Listings

Part of the Waimakariri River Regional Park, the McLeans Track is a well-built, smooth 10km mountain bike track that is ideal for family biking. There are plenty of twists and turns, bumps and small ups and downs, to make it great fun, without being too technical. Ideal for beginner bikers or family groups! Plenty of parking at the start of the track, and there's also a cabin open at weekends, selling bottled water, drinks, muffins and other goodies. You can even rent bikes (for both kids and adults) and helmets, at the start of the track (weekends only, or by arrangement from On Your Bike - 03 348 1738).

The track crosses the peninsula’s clifftop, with excellent views of the Seaward Kaikoura Range, ocean and coastline, to South Bay. It returns to the township via South Bay and Toms Track. Potential to observe wildlife including seals and sea birds.

This family friendly walk can be done in parts or if you want to explore the entire walk allow 3 hours.

This park is located within the central business district and has large, grassed playing fields, a skate park and a children’s playground. Toilets and drinking fountains are available and at the weekends and during school and public holidays there is live entertainment at the Victoria Park Market which has more than 85 shops, cafes and restaurants and sells arts and crafts, souvenirs, fashion and sportswear.

This is a 30 minute return walk and the track is wide and easy-going. The reserve has been extensively restored, including the re-introduction of the North Island robins.

Wacky Stays offer unique accommodation that will provide a memorable place to stay for you and the family.  They have a Colonial Wagon (sleeps two), House Truck (sleeps two or three), Farmers Cottage (sleeps up to six + a baby), Yurt (large 7M - sleeps up to four), Tipi (large 7M – sleeps up to four).  Staying with Wacky Stays also provides you with FREE unlimited entry to the Kaikoura Farm Park (during open hours), PLUS two hours in the park before opening to general public.  All guests enjoy exclusive access to our early morning animal feeding.  Families will love Wacky Stays!

Bowentown, the headland at the southern end of Waihi Beach overlooks Tauranga Harbour. An eight kilometre white sandy beach stretches from Bowentown to Waihi Beach. At the southern end of Waihi Beach, just inside the harbour entrance, is Anzac Bay, a calm beach safe for swimming at all tides or exploring the rockpools and where there are changing rooms and toilets plus shady pohutukawas and barbecues.

As you drive from Frankton, you'll see a carpark at the end of the Ladies Mile Road, as you descend towards Lake Hayes, or continue to the pavilion where there' s lots of parking. The track is either well-graded, or a wooden walkway, to create an easy stroll around the lake, famous for its stunning reflections. Native birds to be seen along the way include the deep blue pukeko, also known as the New Zealand Swamp Hen! There are some inclines, but they're pretty short, and mostly the track is easy. There are toilet facilities at the recreation and picnic area at the Arrowtown end of the lake, which is also a great spot to pause for a dip in the lake! The path has some steep drop offs at some points, so keep small children with you.

Punakaiki Cavern. Take as long as you like to explore. Grab your torches and you can go way back into the depths. A wooden stairway gives access to 130 m of safe passages with a few stalactites and the odd glow worm. Plenty of fun for all ages, so long as a good torch (and preferably a spare) is carried. Access: Signposted beside the main road 500 m north of the visitor center at Punakaiki.

Roundhill Ski Area is situated in the heart of the Mackenzie Country and provides the perfect setting for a relaxing day skiing or snowboarding on our gentle, undulating hill. There is a great beginners area where learners and little ones can enjoy our platter lift and 2 beginners rope tows; whilst our 2 T-Bars give access to loads of wide, perfectly groomed intermediate trails with lots of natural dips and curves making for fun and interesting skiing and riding. Roundhill is perfect for families, there is also parking right on the slope - so no need to haul all that gear!  You can watch the little ones fly past from the comfort of your deck chair! Whether on our access road, the learner platter, or the T-bar, you and your children are on the safest ski area in the country! Children 5 & under ski free.

Just a 10-minute walk from Kaiteriteri Beach, Kimi Ora Eco Resort offers rooms, one and two bedroom apartments with a balcony and sea views. All rooms offer a kitchen, dining and lounge area with a satellite flat-screen TV and a DVD player. Guests enjoy free Wi-Fi, free breakfast and a fantastic range of onsite facilities : spa and wellness centre, heated indoor or outdoor pools, hot tubs, steam room, saunas, games room with billiards and table tennis table and climbing wall.  Forest nature walks (including night walks to spot glowworms) and the famous Kaiteriteri Mountain Bike Park are next to our property.  Bikes available. Kimi Ora Restaurant serves vegetarian cuisine. Your free continental buffet breakfast includes cereals, organic cheese and yogurt, fresh fruit salad, toasts, spreads, nuts, juice and organic tea and coffee.

Little Wonders Childcare (Oamaru) is a large, high-performing, privately-owned centre that has been in operation for five years. It provides care and education for children from three months to school age.

Learn A Lot Childcare was created to meet the needs of families returning to work, study or just needing help with care and education of their children. Offering childhood education and care for children from 3 months to 5 years old.  We are dedicated to providing a safe and friendly environment that fosters your child's social and educational development. 

These short, easy walks feature limestone arches, caves with critters and a tarn with reflections of the surrounding rainforest - plenty to keep kids interested. Crazy Paving Cave (10 min return) take a torch and follow a short bush track to the cave entrance. Be extra careful not to step off the track and not to step on any of the large spiders that live in the cave.The unusual floor pattern was created over long period of time from deposits of mud which have dried out forming paving patterns on the cave floor. Take a look at the ceiling – another example of nature’s art. Box Canyon Cave (10 min return) At the end of the main track, carefully descend the steps to the cave. Explore its blocky recesses in complete freedom and take a hard look at the ceiling for fossils - look but don’t touch. Cave dwellers such as weta, spiders, and bettles live in the darkness. Have a look at these interesting insects, but be careful not to disturb them. Mirror Tarn (30 min) a sign points along a bush track toward this secretive spot. A pool full of dark water reflects tall trees and rich birdsong fills the air. Here you are called on to joyfully reflect on the foresight of a local bushman who noted the rimu trees around the tarn had been tagged for felling and his successful argument to have the beauty preserved. Oparara Arch (25 min, one way) From the first car park a well-formed track leads up the Oparara riverbank, through beech and podocarp forest and past limestone outcrops. The arch is 219 metres long with sides 79 metres apart and a roof 43 metres above the river that carved the impressive feature.

We provide a safe and healthy environment for children to grow and learn emotionally, cognitively and physically. Our comprehensive, balanced, flexible programme reflects the children’s interests in ways that are developmentally appropriate to the age and stage of the children.

The views from here are worth the visit, on clear days you can see as far as Mt Ruapehu, Mt Taranaki and out across the horizon. You can stand directly beneath a turbine and read all about how they work. With giant turbine blades whirring overhead, these surreal machines are quite a spectacle to behold.

This Kidz Go! favourite has it all! Immerse yourself in miles of sandy beaches, walking tracks galore, superb forest mountain bike trails that are easy yet varied and fun, mountain bike terrain park and a recreation area with adventure playground, flying fox, paddling pool, tennis courts, sandy volleyball and BBQ pits. The flat trails are ideal for buggies but this area really comes into it’s own as a perfect place to take the kids mountain biking. Try the Pegasus Bay track which skirts the forest, following the beach from Spencer Park to New Brighton’s North Shore. Otherwise discover the maze of fun, winding mountain bike trails that criss-cross the forest. You can pick up maps of the forest from the information centre at Spencer Park (Off Lower Styx Road.) Alternative access and recreation area off Waitikiri Drive.

The Otago Dam walk is a medium grade walk over 2.7km which will take you around 1hr to get to. Total round trip walk is about 2 hours. Otago Dam is in the heart of Gabriel's Gully, one of the richest and longest lasting gold fields in central Otago. 4,000 gold miners worked the Gabriel's Gully gold fields in 1860. A water race ran from Otago Dam down to Gabriel's Gully for hydraulic elevating.

The start of this track is located next to the Tekapo Springs complex. The track rises steadily up through exotic forest and then open tussock hill slopes. Mt John is fantastic viewing platform with a 360-degree panorama of the surrounding mountains, lakes and Mackenzie Basin flats. The Mt John Observatory and cafe are at the top.

It is possible to drive to the top of Mt John and walk the Summit Circuit Track (30 - 45 min).

Naseby Forest is a privately owned working forest that will be closed from time to time for logging or if fire danger is high so check ahead. Grab a map from the information centre or local shop. Heaps of mountain bike trails for all levels, a great family friendly one follows the Mount Ida water race.

A holiday in Wanganui has so much to offer, and we are the perfect place to stay when you visit our beautiful district. We offer a range of accommodation options to suit all needs, from fully equipped Deluxe Motels to basic Cabins – or bring your campervan/caravan or tent and stay right on the riverside! You'll appreciate our spacious and clean communal facilities that are rated Superior by Top 10 Holiday Parks.  We have a wide range of quality facilities to keep you happy and comfortable - a heated swimming pool (September - April), private spa, free BBQ's, plenty of indoor and outdoor dining areas, big screen SKY TV, pedal cars, kayaks for hire, bouncing pillow, a petanque terrain, adventure playground & games room with air hockey, pool tables, arcade machines and table tennis. We also have a large open field area for games of volley ball, soccer or rugby.

At Little Sparks we have a commitment to providing high quality support, educational resources, activities and ongoing professional development, all of which are provided at no additional cost to our Little Sparks carers and families.

This Dunedin Holiday Park offers peaceful accommodation in spacious surrounds, to suit all budgets. We are set on the banks of the lovely Leith Stream, with access to bush walks with lots of native birds, and glow worms, yet only 1km to the main street and just over 2km to Dunedin city centre. Accommodation ranges from camping and powered sites, to cabins, through to fully self-contained motel units sleeping up to 6 guests. On-site facilities include lots of space to run around, playground, trampoline, library, TV lounge, internet kiosk, pool table, table tennis, sauna, carwash and laundry.