Christchurch Adventure Park is a top pick for school holiday family fun. Photo / ChristchurchNZ
Ewan McDonald looks at some of the best ways to keep boredom at bay these spring school holidays.
It's that time of the year – to be strictly accurate, one of those four or five times of the year – when one branch of the family is saying, "I'm bored" and another is thinking, "I'm broke."
With our usual combination of common sense and community service, we're here to help. Here are five top places to spend the spring school holidays and five more you should consider. Some experiences will mean digging out your wallet but these have free, or nearly free, treats too.
1 Tāmaki Makaurau – and not just for out-of-towners. Even if you live in the Big Smoke, there's always bound to be a corner that you haven't visited, an experience you haven't tried. Big-ticket items such as the Sky Tower with its newish All Blacks Experience and Wētā Workshop attractions; Sea Life Kelly Tarlton's; day trips to Rangitoto, Waiheke or the zoo, with more than 1000 earth, sky and water creatures (more cost-efficient if you co-opt the grandparents for some of those).
Auckland is chock-full of smaller pleasures: a ferry ride around the harbour, walking up one of the 48 volcanoes, bush trails in the Waitākere or Hunua Ranges. How about a day at Wynyard Quarter with its Silo Park playground, North Harbour eateries or the Fish Market? On the outskirts, Snowplanet, Rainbow's End and West Coast beaches are long-time favourites.
Our pick: More entertaining than any Marvel superhero movie, Auckland Museum's Ancient Greeks: Athletes, Warriors and Heroes exhibition.
2 Rotorua. – It was created as our first holiday destination and then someone came along and threw in all the whiz-bang geothermal wonderland stuff to make it even more exciting. Again, you can tailor the place to suit your budget and interests.
Sadly, some attractions haven't survived the last couple of years. But the Geyser City is still one of the best places to take the family, with its gondola up the hill and luge down; the huge aMAZEme puzzle, kayaking on the lakes, soaking in hot pools, jet boating to Mokoia Island and riding the world-leading mountain-bike trails.
Our pick: Redwoods Treewalk, the skypath of 23 suspension bridges climbing 12m above the forest floor into giant 115-year-old trees. It's even better at night.
3 Taupō. Giant volcano under the gorgeous lake, mountains on all sides, Tongariro and Waikato Rivers churning through dramatic countryside. Cruise, sail, swim, kayak or SUP on the lake; raft the Tongariro, walk or bike lake and riverside trails. The National Trout Centre runs school holiday classes teaching kids to fly-fish; anyone can scoop for prawns at Huka Prawn Park. Wow factors at Huka Falls and Craters of the Moon geothermal walkway.
Our pick: Taupō DeBretts Hot Springs with hydro slides, warm-water playground, private pools and spa.
4 Wellington. Here we have Te Papa, showing what makes Aotearoa and Kiwis unique, and the wonderful Zealandia sanctuary, gradually returning a suburb to Gondwanaland-era bush and wildlife. Capital E is a free drop-in space for play, exploration and fun from littlies to teens wanting to try their hands at creative arts.
Our picks: That wonderful waterfront, where you stroll, eat, dive-bomb, enjoy markets, sculptures, hire bikes, skates, kayaks and paddleboards. Apparently, Te Whanganui-a-Tara even has a Wētā Workshop, too.
5 Ōtautahi. You can, of course, stroll through Hagley Park, punt on the Avon, and cruise Akaroa Harbour – but there are a heck of a lot of new thrills. No 1 for families has to be uber-cool Margaret Mahy Playground; No 2, Christchurch Adventure Park for ziplining through the Port Hills, overseeing the rebuilt city from the chairlift, or hiring bikes and hitting the Pump Track, designed by kids for kids. The International Antarctic Centre, Canterbury and Air Force museums are well worth visiting, as is Orana Wildlife Park, our only open-range zoo with gorillas and orangutans, lions and giraffes. Ultra-modern Tūranga is less a library, more a digital playspace.
Our picks: Rutherford's Den, the university clocktower rooms where our Nobel-winner studied, brought back to life with multi-sensory displays and hands-on experiences; He Puna Taimoana, the sparkling new pool complex in New Brighton.
A FEW MORE TO CONSIDER
Northland. It might be a tad early to dip your toes into the water but there's lots to see and do in Te Tai Tokerau. Head to Hokianga and absorb history at Manea Footprints of Kupe; wander through Waipoua Forest to Tāne Mahuta and Te Matua Ngahere; cross the coast to Paihia and cruise the Hole in the Rock, spot dolphins or visit historic Russell, Kerikeri, Waitangi Treaty Grounds and mountain-bike park. Also, don't miss Whangārei's stunning Hundertwasser Art Centre.
Hamilton. Chris Finlayson may think it's "Dullsville" but Hamilton is a fabulous base for exploring the Waikato and surrounds. The river city has a fine zoo, parks and playgrounds, great biking and walking trails, an excellent interactive museum and sensational Hamilton Gardens. Seaside Raglan, Waitomo Caves, Otorohanga's kiwi and Hobbiton are all within an hour's drive. Further south, our pick - unforgettable Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari and our birds, tuatara and insects.
Taranaki. There's more to Taranaki than New Plymouth, even though the city has much to offer families – the Len Lye Centre; Puke Ariki Museum where kids can lose themselves for hours; sea-going fun and the Coastal Walkway. Out of the city, take a hike – or just a short walk – on the maunga. The province specialises in quirky attractions like an Elvis shrine, toy and doll exhibitions; our pick is Hāwera's fascinating Tawhiti Museum.
Whanganui. The River City has a superb adventure playground on the riverbank at Kōwhai Park, quirky Durie Hill Elevator inside the hill (currently staffed by singer-songwriter/railway nut Anthonie Tonnon), and places to burn off energy like the Splash Centre, Springvale Pump Track and river kayaking. Multi-day trips are an unforgettable experience for slightly older families.
Dunedin. Ōtepoti blends history, adventure and… let's call them "edu-tainment" activities. On Dunedin's outskirts, there's old-school life at Larnach Castle and wildlife along Otago Peninsula, as well as St Clair's hot saltwater pools. Toitū Otago Settlers Museum is an absorbing interactive slice of life and past times; Tūhura Science Centre is a hands-on experience. Go on a street art hunt, bust out of the old prison's escape rooms or – to really tire them out – get them to run UP Baldwin St. Maybe not…
