Set behind the beach and locally referred to as the ‘Dino park’ this is a great destination playground to visit as a half or full day trip. For younger kids some of the playground equipment is themed around dinosaurs (a stegosaurus slide, diplodocus swings etc) There are also more traditional…
The playground within Memorial Gardens, in the western suburb of Mosgiel (en route from the airport to the city centre if you’re coming in that way) has a separate fenced and gated area for preschoolers as well as a section for older kids. Equipment includes a large spacenet, a wooden fort…
This playground is set within a reserve (which was once home to NZ’s first camping ground!) and a general theme of ‘tree tops’ is reflected in the high wooden structures and crows nests on the rope climbing structure. This playground seems particularly well suited to kids who like climbing and…
This is a great playground anytime of year, situated between the shops and beach in Raumati. The playground has lots of equipment for all ages including a sand play area, a long tunnel slide, a bucket swing, a flying fox, monkey bars, swings and 4 person seesaw. Away from the main area,…
If you’re needing a break from a car journey in Featherston, the playground although small, is a good option especially with the skatepark just across the road from it too. The playground is on the small side but has a good range of equipment including swings (regular, a bucket and…
This bike track says that it’s for BMX riders but people on all types of bikes and scooters were happily using it when we visited. The maze of tracks are all smooth concrete and cover 500m. There’s a steep downhill start before riders’ skills are tested with a series of…
Silo Park is an area on Auckland’s waterfront that is a hub of family friendly events year round from markets, to food stalls, open air cinema and music sessions (the latter 2 in the summer only). When there aren’t any events, it’s still worth checking out the playground especially if…
Don’t be fooled into thinking this place is just about butterflies – it isn’t! There’s also farm animals, a dinosaur kingdom, the Aquaria (2 big tanks, one with fresh water fish the other with tropical fish), crocodiles and bugs as well as the butterfly house!! If you’re short on time (perhaps…
This 18km section of walking or cycling track is part of a much longer tramp between Petone and the Wairarapa south coast. The section starting from Upper Hutt is reasonably well suited to families as it’s only slightly inclined going up towards the summit, so a gentle ride in each…
Only 15 minutes by ferry from downtown Auckland, Devonport makes a good family day trip. Plenty of cafes to choose from once you’re there, the waterfront to stroll along all the way to North Head if you want and the Navy Museum. You can follow the pathway from the ferry…
