The capital's Ethnological Museum is considered to be one of the finest on the continent. Intricately arranged exhibits narrate the story of Ethiopia and its peoples. The museum spans two floors of the former residence of Emperor Haile Selassie, whose rooms are preserved in nearly their original state and open to visitors. Detailed written explanations are provided.

Suspended above the suburbs of Christchurch, the Gondola whisks you nearly a kilometre to the Crater Rim of the Port Hills. See in the extinct volcano which exploded six million years ago, sheltering Lyttelton’s sparkling harbour and to the west, the Southern Alps seem close in the clear pure air and to the East, the ocean and the sky stretch as far as the eye can see. Experience the Time Tunnel, a dramatic reconstruction of the history of the Port Hills and Christchurch and revive your spirits with a snack at the new Red Rock Cafe.

The Green Lake is known as the Jade of the city. Two long dikes divide the lake into four parts. Brightly painted pavilions, tree-lined walks and exercising locals all add to the appeal of the park. During the winter months, black-headed gulls from Siberia migrate to Green Lake and entertain the crowds of visitors as they circle around and snap up bread fed to them by birdwatchers and visitors. There used to be a military school in the neighbourhood, where the famous Chinese generals Zhu De and Ye Jianying were educated in the 1910s.

The Honolulu Zoo is home to over 900 different animals from the tropics, including Komodo Dragons, orangutans, elephants, primates, and a variety of African mammals. Distributed on 42 acres of tropical greenery, the aviary is especially charming, as visitors can here admire a variety of native Hawaiian birds, including the nene and 'apapane.