Mount Victoria, Wellington

Rising above the eastern suburbs of the capital, this town belt hill offers a sweeping lookout across Wellington's harbour, central city and surrounding hills. A road and network of walking and mountain-biking tracks wind through the regenerating forest to the summit, where an orientation plaque and a memorial to explorer Richard Byrd stand. The viewpoint is a favourite spot for watching the sunset and inter-island ferries. Some of the wooded slopes served as filming locations for Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings films.