Cathedral Cove – Coromandel Peninsula
Cathedral Cove on the Coromandel Peninsula is one of the most photographed spots in New Zealand. The white sandy beach and naturally formed archway that gives the cove its name deserves the photographic attention it gets. While it’s easy to grab a selfie in the ‘cathedral’ itself, another option is to ditch land and take to the sea with Cathedral Cove Sea Kayak Tours and snap the perfect selfie from the ocean. Coromandel Peninsula is a 2.5-hour drive from Auckland. Cathedral Cove can be accessed via a short, easy 45-minute walk from Hahei, a small beachside town in the Coromandel.
Hobbiton Movie Set – Waikato
The original Hobbiton Movie Set from The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit movie trilogies remains intact and visitors can create their own Middle-earth adventure. There are endless selfie options at Hobbiton; in front of Bilbo’s famed green door, or looking out from inside a humble hobbit abode. Guided tours tell the tale of how Bag End came to life and the tour finishes with an ale at the Green Dragon Inn. Hobbiton is near Matamata in the Waikato region, about a two-hour drive from Auckland or 50-minutes from Hamilton.
Ben Lomond Summit – Queenstown
Sometimes getting the best selfie takes some effort. Hiking to the summit of Ben Lomond can take up the best part of a day but the reward is worth it. While Queenstown’s many peaks look great from the bottom up, a view from the top is an entirely different experience. Adventurous selfie takers have two options - you can take the gentler route and grab a scenic ride from town up the Skyline Gondola (four hours return) or start your hike from downtown Queenstown (sixhours return) which makes for a bit of a workout. Panoramic views of Lake Wakatipu, the Remarkables mountain range, and Mount Earnslaw await you at the top which is 1748 metres above sea level. Maybe pack a selfie stick for this one, there is just so much landscape to fit in.
Te Puia – Rotorua
Rotorua is New Zealand’s oldest tourism destination and attracts vast numbers of visitors each year who come to immerse themselves in Māori culture and marvel at the geothermal activity. Te Puia, in the Whakarewarewa Thermal Valley, ticks both those boxes. Listed in Lonely Planet’s top 500 places in the world to visit, Te Puia is set on a 60-hectare site and is home to the New Zealand Maori Arts and Crafts Institute, a live kiwi enclosure, and the world-famous Pohutu Geyser. Pohutu Geyser is selfie gold. Try to focus on your phone and get the snap as the boiling hot waters from below burst to the surface in spectacular fashion. Te Puia is a landscape packed with ancestral history, a tourism guiding legacy that stretches back to the 1800s and a must-see on the New Zealand selfie tour.
#thatwanakatree – Lake Wanaka
Looking across Lake Wanaka toward the Southern Alps you can’t help but notice the conspicuous lone willow tree emerging from the water. The famous tree known as ‘That Wanaka Tree’ has been shared on social media so often that it has its very own hashtag (#ThatWanakaTree). During the summer and spring months, the graceful branches are laden with leaves, while in winter the bare form somehow amplifies the effect of the snow-covered mountains in the background. A testament to its beauty, Lake Wanaka comes in at 94 in Lonely Planet’s top 500 places in the world to visit. Lake Wanaka is a one-hour drive north from Queenstown, and on the road from Queenstown to the West Coast.
The Church of the Good Shepherd – Tekapo
On the shores of Lake Tekapo, in the central South Island, you’ll find the Church of the Good Shepherd, where the altar window frames a perfect view of the Southern Alps beyond the glacier-fed lake and its remarkable turquoise waters. The little stone church looks great framed up in a selfie. Built in 1935 for the pioneer families of the Mackenzie District, it has become a popular year-round photo spot attracting over 100,000 visitors annually. Services and weddings still take place regularly in the church. The small town is picturesque by day and dazzling by night as it is part of an International Dark Sky Reserve. Tekapo is a three-hour drive from Christchurch en route to the Southern Alps and Queenstown.
Milford Sound – Fiordland
Milford Sound is a magnificent fiord cutting into the south-western coast of the South Island. It sits within Fiordland National Park which is part of Te Wahipounamu – a UNESCO World Heritage Area. Ranked at 17 in Lonely Planet’s top 500 places in the world to visit, Milford Sound is a must for a selfie, and a shot from the water looking up to Mitre Peak is your best bet for maximum ‘likes’. Real Journeys can take you right into the heart of the sound on one of their scenic cruises and put you in the best position to grab the snap. Rudyard Kipling described Milford Sound as the ‘eighth wonder of the world’ and whether it’s teeming with rain, shrouded in mist or glistening in the sun – prepare to be inspired. Milford Sound is a beautiful four-hour drive from Queenstown. Alternatively scenic flights and bus tours operate from Queenstown and Lake Te Anau.
Len Lye Centre – New Plymouth
Located in the coastal city of New Plymouth, overlooked by the majestic Mount Taranaki, The Len Lye Centre’s brilliant design and stainless-steel exterior turns any selfie taker into an artist. Use the mirror-like walls to get an original quirky shot for your friends to admire. The centre is New Zealand’s first and only museum of contemporary art and the first institution dedicated to a single artist, the pioneering filmmaker and kinetic sculptor, Len Lye. Current exhibitions include Len Lye’s Sky Snakes, and The Absolute Truth of the Happiness Acid.
