Activity Category: North Auckland

Tawharanui Regional Park

At the end of the peninsular, east of Matakana and 80km north of central Auckland, Tawharanui Regional Park is a great place to come to escape the hustle and bustle of the city. There are a whole lot of free activities to choose from, any of which make for a…

Kawau Island

Kawau Island, in the Hauraki Gulf to the North East of Auckland is only accessible by boat with ferries and water taxis going across from Sandspit. Kawau doesn’t have any roads or cars making it very peaceful but also problematic to get around if you don’t have your own water…

Matakana Country Park

Just outside of Matakana on the road to Leigh, this is a huge space with options for all weather although most attractions are better suited to days without rain. The playground is large with various wooden structures like a pink castle, fire truck, buzzy bee ship lighthouse and then more…

Playground, Warkworth

Warkworth is a popular service centre for the surrounding beach towns and SH1 passes just nearby and can be a good stopping place if you’re on a longer journey North of Auckland. This playground is a good place for younger children to run off some energy. This playground is right in the…

Matakana Cinema

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It can be annoying when the weather tries to spoil your planned beach holiday but with 3 screens, this cinema shows the most recent releases and usually has a movie on to suit all ages. As with most cinemas in small tourist centres though, you’ll need to book ahead if…

Sawmill brewery and Smoko Room, near Matakana

The restaurant at this brewery is very child friendly with great, friendly staff. The kids’ menu has a platter of different finger food to pick at with the choice of 3 main protein items to choose from. The regular menu lends itself to sharing so if your kids are into trying different…

Fishing at Ti Point, near Leigh

At the end of the road at Ti Point there’s a wharf that’s perfect for kids to fish off – plenty of little fish for kids to spot swimming around the wooden posts and enough space for several youngsters to each cast a line in. If you’re lucky you might…

Goat Island Marine Discovery Centre, near Leigh

If the weather means that you can’t snorkel or watch the fish in a glass bottomed boat, or perhaps you just don’t feel like getting wet, the Auckland University run Marine Discovery Centre is a great option. On first look, it seems like there’s an awful lot to read and…

Stadium Swimming Pool, Albany

Opened at the end of January 2017, this pool seems to have lots of interesting activities on offer for kids. Within the leisure pool there’s a climbing wall which kids can climb before falling off into the water. There are lily pads for kids to practice their balancing skills on,…

Lake Town Green Fully Fenced Playground, Hauraki

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This is a fully fenced playground with lots for younger kids to do – both toddlers and crawlers. There’s a bucket swing, regular toddler swings, short slides and a sand pit. There’s also a xylophone, inground trampolines and a small cycle track. There’s a grassy area and plenty of seating.…