The general safety of Aotearoa New Zealand makes it the perfect destination if you’re travelling with kids – we should know, having been travelling around the motu as a family for three decades now! We are also proud to be affiliated with Twinkl, which offers high-quality educational resources for children perfect for adding value to your trip.
Getting children out of their normal routines and the places they know well can certainly be challenging, but it can also be equally rewarding. From taking kids to explore geographical features to teaching them to identify wildlife, travel can be a fun, real-world way for kids to learn about a wide range of topics.
All Things Geology
If your kids love all things rocks and volcanoes, there are several destinations in NZ that are sure to delight and inspire them. The view of the Tongariro National Park volcanoes from the Desert Road is iconic and will get your kids thinking about the exciting ancient history of this land. From there, consider stopping at the Tokaanu Thermal Walk, where colourful steaming pools will stimulate all your kids’ senses and bring the ever-present geothermal activity under our feet to life.
If you want to go one step further and truly immerse your family in the heat below the Earth’s crust, head to Hot Water Beach in the Coromandel, where you can dig holes in the sand to create your own thermal hot pools at low tide! But remember to bring your own shovel or be prepared to pay tourist’s fees to hire one.
If unusual rock formations are more their thing, why not take them to see the Archway Islands of Wharariki Beach? The stratified rock poking up out of the ocean will open conversations about the age-old Earth as well as the way sea currents shape the land we live on. In the Manawatū, check out the Whitecliffs Boulders for a magical experience.
Where Energy Comes From
While some kids love natural history, others are more excited about learning how the world they live in works. If that describes your child, a tour of working energy-production sites may be more up their alley. There is an amazing and accessible dam producing hydroelectricity at Roxburgh, perfect for kids to learn where the power they use every day comes from. You could also visit the lovely man-made Lake Ruataniwha and follow the connected canals of the Mackenzie Country lakes, Oahu, Pukaki, Tekapo and Benmore, for a more complete look at hydro schemes.
Another option is to drive up Saddle Road and visit the Te Apiti Wind Farm, where the whole family can marvel at the engineering towering above them, collecting energy from the moving air.
Of course, electricity isn’t the only everyday product being harvested from the landscapes of Aotearoa; at Whakarewarewa Forest, visitors can learn about the history of the NZ forestry industry. Families can walk through towering exotic tree plantings and learn more at SCION, with its cafe and fascinating information panels. While you’re there, why not check out the Redwoods and their spectacular treetop walk? It’s free for under-five-year-olds if you don’t mind your little ones being suspended 18 metres high in the canopy!
Aotearoa NZ’s Unique Ecology
There are many places in NZ where you can encounter species that are difficult – or downright impossible – to find elsewhere, and teaching children about the importance of protecting such wild spaces is crucial to their ongoing preservation. Not to mention the excitement and joy your kids will experience seeing a dolphin or seal right in front of them!
While you can definitely pay to enter sanctuaries like the Royal Albatross Centre at Taiaroa Head or Zealandia in Wellington, there are also spots off-the-beaten-track where you can see wildlife without any fees. We highly recommend Ship Creek, one of the few places you can reliably see Hector dolphins / tutumairekurai from the shore. For sea lions, head to Otago Peninsula in the South Island, where they can be found lolling on the beach next to the road.
For native forest experiences, the South Island’s Borland Nature Walk is hard to beat, offering an easy loop walk through mature beech forest and over a stream. If you’re in the North Island, don’t pass up the chance to visit Tāne Mahuta and Te Matua Ngahere at Waipoua Forest. Tāne Mahuta, the country’s tallest kauri tree, is less than five minute’s walk from the road, but if you have the time and your kids are up to, make sure you also check out Te Matua Ngahere, located about twenty minutes from the road in spectacular kauri forest. To view forest regeneration in action and get your kids inspired about the impact a single person can have, head to Hinewai to walk the beech forest tracks and meet Hugh Wilson, the reserve’s guardian.
Full of History
If your kids are growing up in Aotearoa New Zealand, travelling to places with significant historical import can be incredibly eye-opening. From Māori sites to colonial projects and gold mining relics, there is so much to discover.
For many years, Rangiriri Paa was overlooked, but today the battlefield is obvious from the memorial pou and easily accessible off the Waikato Expressway. The site is the location of an important battle between colonial government and kīngitanga forces, during which King Tāwhiao escaped capture despite facing 1500 men with artillery and gunboats. For more history surrounding the New Zealand Wars, stop at Te Porere Redoubt, the site of the Wars’ last major battle, between Te Kooti and the government.
Napier is the perfect place to visit for any lovers of classic Art Deco architecture, and Whanganui boasts an eclectic mix of styles, combining later Art Deco with earlier Victorian and Edwardian buildings.
For remains of the gold mining rushes various parts of NZ experienced, visit Bannockburn with its sluicings and ghost town, replete with half-collapsed mud-and-stone houses. For its contemporary counterpart, check out Waihi with its open cast gold mine, which you can walk around the edge of or even take a tour inside.
Outdoor Education of All Sorts
Of course, travelling with kids isn’t all about the type of learning they do at school; there’s also a plethora of outdoor education opportunities across the country, where you can safely introduce your children to hiking, camping, swimming, fishing and other skills.
The twin Mavora Lakes offer all the above at an incredibly beautiful location far from civilisation, perfect for staying a while with the family. If you’d prefer to be around other families, try Maitai Bay on the Karikari Peninsula, the site of one of the prettiest DOC campgrounds in the country. For boating activities, there is a nearby launch at the north end of Waikato Bay.
For ocean activities, Hahei is a very popular spot for families. In addition to being one of the safest beaches in the country due to the sheltering effect of offshore islands, it is home to NZ’s only snorkel trail. Perfect for kids, the trail uses buoys with handles to make even the most novice snorkelers comfortable enough to explore the underwater world’s marine reserve. There are also kayak tours and water taxis on offer, with accommodation options in the nearby town or at commercial campgrounds.
Stay for a While
If you are travelling with kids and keen to go a bit further and stay for a while, why not visit Stewart Island Rakiura or Aotea Great Barrier Island? Both offer a wonderful mixture of history, native ecology, and other outdoor education opportunities.
