5 Ideas for the holidays: Wednesday

Give Snowplanet near Silverdale a try. Photo / Doug Sherring

Struggling to keep the kids occupied these holidays? Here are 5 ideas to inspire you.

The Mount

Take a day trip down to Mount Maunganui and venture around the shops near the waterfront, climb Mauao or relax and play on the white sand beach below. You'll need to take a day trip because the journey takes at least two hours from Auckland one way but there's plenty of coastal paradise fun for everyone at the Mount.

Kitekite Falls

Hidden away in the Waitakere Ranges near Piha, Kitekite Falls is a multi-step 40-metre waterfall. Roughly an hour's drive away from Auckland city, you have to get out and hike from the carpark to get there. A return trip on the track takes around an hour and a half and sturdy footwear is advised. It might be too cold for a swim at the base but take along a camera to snap up some of the breath-taking views.

Climb an Auckland mountain

While we don't necessarily have any mountains, a handful of extinct volcanoes are littered throughout Auckland city. Admission is free and if the kids have a lot of energy, you could try knocking off a few different climbs in one day. Standouts include Mount Eden, One Tree Hill, North Head, Mount Wellington and Mount Albert.

Snowplanet

Pack in your beanies, warm jackets and head up to Snowplanet near Silverdale, only 30 minutes north of Auckland city. Open weekdays from 10am and weekends from 9am, the indoor ski slope offers plenty of skiing, snowboarding or snow tubing fun if you can't head away to a proper mountain slope this winter.

Rocket Ropes

Rocket Ropes has something for everyone, including the little ones aged 2-6. The urban high rope activity park has over 60 aerial activities, including the Croc Tower which includes three activities ranging from 1.5m up to 6m. Found on Tom Pearce Drive near Auckland Airport, head down to experience the exciting climbing course.