NZ’s nine heritage sites shortlist: How many have you seen?

Nine of New Zealand’s most significant cultural, historic and natural sites have been shortlisted for potential UNESCO World Heritage status.

The Department of Conservation has unveiled the country’s revised World Heritage Tentative List, featuring nine locations considered to have significance extending beyond New Zealand.

Being included on the list was an important step towards gaining official UNESCO World Heritage status — one of the world’s most prestigious forms of recognition for a place.

New Zealand currently has three World Heritage sites – Tongariro National Park, Te Wāhipounamu and the Subantarctic Islands.

Conservation department international manager Sarah Meadows said the selected sites had shown strong potential to meet UNESCO’s criteria.

“World Heritage status is one of the most prestigious international recognitions a place can receive,” Meadows said.

“It is reserved for sites considered to have ‘Outstanding Universal Value’, meaning their significance extends beyond national boundaries.”

So what are the nine places in the running — and how many have you visited?

One of New Zealand's most historically significant locations, the Waitangi Treaty Grounds is where Te Tiriti o Waitangi / The Treaty of Waitangi was first debated and signed in February 1840.

The grounds overlook the Bay of Islands and have remained a central place for commemorating and reflecting on the country's history.

Known as Te Mānuka Tūtahi, Mataatua Wharenui is a monumental carved Māori meeting house belonging to Ngāti Awa.

Built in the 19th century, the wharenui travelled internationally before eventually returning to Whakatāne where it stands today as an important symbol of Māori culture.

This Christchurch home played a pivotal role in New Zealand's history as the birthplace of a major movement for women's voting rights.

It was from this house that suffragist Kate Sheppard helped lead the campaign that saw New Zealand become the first self-governing country in the world to grant woman the right to vote in parliamentary elections in 1893.

The property was now recognised for its connection to the woman's suffrage movement.

Located at the foot of Mount Taranaki, Parihaka became internationally significant for its commitment to peaceful resistance.

Under the leadership of Tohu Kākahi and Te Whiti o Rongomai, the Māori settlement became a centre of nonviolent opposition to land confiscation during the 19th century.

Its history remains an important part of New Zealand's story of colonisation, resistance and reconciliation.

Located in the Waikato region, Te Kauwhanganui preserved an important part of Māori political history.

The site includes a historic Māori parliament building, the King Mahuta monument and a collection of more than 20,000 documents, largely written in te reo Māori, providing a rare record of an Indigenous parliamentary system and Māori political leadership.

Little Barrier Island in the Hauraki Gaulf is considered one of the world's most intact temperate island ecosystems.

The island was a sanctuary for threatened native wildlife and plants, with conservation efforts combining scientific research and Indigenous stewardship.

Access to the island was tightly controlled to protect its fragile environment.

The coastal landscape in the Chatham Islands held deep cultural significance for Moriori, containing historic settlement sites, burial grounds and the archaeological remains of the voyaging waka Rangihoua.

Its inclusion recognised the importance of preserving Moriori history, traditions and connections to the land.

Auckland's distinctive volcanic landscape was also among the nine sites selected.

The region's volcanic cones and surrounding landscapes held deep cultural significance for Māori, with connections to traditional histories, settlement and the volcanic deity Mataaho.

About 1000km northeast of mainland New Zealand, the remote Kermadec Islands remain among the country's most protected natural environments.

The surrounding marine reserve is home to a diverse range of marine life and forms part of an important ocean ecosystem. Its isolation makes it a significant site for marine conservation.

DOC will now submit the revised Tentative List to UNESCO's World Heritage Centre.

Groups behind the selected sites can then begin preparing formal nominations, demonstrating their international significance, protection arrangements and community support.

Meadows said successful applicants were well positioned to prepare nominations for full World Heritage status within the next decade.