Go NZ: The best holiday spots for the whole family

Hamner Springs: It's a great set-up - adults can relax in the warm mineral-laden waters while kids ride the hydroslides, lazy river and aqua thrill ride; everyone's a winner.

If your family is making 2020 the year they get to know New Zealand, here are some great suggestions of where to travel around the top half of the South Island - and yes, this is only a fraction of the fun our country has to offer.

Please make sure you check websites and social media before planning any of these trips as regulations and conditions are changing weekly in these unusual times.

Fox Glacier on New Zealand's West Coast is a picture-perfect destination the whole family can appreciate. Photo / Miles Holden.

West Coast

If your kids travel well in cars, it's worth taking them on a road trip down the West Coast of the South Island. Notable stops (depending on which section of the coast you choose) are The Oparara Limestone Arches, 30-million-year-old pancake rocks and blowholes at Punakaiki, Nile River Glow-worm Cave, Monteith's Brewery for a family-friendly lunch (and perhaps a well-deserved beer for parents), Shantytown Heritage Park (think dressing up for old-style sepia-toned photos, exploring heritage buildings and panning for gold), the stunning Hokitika Gorge and, if you're heading all the way down, of course, the magnificent Fox and Franz Josef glaciers.

There's also a wildlife centre in Franz Josef, where you can see New Zealand's rarest kiwi breeds. The scenery all the way down is breathtaking - dense rainforest, rugged mountain peaks, and wild coastlines; New Zealand at its untouched best.

Christchurch

Christchurch is a kids' paradise. It's the only city where a trip to the library is an absolute must-not-miss. Multi-floored, ultra-modern Tūranga is a library like no other, and parents of little kids will love kicking back with a book while their charges spend an eternity creating masterpieces from the huge collection of Duplo and Lego. There's even a cracking cafe at the front of the building if caffeine is in order. Gaming, public computers, virtual reality headsets and a makerspace make Tūranga so much more than just a place to read.

There's plenty to do outside too - the tram; the famous, and enormous, Margaret Mahy Playground (just try to resist having a go yourself, parents); ziplining and mountain biking at Christchurch Adventure Park and plenty of short, and longer, hikes.

Everyone in the family will find something they want to eat at Little High Eatery and the new incredible Riverside Market complex and you cannot miss C1 Espresso if you have kids (how many other cafes send curly fries to you via pneumatic tubes in the ceiling?) Christchurch is great to explore on foot and if the kids are up to it, the Canterbury Earthquake memorial and Quake City museum are both beautiful places to visit, remember and understand what was lost on that fateful day in February 2011.

Just opened (on Queen's Birthday weekend) is He Puna Taimoana, an $11 million pool complex in New Brighton with saltwater pools, a plunge pool and a sauna with a view.

Hanmer Springs has something for everyone - including waterslides. Photo / Supplied

Hanmer Springs

Most kids would be happy to just spend all day at the incredible thermal pools and spa complex when in Hanmer - children seem to have an amazing capacity to stay in water for prolonged periods of time. It's a great set-up - adults can relax in the warm mineral-laden waters while kids ride the hydroslides, lazy river and aqua thrill ride; everyone's a winner.

But there are other things to do in this picture-perfect alpine village. There's mini golf, an animal park and the hilarious quadricycles - which quickly sort out the grafters from the shirkers in the family. Hanmer Springs also has some beautiful walks - sometimes you'd swear you're meandering through the film set of an American movie as the main street hits the picturesque foot of the Alps.

If you have time to take the coastal route back to Christchurch, Cathedral Cliffs will have everyone's jaws on the ground - just one of the secret surprises of the Hurunui District.

Ōamaru

If you haven't been to the Waitaki region before, Ōamaru might come as a bit of a shock; it's quite different from so many other New Zealand towns with its beautifully-preserved Victorian limestone buildings.

Walking the streets creates a sense of time travel and provides something for everyone in the family to enjoy in the form of galleries and artisan shops. There's a skatepark playground, beach and mountain bike trails if the kids want to blow off steam and Steampunk HQ is well worth a visit with its treasure trove of bizarre gadgets and ghostly figures. You'll find strange creatures made from scrap metal, and the backyard is filled with old planes and vehicles, which have all been "steampunked" in one way or another. To call it a museum would be unfair - it's more of an experience, where touching things is allowed and encouraged.

Of course, Ōamaru is known for its penguins, and you can watch them waddle ashore from seating built near the colony. The kids won't let you leave town without a visit to the factory shop at Rainbow Confectionery, but it's okay as you get to go to Whitestone Cheese's Headquarters to stock up on treats yourself.

Milford Sound is stunning, but make sure you stop by Te Anau on your way. Photo / Rob Suisted.

Te Anau

The gateway to any trip to Milford or Doubtful Sound, Te Anau is worth a night or two for some leisurely family action; the pace is slow and perfect for decompressing.

Getaway Holiday Park is the ideal accommodation for families with a range of options to suit all budgets. With hot tubs, playgrounds and a giant jumping pillow, you might have trouble getting little ones to do anything in the town itself.

Obviously, the scenery in Te Anau is world-famous and a walk around the main part of the lake followed by a picnic is a must (or just grab fish and chips from the Te Anau Dairy).

If your kids like boat rides - don't they all? - the glow-worm tour is a total treat. You hop on a boat and travel across the lake to 12,000-year-old caves where you wander through with a guide to the sound of water rushing below you, then follow another boat ride to a glow-worm grotto for twinkly sparkly viewing.

You can actually walk the beginning of the Kepler Track from Te Anau, and just go as far as your kids will manage or hire bikes or visit the Bird Sanctuary if that's more their thing. Check out the Fat Duck for a bite to eat - a gastropub with a kids menu that's sure to please.

For more New Zealand travel ideas, go to newzealand.com/dosomethingnew