This is a playground that, young or old, can’t fail to put a smile on your face. Whether you’re looking to break a journey or staying in the area, it has been around and much loved by kids for decades. The playground reopened in early 2016 after being damaged by flooding…
Set within a housing estate off SH6 between Frankton and Arrow Junction, this makes an unlikely destination playground but it’s one that locals rate highly. There are the usual features of a playground in terms of equipment like swings, slides and a flying fox. But there’s also a large sand…
Roughly 20 minutes north east of Dunedin lies a piece of bush that’s home to some of New Zealand’s rarest native animals, thanks to the predator fence which surrounds this Ecosanctuary. This is the place to come to get out into the rejuvenated bush, go for a walk, try and…
Only operating on the 1st and 3rd Sunday of each month, these steam or diesel hauled trains or sometimes a railcar have been lovingly restored and make you feel like you’re traveling back in time. The 1.5km track takes about 15 minutes as a return trip and you pay once,…
There’s a playground near the Bathhouse cafe right next to the water in the centre of Queenstown which was updated in 2018 to turn it into a destination playground. There’s a net rope structure, slides for all ages, wooden beams and an obstacle over the stream and through the trees,…
This playground is right on the lake in Wanaka and is best known for its dinosaur slide but there’s lots of other equipment here too. There’s plenty for younger kids including a mini space net, seesaw, toddler swings, and small slide. For older kids there are a couple of structures…
Right near the Upper Hutt City centre but also very close to SH2, this playground has something for kids of all ages, making it a great destination playground or stopping off point before or after a trip over the Rimutaka Hill Road! For older kids there’s one of the biggest…
It might seem strange to head to a Garden Centre for entertainment but Wals is a plant shop with a difference! The Fun Land and cafe make it a popular family destination with miniature golf and trains (running from September to April) both being very popular. There are 18 holes that…
Leaving from the old central Dunedin train station, the trains that travel along the Taieri Gorge track are a mix of old and modern carriages pulled by diesel electric engines. The route climbs up through the gorge which provides for stunning scenery over Taieri Gorge River (only seen from a…
About 25km north of Dunedin this makes for a great day trip to escape the city! In the inlet itself, you can dig for cockles (known locally as southern clams) at low tide – watch out for crabs that might try to nip you! It’s also a popular place for…
