycled from a demolished London bridge.
Knights Point, southern West Coast