There’s lots on offer for families at Palm Beach! Next door to the well stocked general store, there’s a good fish and chip shop (at the corner of Palm Rd and Hill Rd). Order and take your food down to the beach to enjoy. There is a toilet and grassy…
This is a wide, safe swimming beach for kids with showers, changing rooms and toilets. There’s also a shaded playground (sails and big trees) at Little Oneroa beach which is great for younger kids (perhaps up to around 6/7 years old). A big grassy area isn’t shaded but has free…
The train ride here is a much longer than your average miniature train ride, covering 2.2km of track and taking approximately 20 minutes. The ride goes from one end of the Esplanade park to the other with 3 stops at the Cafe, the Playground and the Esplanade. Travellers can get off…
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…
The view from the top of Mount Iron is definitely worth dragging the kids up for! When you’re at the top, on a clear day, you can see for miles with the Southern Alps in one direction, The Pisa Range in another direction and all of Wanaka spread out down below…
A walk along the river in Arrowtown brings you to a partially restored small settlement of huts that were occupied by Chinese Miners who were brought over to NZ during the gold rush. For more information on what life in the Chinese settlements might have been like, see the website link. The…
A brand new BMX jump park and circuit for kids and adults alike, was opened in late 2015, although it wasn’t officially opened until later 2016. The tracks are of varying difficulty, from a paved learn-to-ride area with street signs and intersections up to a jump loop, so something for all…
This is a great place for the whole family to enjoy – a place of illusions and problem solving that will leave all ages ‘puzzled’ at some point. Whether it’s trying to get out of the maze or wondering how a building can still be standing when it’s at such…
There’s lots to do along the waterfront in Wanaka! Hire a double Kayak or SUP so that kids can go with adults and get out on to the water. There’s more than one place to hire them from so check out which has the best deal on the day. Paddle…
Set in the Rose Garden, which is one part of the Botanic Garden, this cafe has been serving up breakfast and lunch in beautiful surroundings for years! This is a great place for families to eat, whether it be for a snack or full meal. They are very child friendly,…
