Tirau is a good place to stop if you’re travelling north or south from Auckland along SH1. There are lots of shops and cafes but if your focus is just getting out of the car and stretching your legs, park up at the back of the BP petrol station and there’s…
Set in a 1950s villa, this cafe is light, airy and serves great tasting food. They cater well for dietary requirements like GF with a menu that covers breakfast, lunch and sweet treats. People also rate their coffee pretty highly! Owned by parents to a young family, children are always…
Situated just over an hour south east of Auckland and about the same distance from Hamilton, the Miranda Shorebird Centre is a great place to explore and learn about the coastal birds that visit this area. The mudflats here are an important source of food for native birds as well as…
Away from the throngs of people that can crowd the centre of Taupo at certain times of the year, this playground was replaced in 2016 and has a pirate ship at its centre. With opportunities for climbing, sliding and lots of role play especially with the steering wheel. There’s a…
If you’re in or passing through Taupo on a Saturday this weekly market is worth checking out. Whether you’re stocking up on picnic ingredients, looking for a snack to eat there and then or the kids are have pocket money to spend, there are over 60 stalls to look at. Most…
For kids and their carers that like fishing, this is an interesting place to go to, whether you make a special trip to get there or stop on a road trip along SH1. The centre is home to the national trout hatchery and spotting these fish from their tiny baby…
No matter what the weather is like, these thermally heated pools will keep everyone busy and use up some energy! There’s lane swimming, a separate leisure pool with 2 toddler areas, 2 hydroslides, a tarzan swing and private pools available within this complex. There is also a sauna but for…
This is a chain restaurant with a branch in Hamilton, Wellington, Christchurch and 4 branches in Auckland. There’s a varied menu, with some typical and not so familiar Mexican dishes on offer. There are some smaller plates (‘snacks’) which would allow you to sample a few dishes if you wanted or…
This is the largest complex of swimming pools in Waikato so should have something for everyone! The 6 pools include several 25m pools (some at 27 degrees and one at 32 degrees) and a designated toddlers’ pool inside. During the school holidays, there’s often inflatables which can include a bouncy…
If you want to see the usual features of Geothermal activity that they have in the thermal parks in Rotorua but you can’t make it there or just want to avoid the throngs of tourists, consider going here instead. Situated on the artificial lake Ohakuri, created for hydro power, a…
