New Zealand with children
Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2010 10:30 pmTake a deep breath and then jump in and see what amazing things there are to do around New Zealand with your family.
There are so many things to do with children around the country that are free, like leaping from boulder to boulder at Moeraki or lazing around the sandy beaches on the shores of the Coromandel Peninsula. The boulders are like giant marbles, round and are just down the road from the little blue pengiuns - which you can view for free as well. Summer holidays by the beach is just something every kiwi (New Zealander) takes for granted. Most people who live in NZ are within an hour or two from the beach.
Then there are those activities that you have to put your hand in your pocket to pay for but that can be once-in-a-lifetime experiences for you and your children. Imagine your child's face as they look up at you while swimming with dolphins in the blue waters of the Bay of Islands or seeing their sheer delight as they look out of the helicopter's window at the Southern Alps for the very first time.
For parents with older children who are looking for something with a bit more of a thrill then you can't go past getting them to jump off a bridge in Queenstown with only a bungy cord strapped to their ankles or having them rolling down a hill in a giant Zorb ball in Rotorua. Of course you can still enjoy these places without putting your hand in your pocket. While in Queenstown take time to sit by the lake and watch the ducks dive beneath the water, for a couple of dollars you can take the children to watch them from the underground observatory. In Rotorua, take the kids for a walk amongst the tall redwood trees - some tracks are even pram friendly!
Getting your family active could take you and your children on a bike tour on the Otago Rail Trail - or sit back and get your camera out as you sail on the waters of Milford Sounds.
During winter it's time to hit the slopes with both the North and South Island having many wonderful family-friendly ski fields, some with creches.
These are only a few of the things you can do with your children while on holiday in New Zealand...
Enjoy our country - Gaye Miller - Author of Where Shall We Take the Kids?
There are so many things to do with children around the country that are free, like leaping from boulder to boulder at Moeraki or lazing around the sandy beaches on the shores of the Coromandel Peninsula. The boulders are like giant marbles, round and are just down the road from the little blue pengiuns - which you can view for free as well. Summer holidays by the beach is just something every kiwi (New Zealander) takes for granted. Most people who live in NZ are within an hour or two from the beach.
Then there are those activities that you have to put your hand in your pocket to pay for but that can be once-in-a-lifetime experiences for you and your children. Imagine your child's face as they look up at you while swimming with dolphins in the blue waters of the Bay of Islands or seeing their sheer delight as they look out of the helicopter's window at the Southern Alps for the very first time.
For parents with older children who are looking for something with a bit more of a thrill then you can't go past getting them to jump off a bridge in Queenstown with only a bungy cord strapped to their ankles or having them rolling down a hill in a giant Zorb ball in Rotorua. Of course you can still enjoy these places without putting your hand in your pocket. While in Queenstown take time to sit by the lake and watch the ducks dive beneath the water, for a couple of dollars you can take the children to watch them from the underground observatory. In Rotorua, take the kids for a walk amongst the tall redwood trees - some tracks are even pram friendly!
Getting your family active could take you and your children on a bike tour on the Otago Rail Trail - or sit back and get your camera out as you sail on the waters of Milford Sounds.
During winter it's time to hit the slopes with both the North and South Island having many wonderful family-friendly ski fields, some with creches.
These are only a few of the things you can do with your children while on holiday in New Zealand...
Enjoy our country - Gaye Miller - Author of Where Shall We Take the Kids?