Dunedin, Family Activities
-
Lanarch Castle
Discover NZ’s only Castle, you will enjoy stepping back in time to view this beautifully restored castle complete with a showcase and collection of original NZ period furniture and antiques. Enjoy a visit to the castle, garden and grounds or a visit to the gardens and grounds only. High Tea is also now served daily in the Ballroom at 3pm (reservations essential). Family pass available.
read more- Phone: 03 476 1616
- Location: 145 Camp Road, Otago Peninsula, Dunedin
-
Kiwi Guardian Outdoor Adventures
Get the kids outside to have some FREE family fun connecting with nature at Toyota Kiwi Guardians sites nationwide.
Toyota Kiwi Guardians highlights family-friendly, treasure hunt style activities at specific Department of Conservation sites that encourage kids to engage with the outdoors and, ultimately, earn themselves a medal for their efforts.
The goal of the conservation programme is to turn Kiwi kids into guardians of the land and sea.
A total of 50 sites are operational nationwide. Families can get started on their adventure by downloading the appropriate “treasure hunt” map from: www.kiwiguardians.co.nz
Click on the area of New Zealand nearest to where you are to find the choices available closest to home.
read more -
Moana Pool
Moana Pool has a range of swimming areas, a multitude of fitness facilities, lots of training courses and heaps of entertainment for children. Includes a Leisure Pool with waves, rapid river, interactive massaging water features and toddlers play area plus water slides and a separate spa pool.
read more- Phone: 03 471 9780
- Location: 60 Littlebourne Rd, Dunedin
-
Hair Raiser Tours
Join your experienced local guide on a spine tingling look at the beautiful city of Dunedin. It will take extreme bravery, courage and skill. With a range of tours to select from - The Crime Walk, Dunedin Cemetery Tour, Ghost Walk Tour and more... their Hair Raiser Harry Tour is well suited to entertain kids and is popular option for birthday parties!
read more- Phone: 0800 428 683
- Location: Ghost HQ, 110 Moray Place, Dunedin
-
The World's Steepest Street
Baldwin Street, in Dunedin, is reputed to be the world's steepest street, with an average slope ratio of 1:5. It's steepest section has a gradient of 1:2.86 so for every 2.86 metres travelled horizontally, the elevation rises by one metre. The street is the venue for an annual event in Dunedin, the "Baldwin Street Gutbuster", every summer since 1988 (usually in February). This exercise in fitness and balance involves athletes running from the base of the street to the top and back down again. Since 2002, a further charity event has been held annually in July, which involves the rolling of over 30,000 Jaffas (spherical candy-coated chocolate sweets). Each jaffa is sponsored by one person, with prizes to the winner and funds raised going to charity.
read more -
Dunedin Ice Stadium
Get your skates on and come on down to Dunedin Ice Stadium, the perfect venue to bring your friends and family for lots of fun and entertainment. There are general skate sessions, Friday night disco's, Kiwi Skate programmes for children aged 3-18 years and birthday party options for 6 or more children that includes a private party room and many extra party options. Admission includes skate hire and there are also concession cards and family passes available.
read more- Phone: 03 456 4556
- Location: 101 Victoria Road, St. Kilda, Dunedin
-
Ages 8+
Wild Earth Adventures
Wild Earth Adventures provides fun, safe positive experiences in the great outdoors. We specialise in sea kayaking, canoeing, rafting, kayaking and bush craft. Our curriculum based school activity programmes make it easy for teachers to get students out on exciting and educational rafting, orienteering, kayaking, abseiling or bushcraft activities.
read more- Phone: 03 489 1951
-
Dunedin Botanic Garden
The Dunedin Botanic Garden is New Zealand's first botanic garden and holds the status of Garden of International Significance. It has hill views from sunny lawns, more than 6,800 plant species and the song of wild native bellbirds, wood pigeons and tui. We have a variety of self-contained and downloadable education kits available for Education Outside the Classroom (EOTC) lessons at the Garden. An information centre, tea kiosk and playground, which are located in the Lower Gardens, are open daily from 10am-4pm.
read more- Location: North Dunedin
-
Settlers Museum
Encounter history at the Toitū Otago Settlers Museum.
Learn about the people whose character, culture, technology, art, fashion, and transport shaped New Zealand’s First Great City.
read more- Phone: 03 477 4000
- Location: 31 Queens Gardens, Dunedin
-
Otago Farmers Market
The Otago Farmers Market operates every Saturday morning 8am -12.30pm year round and thousands of people flock to the Dunedin Railway, where you will find the very best fresh fruit and produce that Otago has to offer. Every week over 65 different vendors come together from all over the region to create one of the busiest Farmers Markets in NZ.
read more- Phone: 03 471 6178
- Location: Dunedin Railway Station (off Anzac Ave)
-
NZ Sports Hall of Fame
New Zealand's greatest sports performers, their most memorable moments, the trophies and the tools of their trades - all come dramatically alive when you visit the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame.
read more- Phone: 03 477 7775
- Location: Railway Station, Anzac Avenue, Dunedi
-
Otago Museum and Discovery World
Ignite your interest and inspire your mind at Otago Museum! Explore outstanding collections and discover great stories from Otago, New Zealand and the world as you venture through a tempting variety of exhibitions. Get hands-on with science in Discovery World then enter the Tropical Forest to discover lush gardens, hundreds of live butterflies and other hot-weather-happy inhabitants including birds, turtles and geckos! Take some time out during your visit to enjoy something fresh and delicious from the Museum Café with a menu that caters for everyone in the family. Then take home a memento – you’ll find a great range of gift ideas from crafts and jewellery to children’s toys in the Museum Shop.
read more- Phone: 03 474 7474
- Location: 419 Great King Street, Dunedin
-
Oamaru Blue Penguin Colony
See the world's smallest penguins in their natural environment.
Our Blue Penguins nest close to town under the cliff along the historic harbour foreshore.Our day tours take you behind the scenes, into the penguins breeding area, where you may see the penguins up close in their nesting burrows. Our day time viewing facility, the 'blue wing', makes this eaiser as you look down into the top of 10 nesting boxes through viewing tunnels. Our penguin numbers vary from day to day, so just ask one of our friendly staff how many they can guarantee you will see.
read more
Evening viewing is when you will get to see the penguins arrive home from their days fishing, in groups that we call 'rafts'; they will walk up the stony ramp in front of you and cross into the breeding colony back to their nesting burrows.
We have tours running from 10am to late, so stop by and visit Oamaru's most unique residents.- Location: 2 Waterfront Road, Oamaru
-
Dunedin Public Art Gallery
The Gallery provides 100+ wide-ranging and successful education programmes during both term time (for visiting school groups) and school holidays (for children and family groups).
read more- Phone: 03 474 3240
- Location: 30 The Octagon, Dunedin
-
The Dunedin Chinese Garden
A perfect miniature of a traditional Chinese landscape painting, it's origins come from a desire to celebrate the city’s Chinese heritage and its valuable sister city relationship with Shanghai.
The Garden changes with the seasons and vistas and hidden corners appear unexpectedly so you see something different every time you visit.
Bring a picnic, try some puzzles and games or simply wander and soak up the tranquility of the only authentic Chinese Scholar’s Garden in the Southern Hemisphere.
read more- Phone: 03 477 3248
- Location: Corner of Rattray and Cumberland Streets, Dunedin
-
Glenfalloch Gardens
Situated in peaceful, relaxing surroundings you can enjoy panoramic harbour views. Stroll among the gorgeous flowers which integrate with native ferns, exotic imports and indigenous NZ trees thato showcase 120 years of conservation and expansion of our botanical heritage. A great place to visit with the family and there is a restaurant onsite open for lunch Thursday-Sunday from 11am-3.30pm.
read more- Phone: 03 476 1006
- Location: 430 Portobello Road Macandrew Bay, Dunedin
North Island
South Island
- Central Otago
- Auckland
- Bay of Plenty
- Christchurch
- Dunedin
- Coromandel
- Gisborne
- Fiordland
- Hawkes Bay
- Marlborough Sounds
- Manawatu
- Nelson & Golden Bay
- Northland
- North Canterbury
- Queenstown
- Rotorua
- South Canterbury
- Taranaki
- Southland
- Taupo
- Wanaka
- Waikato
- Wellington
- West Coast
- Whangarei
- Bay of Islands
- Tauranga
- Gisborne
- Hamilton
- Napier
- Kapiti
- Palmerston North
- Whanganui
- New Plymouth
- Arrowtown
- Te Anau
- Akaroa
- Ashburton
- Hanmer
- Kaikoura
- Methven
- Mt Cook
- Oamaru
- Tekapo
- Timaru
- Abel Tasman
- Motueka
- Nelson Lakes
- Blenheim
- Picton
- Catlins
- Gore
- Stewart Island
- Central Plateau
- Invercargill
- Cromwell
- Greymouth
- Hokitika
- Westport
- Glenorchy