There is a great family friendly atmosphere at the Sunday Farmers’ Market at the Show Grounds in Hastings. This is a weekly event held no matter what the weather is like. It’s inside during the winter and outside in the summer. The stalls are filled with food and drinks that are locally…
Formerly known as Onekawa pools, there is a year round indoor pool that has the only indoor hydroslides in Hawke’s Bay, but this recommendation is for the summer outdoor splash pad. There is no standing water here so it’s great for all ages with lots of fountains and spraying water…
Lots of families LOVE this aquarium. It’s small but much cheaper than Kelly Tarltons in Auckland, however, you can go round it again and again and for littlies it’s perhaps a little less daunting than Kelly Tarltons. It’s probably not a whole day trip but you could spend a couple…
There have been hot salt water pools on this site since 1903 – thought to benefit lots of different illnesses! Today this is a complex made up of several different pools of varying temperatures. For families there’s a cold ‘active’ pool which starts off very shallow and gradually gets deeper. Despite…
The gondola ride up Mount Ngongotaha is expensive but good. Definitely worth doing as a special treat if you can afford it. There are amazing views over the whole Rotorua area from the top and you also have the option of doing the luge which is great fun for both kids…
If you’re looking for a special treat while in Queenstown, the gondola ride up Bob’s Peak might fit the bill. There are amazing views over the whole Queenstown area from the top and you also have the option of doing the luge which is great fun for both kids and…
Kids love this funicular railway which travels between the main shopping street, Lambton Quay, up through the Botanic Garden to Kelburn and back again (if you want). The red carriages are an iconic Wellington sight. The two 100m tunnels now have changing light displays from 9am to make this attraction more…
Formerly known as The Museum of City and Sea, this place had the first of several revamps in 2015 and now boasts a whole extra floor (called The Attic), continuing the story of the evolution of Wellington. Exhibits include a 3D map of Wellington and a ‘time machine’ showing the history of…
This pool was refurbished in 2012 and now boasts a 25mx25m main pool, teaching pool, leisure pool (heated to 32 degrees), and a toddlers pool (heated to 33 degrees). There’s also a kids’ water playground with slides, water jets and buckets, rapid river and bubble pit. There’s also a 50m outdoor pool…
There are 50,000 toys on display at this museum and a lot of vintage vehicles but new toys also feature in the onsite toy shop which claims to be ‘the best toy shop in New Zealand’! So whether you show your kids the toys that you used to play with…
