The Unusual, the Adventurous and the Incredible: New Zealand Experiences for Free

Everybody loves a freebie. Here - from the quintessentially Kiwi to the downright quirky – is a list of New Zealand experiences which cover the amazingly simple to the simply amazing. Best of all, not one of them will cost you a single penny to enjoy.

Hundertwasser toilets, Kawakawa, North Island

Taking photos inside public toilets might normally be considered strange at best and at worst result in arrest but at the Hundertwasser toilets in Kawakawa nobody blinks an eyelid. More people come here to snap photos than answer the call of nature because these are no ordinary toilets.

Designed by Austrian artist Friedensreich Hindertwasser, who called Kawakawa home for the last 25 years of his life, the vibrantly quirky toilets were opened in 1999. With not a straight line in sight (straight lines, according to Hundertwasser are evil) the toilet's crooked beauty incorporates ceramic tiles, rainbow coloured glass to give an intentional church-like quality, tiny sculptures and even a live tree.

After visiting here you may never view toilets in the same way again.

Wild Swimming

Fairy pools, enchanting waterfalls, deserted lake shores and mountain streams. Although these words may conjure up 'Lord of the Rings' scenes what's actually up for grabs here is some magical wild swimming experiences which can be found throughout the North and South Islands of New Zealand.

If skinny dipping is your thing there are plenty of places where seeing another soul is highly unlikely so go right ahead.

An emerald and gold tinted lagoon at the East Cape or a crystal clear pool at the bottom of a waterfall at Here are two such locations but there are thousands more.

Dune Surfing, Ninety-Mile Beach, Far North, North Island

New Zealand is simply crammed with activities which drop/catapult/dangle/roll/suspend you from a great height or otherwise aim to terrify you - sand dune surfing is just one variation of this theme. Arm yourself with a body board, sweat your way to the top of a sand dune which stands 143 metres high (and if like me this height is hard to envisage think instead of a 50 storey building) and off you go. The crazy do it from standing while the majority of us sledge it on our tummies.

DO keep your mouth shut, DO remember your feet can act as brakes if the down-hill hurtle starts careering out of control and DO be prepared to be picking sand out of various body parts for days to come.

Watch or Swim with the Dolphins at Porpoise Bay – The Catlins, South Island

For several months of every year the world's rarest and tiniest marine cetacean – the Hector's dolphin - live and play in this magical bay. However, this is no scheduled show for tourists – these dolphins are completely wild, so to stand any chance of seeing or swimming with them you may have to spend a little time here; no great hardship as this place has a 160 million year old fossilised forest, rare yellow-eyed penguins and sea-lions as part of the attraction too.

Hang around for a while though and you might be rewarded with an enchanting display as these minute dolphins teach their tiny babies to surf.

Swimming with them is not for the faint-hearted. These waters are cold – something you tend to completely forget however once the dolphins come and grace you with their presence in the water.

Rere Rock Slide, Gisborne District, North Island

Located 50 km inland from Gisborne, a constant stream of water trickles down a 60 metre polished rock bed before feeding into a picturesque lagoon-like pool at the bottom. It is a beautiful spot, surrounded by native bush and alive with birdsong.

Most people however don't come here to immerse themselves in its natural wonder. Instead, armed with body boards, inflatable inner tubes, yoga mats, air mattresses or plain old pieces of cardboard, the Rere visitor proceeds to launch him/herself from the top to enjoy an adrenalin-fuelled slide which ends with a lagoon aquaplane for the skilled or an almighty splash for the less graceful.

Aim for an early morning visit if you want to get this adventure playground all to yourself.

Penguin Hides at Nugget Point, South Island

Tucked into a wave-eroded cliff on a wild and windswept area of the southern-most coast of the South Island is a bird hide. From here visitors can watch one of the world's rarest penguins, known in Maori as hoiho, shuffle ashore in the late afternoon before making a slow waddle and jump to their inshore nests. The yellow eyed penguins are seriously endangered and their numbers alarmingly low so don't expect to see colonies. Just spotting one or two will make your quiet wait in this dramatic spot worth it though.

Personal Spa at Hot Water Beach, Coromandel, North Island

Along with a 101 other New Zealand beaches, Hot Water Beach is jaw-droppingly beautiful – white sands edged with the blue, blue waters of the Pacific Ocean. The something extra here comes courtesy of an underground river of hot water, just one of the many geo-thermally active features in a land of live volcanoes, boiling mud pools and geysers.

Just dig yourself a hole 2 hours either side of high tide and you will be rewarded with your very own personal steaming spa pool.

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