Fill a bucket with delicious fresh fruit at Good Planet in Riverhead. Photo / Good Planet
This article was first published on January 16, 2024 and has been updated.
My son is nearly 3. If you, like me, took over two years to realise daycare stays open for the summer break, here is a series of highly recommended summer activities to keep the sprogs happy (both toddlers and older kids alike).
Now available during weekends too, hop aboard the bright pink Chelsea Sugar Factory train for a tour of the factory. There are two tours available; the longer, one-hour excursion is suitable for older kids with a minimum age of 5. You’ll be taken around the entire site for a behind-the-scenes look at the sugar-making process. For younger guests, there is a shorter 20-minute version which still includes the train and a guided introduction to the site. You’ll get to see the enormous “sugar mountain” on both tours and if you’re lucky, the huge cargo ship will be in dock depositing raw sugar. Afterward, enjoy the cafe, interactive zone and playground - and of course, an enormous cake from the cabinet.
HOT TIP: Prices start from $14 for adults and $10 for children for the mini factory tour (book online to secure your place). Make sure you’re wearing a long-sleeved top, long trousers and enclosed shoes for the longer one-hour tour.
READ MORE: Is an off-grid cabin in NZ suitable for families with small children?
Approximately 90 minutes by car from central Auckland lies Goat Island Marine Reserve - one of the best places on the city’s doorstep for snorkelling. Add a quick detour to The Warehouse to buy a snorkel set or you can hire dive and snorkel gear locally. Naturally protected, the water is flush with marine life. Mere metres off the pebbly seashore, you will find a fascinating array of sealife. Best enjoyed on a calm day when the seabed is undisturbed and water clarity remains exceptionally good. If you don’t have a mask and flippers, there are also clear kayaks for rent from Clearyak (150 Goat Island Rd in Leigh) as well as the 45-minute glass-bottomed tour boat for those who would like to stay dry. Book via glassbottomboat.co.nz
HOT TIP: The reserve is very busy throughout summer - if you don’t want to wait for the changing facilities and/or navigate a strategic costume change on a packed beach, arrive with your togs on.
It would be impossible to find a bored kid inside this emporium of delights, and while the name alludes to butterflies, there’s so much more than the enclosure with myriad butterfly species. You’ll also find a petting zoo with goats and rabbits, enormous crocodiles, various playgrounds and a small train that will circumnavigate the entire park. That’s all before you’ve found the giant-sized dinosaurs (they roar and move) as well as mythical creatures such as mermaids and dragons, some of which are crawling up and over various buildings in the complex. Just when you thought you’d seen everything, there are lizards, Kiwi and meerkats, as well as a gift shop that will leave children in awe. It’s not cheap but it does offer a full, action-packed day out. Just watch out for certain staff members who can be as snappy as the resident crocs.
HOT TIP: Child entry costs $16 or it’s free for those under 3. Adults cost between $25 and $32, and it’s extra if you want to ride the train.
Part of the Stanmore Bay Pool and Leisure Centre, the XL splash pad is completely free and has been drenching kids since 2017. Those still discovering it for the first time will wish they’d found it sooner. Perfect for scorching summer days, there are spray jets, sprinklers and a giant, elevated water bucket that will periodically empty its contents onto your head m ore frequently than you may have bargained for. There’s also an astroturf embankment and picnic benches. Partly covered, if it gets too hot, or you have a child that takes issue with the dump bucket, there’s also an indoor pool and hot tub area, including a heated toddlers’ pool. Children under 16 are free, adults cost $8 and $1 for an extra supervising adult.
HOT TIP: Stanmore Bay Beach sits opposite the leisure centre and the adjacent playground and playing field are also good areas for tuckering out your tots.
There are various strawberry-picking farms in Kumeū and the surrounding area, but Good Planet in Riverhead offers a one-stop shop for endless entertainment. A shuttle bus provides drop off and pick up from the strawberry fields (other berries also available) where you can fill a bucket with delicious fresh fruit. Of course, eating on the job is frowned upon and no one has ever done it. I definitely didn’t catch my 2-year-old son’s mouth dripping in juice. When certain individuals (read as dad) inevitably get bored, return to Good Planet HQ for the cafe, real fruit ice cream and adventure park, complete with various inflatables, bouncy castles and slides. There’s also a huge splash park with five daily sessions lasting 90 minutes. This one doesn’t come cheap if you pay for every activity but you could cherry-pick your favourite must-dos or pack a picnic and stay all day, making it more cost-effective.
HOT TIP: Book the splash park online ahead of time to avoid missing your preferred slot. Don’t forget your togs - and socks if you’re hitting the inflatables.
The onsite Pūkeko Cafe is very popular and seems to draw brunch-goers from far and wide with its large eggs bene and pretty courtyard - and that’s all before you reach the pony rides. Kiwi Valley Park is the perfect petting zoo for kids interested in farm animals. Feed the sheep, goats and cattle (feed included in your ticket price) and make friends with a few tame snouts eager to scoff more munch than their neighbour. Take a short tractor ride around the top paddock and sit down to pet a rabbit. The staff will pop a square of carpet on your knee and offer a choice of bunnies, rats (the non-sewer kind) and guinea pigs, all tame enough to sit and enjoy the adoration. We also saw kittens and rat pups; the latter are far cuter than you’d expect. All the animals are incredibly gentle but if you have a “townie” in your midst, i.e. a toddler adverse to cow licks, there’s also a big sand pit, playground and a maze to enthrall.
HOT TIP: Adults are $19 each and kids aged under 18 months are free. Depending on your set-up, a $59 family pass for four people might be the best option.
Kiwi Valley Farm Park closes on December 9, reopening on January 1.
READ MORE: Spare me the happy-clappy Instagram reels - what is it really like to fly long haul with a toddler?
Heads up, you’re going to need a double coffee this morning. Live Wire is like crack for kids and your old bones need to keep up. It’s also an excellent option for rainy days. Located in Highbury Mall, this former venue for The Warehouse is colossal. Home to more arcade machines and neon lights than you can cast your deteriorating eyesight over, wander past the fluorescent games (awash with tweens and teens) and find the enormous ball pond, trampoline park, foam pit and inflatable park. There are slides and tunnels and elevated walkways that traverse the entire complex, and to be completely honest, parents have a blast too. Cue the arguments with your partner over who’s the “supervising adult”. Our toddler really enjoyed Minitown, complete with fire engines, grocery stores, a doctor’s surgery and more. The following day we went again: a guaranteed three-hour nap for our son. Now that’s bliss.
HOT TIP: But wait there’s more. Including a climbing wall, bowling, curling, laser tag and a fully licensed bar and restaurant (costs are extra). New for summer 2024/25 is the park’s nine-hole mini golf course.
There’s also a second Live Wire venue at Sylvia Park.
Another no-brainer for a hot day is Point Erin Pools in Herne Bay. Children under 16 are free and adults’ prices start from $8 so it’s also a good option for keeping the bank balance in check. Boasting a large outdoor pool, dive area, water slides and hot pools, there’s a little slice of aquatic fun for every member of the family. One of the smaller, deeper pools is home to a diving board and two white-knuckle water slides that albeit short, offer all-day screams for daredevils (and belly flops for 90kg dads reliving their nimble, 9-year-old youth). Large grassy areas and two playgrounds, one inside and one directly outside the complex allow families to mix it up between water play and running about to get dry.
HOT TIP: If you have tiny swimmers in tow, there is a separate toddler pool and the main pool enjoys a wide, shallow end that’s perfect for smaller legs.
Matakana has a lot to entice adults, including weekend markets and a plethora of gourmet delights, but if such niceties are considered “boooooooring” by your backseat dictators, take a trip to Ti Point Reptile Park. A leisurely 10-minute drive from Matakana’s bustling centre, we found New Zealand’s only reptile park to be near-deserted. In a good way. Steep paths descend quickly into thick forestry, with serene views out to sea and hens clucking at your feet. Spacious enclosures house lizards and geckos, tortoises, iguanas, tuatara and the odd alligator. It was so peaceful, we didn’t need to clamber to find a spot to view the wildlife, wait our turn, or hurry up for other visitors. The residents are cool, calm and curious – nonchalantly coming up for a good stare, and when you’re knee-high, like my son, that’s practically nose-to-nose.
HOT TIP: Pack a picnic and stay longer. Adult admittance from $22, under 5s are free and children aged 5-16 cost $12. Or grab a family pass (2 adults, 2 children) for $60.
There’s a small playground near Motat’s entrance, as well as puddles and pigeons to chase: the “fun trifecta” if you’re a toddler. Just as we started to wonder if we should’ve bothered buying tickets, the Pump House expelled a huge, steam-powered horn blow, and all the children went cuckoo. From here we observed various locomotives and automobiles and watched in horror as Gen Z-ers gawked at an “ancient” piece of history – a Nokia 3310. We played with foam bricks and kinetics at Motots, a designated area for smaller kids, and took the free tram to Motat’s second venue, an enormous hangar packed with airplanes. No need to bother reading the info panels, there are 7-year-olds in this place who will reel off every detail: “That’s an Avro Lancaster bomber plane, Mum”. (Not my son, someone else’s. My son was blowing raspberries at a helicopter).
HOT TIP: AA Membership holders get 20% off general admission tickets.
The 2025 Kantar Corporate Reputation Index has been announced.