New Zealand has it all: stunning scenery, mountains, glorious beaches, volcanoes and an abundance of adrenaline based activities. We were lucky enough to spend almost five weeks in this glorious country. We hired a camper van in Christchurch and drove around both the South and North Island, ending up in Auckland. Our time in New Zealand was amazing. Here we, along with some of our favourite family travel bloggers share the best things to do on the North island of New Zealand with kids.
READ ALSO: Bucket List New Zealand: 18 Amazing Things To Do on the South Island
AMAZING THINGS TO DO ON THE NORTH ISLAND OF NEW ZEALAND WITH KIDS
EXPLORE THE BAY OF ISLANDS
The Bay of Islands in the north of New Zealand is a great place to travel with kids as there’s so much to see and do for families. Our kids loved visiting the Waitangi Treaty grounds, visiting the excellent museum to learn more about the founding document of New Zealand and seeing where the treaty was signed. Our little guy loved seeing the huge waka (war canoe) on display called Ngātokimatawhaorua, which is the world’s largest at 35 metres long. We also experienced a traditional pōwhiri or welcome ceremony onto the marae, where we watched a fabulous traditional Māori song and dance.
You can’t visit the Bay of Islands without getting onto the water. There are a variety of different day trips you can do out to the different islands, including the famous ‘hole in the rock’ cruise where you might see dolphins and whales if you’re lucky!
We also really enjoyed taking a trip over to the quaint town of Russell. Here you can wander around and experience what life was like in the 1800’s when New Zealand was first settled. The Duke of Marlborough Hotel is a beautiful old tavern and the perfect place to stop for a drink or bite to eat. Our kids loved the huge ice-cream sundaes they serve!
For a fun free activity, drive around 10 minutes from Paihia to Haruru Falls. A beautiful waterfall that’s accessed via an easy bush track that’s suitable for kids of all ages.
By Kylie at Our Overseas Adventures
CRUISE ABOARD A TALL SHIP AROUND THE BAY OF ISLANDS
Taking a cruise aboard the tall ship R Tucker Thompson is a unique way to explore the gorgeous Bay of Islands. The traditional gaff-rigged schooner offers sundowner and full-day tours, taking you on a journey around the islands, including a stop-off at a beautiful secluded bay. The full-day trip includes a morning tea and barbecue lunch. The sundowner cruise includes an antipasto platter.
Kids will love the novelty of being on such an impressive ship, and you can also take the helm, help set the sails, ride the bowsprit, or even climb the rigging, which is a fantastic experience for any brave children or adults alike. When the boat stops for lunch, there’s the opportunity to go swimming and you can swing from a rope on the boat right into the water.
The R Tucker Thompson doubles as a teaching vessel during the off season and all profits from the tourist sales go towards providing youth development voyages for 13-18-year-olds where they learn about teamwork and leadership skills. The boat trips are available from 30 October to 30 March.
By Victoria at Bridges and Balloons
SWIM IN KAI IWI LAKES
We spent a week exploring the North Island in a camper van with our three children during Autumn. The days were still sunny and warm which allowed for lots of outdoor adventures. We stopped for lunch and got chatting with the owner who mentioned a beautiful lake area perfect for families to explore, Kai Iwi Lakes. We hadn’t planned to visit and sometimes those spontaneous adventures are the best.
The Kai Iwi Lakes (there are 3 of them) lie just North of Dargaville, towards the north of the North Island. The area lies off State Highway 12, via Omamari Road, then onto Kai Iwi Lakes Road. These lakes are perfect for swimming or even kayaking. There is the softest sand on the shore and the clearest water to paddle in. We drove the camper right onto the shore and spent the afternoon playing together.
By Bron at Smiths Holiday Road
DIG A HOT POOL AT HOT WATER BEACH
Families will love hanging out on Hot Water Beach located on the Coromandel Peninsula. While hot springs are common throughout New Zealand, the location of two geothermal fissures just below this beach is unique. During low tide, beach goers can dig holes in the sand allowing hot water to escape to the surface, creating personal hot tubs. All of the holes wash away with each high tide, creating a blank canvas for the next day’s spa-seekers. Your kids can dig their own holes, or join someone else’s. It’s all part of the fun.
TIPS for visiting Hot Water Beach:
- Bring a shovel and a bucket (use the bucket to add cooler ocean water to mix in your hot tub. The water can be scalding!)
- The hot tub zone is only available for 2 hours before or after low tide, so be sure to check the tide tables.
- Don’t forget your sunscreen and hat.
The best part? Hot Water Beach is FREE!
By Kellie at 4 Worn Passports
CLIMB THE AUCKLAND SKY TOWER
The Sky Tower is the most iconic building in New Zealand. In Auckland, you can get a glimpse of it from almost everywhere.
You can climb all the way to the viewing deck of the tower if you wish. The elevator trip is super fast and the kids had a blast in it. And then, when we reached the viewing deck, they loved walking around the glass tiles and seeing everything below. The 360 views of the city are stunning!
It’s not a cheap experience and we got tired of it in around an hour. There’s a hotel, a casino, and restaurants there, but we didn’t visit any of them. If your kids are over 10, you can try out bungy jumping from the tower or walking around the edge of the tower with them!
Don’t forget to check on group booking websites, such as Groupon or Bookme to try to find cheaper deals.
By Thais at World Trip Diaries
GO BIRDWATCHING AT TIRITIRI MATANGI ISLAND
Tiritiri Matangi Island is a sanctuary for native birds and other New Zealand wildlife, only a one-hour scenic sail by ferry from Auckland city.
After arriving on the island, the rangers brief the visitors on how to behave on a pest-free island (don’t leave the paths, take your rubbish back with you, etc) and then group up the people. If there are enough kids, they and their families will be in one group that is tailored for the young visitors, so they won’t get bored.
On the tour, the kids, as well as the adults, learn a lot about New Zealand’s local birds, how they live and what their favourite meal is. Plus, being a sanctuary, you get to observe a lot of the birds, too!
At the end of the tour, everyone meets at the little souvenir shop. In the back of the shop is a room with charts about the history of the island and exhibits that were found on the island. The lighthouse on the island is New Zealand’s oldest. It’s still functional and worth a visit.
By Alex at Discover Aotearoa
VISIT HAMILTON GARDENS
A visit to the Hamilton Gardens is a must-do when visiting New Zealand with kids. Not your average botanical gardens, the site, which extends over 54 hectares is a true masterpiece. Consisting of several different areas, each with their own unique theme, the gardens are a full day destination. Take a stroll through the Chinese Scholar’s Garden, pause for a break in the Japanese Garden of Contemplation, and enjoy the magnificent colours on display in the Indian Char Bagh Garden.
Kids will love the fountains, the bridges, the myriad of styles and architecture on display, as well as the maze-like route to discover the gardens. To keep your little one’s minds as busy as their feet, the garden’s information centre has a series of free activity sheets to complete during your exploration.
When hungry tummies need to be fed, there’s a great onsite café overlooking a lake, and if the kids still have energy to burn after their garden visit there’s an amazing playground to be enjoyed at the end. The gardens are free to visit, and you will find them bustling with local families and visitors alike.
By Nadine at Le Long Weekend
EXPERIENCE THE DELIGHTS OF HOBBITON
Hobbiton is a movie set depicting The Shire in The Lord Of the Rings and The Hobbit movies. It is located in the scenic Waikato region, approximately a 2 hour drive south from Auckland. The pretty, landscaped 12 acre site is part of a working sheep farm. Hobbiton is accessible by timed guided tour only and it is a very busy tourist destination so book online to avoid disappointment!
All visitors must leave their car at the car park and travel to the site by coach. This has the dual effect of staggering visitors numbers so the site doesn’t feel over crowded but also means that Hobbiton is unspoilt by unsightly buildings or car parks at odds with the fairy tale feel of the attraction.
Hobbiton is fun to visit to with kids. The attention to detail on the forty-four Hobbit holes is fantastic, Hobbit sized clothes on washing lines and real vegetables growing in the gardens create a believable, miniature village. The tour does not feel rushed and you are allowed to look around yourself at the end of the tour.
Before you leave, enjoy a well earned apple cider or non alcoholic ginger beer in the The Green Dragon pub!
By Sinead at Map Made Memories
HIKE THE TONGARIRO ALPINE CROSSING
The Tongariro Alpine Crossing is a 19.4 kilometre hike through the volcanic heartland of New Zealand’s North Island. A world renowned trek, it is often described as New Zealand’s greatest day walk, and that’s in a country with some spectacular hiking! The trek takes you through a remarkable volcanic landscape, with crazy rock formations, moonscape vistas, mighty volcanoes, beautiful coloured lakes and steaming cracks in the earth. The views are spectacular throughout. This is a challenging hike with a grading of difficult.
Older kids can do this hike as long as they are used to hiking for long distances. Ours were 8, 10 and 12 at the time of hiking and coped well. In fact, it is still two years later, the best day hike we’ve ever done (and we’ve done some great hikes!)
The hike climbs the Mangatepoppo Valley to the saddle between Mount Tongariro and Mount Ngauruhoe, through the South Crater, before climbing again to the RedCrater, the highest point on the crossing (1886 metres). At this high point on the trek you have tremendous views in every direction of the Tongaririo National Park. You then descend on volcanic scree to the Emerald Lakes, then onto Blue Lake. The track then follows the northern slopes of Tongariro, before zig zagging all the way down the mountainside. This will be some of the most spectacular volcanic scenery you’re ever likely to see.
The Tongariro Crossing is a one way hike, which takes between six to eight hours to complete. As it is a one way hike it is best to arrange transport to and from the finish, which is easy to do from the local village. All food and drink must be carried on the hike, as well as essentials for changing weather conditions. The Tongaririo Alpine Crossing can be subject to unpredictable weather and can be closed to hikers.
By Nicky at Go Live Young
GO ZORBING
If you have ever looked with envy at a hamster zooming across the floor in one of those plastic balls, then zorbing is perfect for you and your family. Imagine getting inside a human-sized hamster ball, only substitute the floor for a massive hill. After being strapped in, they give you a little push that sends you tumbling down the mountain at incredible speeds.
If that is not adventurous enough for you, don’t worry, there are a variety of different courses that heighten the experience. A personal favorite of mine is the zig zag which has you bouncing around against wooden bumpers as you go down the hill! This adds an extra element and spins the ball in crazy directions, although this course does sacrifice some speed. There is also the wet ride where they add water into the ball and the fast lane which is straight down the hill at high speeds. However, the most action-packed course is ” the drop.” This course is exactly as it sounds and is the fastest course.
Zorbing is that is family friendly (aged seven and up), quick, and affordable. The most popular place to Zorb is on the North Island, around Rotorua.
By Stephen at A Backpackers Tale
WANDER THE WAI-O-TAPU GEOTHERMAL WONDERLAND
The best time to visit Wai-O-Tapu is in Spring and Autumn. That’s when it’s least rainy. It’s $32.50 NZD for adults and $11.00 for children. Families get a bit of a break – 2 adults with up to 3 children pay $85.00. Even though it’s a bit pricey, it’s worth every penny. Wai-O-Tapu is a cashless park and only takes major credit cards and EFTPOS.
While there are safety considerations at Wai-O-Tapu, parents can prevent them simply by keeping an eye on kids and holding their hands while walking around the park on the sturdy platforms. Get a map at the visitor center and you’ll be able to see the majority of the park in a half day. To see Lady Knox Geyser erupt each day at 10:30 am, give yourself a bit of time and get there by 10 to get great seats.
By Michael at The Round The World Guys
ENJOY KEROSENE CREEK
One of our most amazing afternoons in New Zealand with the kids was soaking in a geothermally heated stream called Kerosene Creek. You’ll find Kerosene Creek on the drive between Rotorua to Taupo but it is somewhat a secret! You’ll need Google Maps for this one as it is not sign posted. Trundle on down a dirt road for a few kilometres (wondering if this is indeed the right way to be going) before you arrive at a little car park. There are no changing rooms here, so have your swimmers on already, or make the change under a towel!
Set off with your towel, some thongs (shoes!) and your camera down the slightly muddy path. What lies behind the jungle like trees is a geothermally heated stream where you can sit and relax in a hot river and waterfall. So bizarre, but so awesome! Such a fantastic place to just hang out with the family. It wasn’t deep so we didn’t need to hang onto the kids the whole time and they could have a splash around.
There are a couple of different areas you can enjoy, there is a smaller waterfall which we all sat under for ages and a larger waterfall (which was still shallow enough for the kids) plus anywhere in between. You are able to walk along the creek between the two waterfalls. Something to note is that our bathers were full of dirt afterwards! My silver necklace also turned brown and took some scrubbing once we got home to clean it. I’d recommend taking off all jewellery and being prepared to soak your bathers as soon as possible.
Kerosene Creek is currently completely free, I would hope it stays this way for locals and visitors to enjoy. It is an absolutely incredible free experience to enjoy as a family.
By Amber at Hill Tribe Travels
MARVEL AT ORAKEI KORAKO THERMAL AREA
If you’re visiting the North Island of New Zealand you must take the kids to see one of the thermal parks. We recently visited Orakei Korako which Lonely Planet describes as “arguably the best thermal area left in New Zealand”. It’s a fantastic place to visit for families with kids of all ages.
Situated just 30 minutes North of Taupo and located somewhat off the beaten track between Taupo and Rotorua, Orakei Korako is a highly active geothermal area. With more than 250 hot springs and 23 active geysers to see, Orakei Korako is still the largest geyser field in New Zealand.The walk around the entire park takes around 90 minutes and is absolutely mesmerizing! During your walk you will see bubbling water, spurting geysers, gurgling mud pools, vibrant colours and volcanic hot springs.
Whilst the walk around is fairly easy and we did it with ease, there are quite a few steps, so its not ideal for anyone with mobility issues or a pram.
By Melissa at Thrifty Family Travels
SEEING GLOW WORMS IN WAITOMO
I’m not sure what my son was more excited about. Getting to pat an eel before we entered the glow worm caves, finding out the glow is from glow in the dark poop or that the adult flies have no mouth!
We decided to skip the big glow worm tour at Waitomo and head out with a small local group, Spellbound. Our guide was a local who kept us amused with stories of his childhood in the area. He also told us how the local area had changed and grown in the last couple of decades.
Getting to sit on a raft, floating in an underground river in total darkness while surrounded by the twinkling of thousands of glow worms was an experience we will never forget. The fact that we were sharing it with only 6 other people made it even more special (tours have a maximum of 12 people). The tour lasts just over three hours and you get to explore two different caves as well as see some of the beautiful countryside. As the caves are on private property you get to enjoy it all with just your small group.
With quiet moments to soak in the natural beauty of the area and a break for hot drinks and biscuits it is a perfect way to explore Waitomo.
By Kirsty at Travel with Meraki
DISCOVER WETA WORKSHOP
We loved stopping at the Weta Workshop in Wellington, New Zealand during our two and half weeks of campervaning through the North and South Island. Wellington is the city you can catch the ferry to the South Island so it’s the perfect last stop on your tour of the North Island.
Wellington has loads of amazing activities for kids. In fact, it was one of our favorite stops and most definitely our favorite city in New Zealand for young kids. One of our splurges was the Weta Workshop because we are Lord of The Rings and Hobbit fans. Prior to Weta, we also stopped at Hobbiton and felt that these two experiences complimented each other very well.
Weta Workshop is a special efforts and prop production company that produces amazing effects for both television and film. Most notably, of course, is the LOTR and Hobbit films but it also created materials of the Chronicles of Narnia and Avatar. Their tours are wonderfully educational, provided by a guide who is very knowledgeable and lasted two hours. It included both walking and tram travel. It was so awesome to see how special effects were made within the company, enjoy the interactive sections as well as learn about one of New Zealand’s economy providers. It’s truly a great way for creative kids to realize there’s many adults who turned their creativity into valuable professions.
We definitely recommend purchasing your tickets prior to the day and also showing up early as parking was very difficult. There are a few scary creatures and statues so I’d be sensitive to those aspects when bringing younger children, but our 4, 6 and 8 year old enjoyed the tour immensely!
Our tour was perfect to fill a whole day for an excursion, but we also walked along the pier, played at a few parks walking distance in the city center area, and checked out a children’s museum another day. Such a great city to explore with kids.
By Jess at Lets Adventure More
SPEND TIME AT THE TE PAPA MUSEUM
The Museum of New Zealand, known as Te Papa, is a must visit when in Wellington with kids. It has six floors of exhibitions and activities that make it a perfect rainy day option for kids of all ages. It’s free to visit too! It’s located right on the Wellington waterfront and is easy to get to with public transport, or there is plenty of parking on site.
Some highlights include the Colossal Squid, the marae (traditional Maori meeting house) and the interactive art exhibition which includes a light room. On each floor there are discovery spaces which have a variety of activities for kids including puzzles, dress ups, art and construction. There is also a great outdoor space which includes a bush walk to glow worm caves and a sandpit for digging up dinosaur bones. The museum also has a couple of cafes and an excellent gift shop.
By Rohan at Tales of a Backpacker
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18 Comments.
Wow, what a wonderful and inspiring collab. I love New Zealand – I’m really keen to go back with the kids. It looks like there’s so much to do. The Tongariro Alpine Crossing hike looks amazing I’ll have to wait for my little ones to build up some stamina first though! #fearlessfamtrav
Thank you. There is so much to do in New Zealand with kids, it’s a giant outdoor playground. Definitely wait until the kiddies are older for the Tongariro Crossing.
I’m laughing at the human-sized hamster wheel. I have never thought about doing that but now that you mention it’s possible, it sounds kind of fun, lol. #fearlessfamtrav
I’m somewhat intrigued by the human hamster wheel too! I’m sure my kids would love it…me on the other hand!
What an amazing array of things on offer on the North Island. We’d love to visit New Zealand one day and I could see us doing a whole host of these things featured here. My personal wish list would include Hobbiton and the tall ship! #fearlessfamtrav
It’s a great place to visit Cath. Hobbiton was wonderful, particularly if you’ve read all the books.
You’ve brought so many memories flooding back. We used to live in Auckland and I miss it so much.
#fearlessfamtrav
You’ve lived everywhere! New Zealand is an awesome place to live or visit. We loved our time there.
Wow that looks amazing. My husband has New Zealand at the top of his bucket list of places to visit with the kids. There seems even more to see than I realised!
New Zealand is one giant outdoor playground with so much to see and do. It’s super family friendly too.
Digging your own hot pool must be amazing! New Zealand is still on my list so I’ll keep this post in mind. #mondayescapes
We loved Hot Water Beach – your very own spa pool! There’s so much in New Zealand to explore, particularly if you love the outdoors.
This is so on my bucket list! The bay of island looks amazing. I love to sit in a hot pool ! #mondayescapes
New Zealand is the most beautiful country with so much to see and do.
Oh gosh this brings back some wonderful memories! I hitchhiked my way around both islands when I was 20 and loved the entire experience – New Zealand is just the most beautiful place. The Tongariro Crossing was incredible – I had NO idea what I was letting myself in for but I’m proud to say that I did it and it was honestly one of the best things I’ve ever done. The Te Papa Museum was fantastic too – so much to learn. I’d love to go back with my three girls one day and retrace my steps, showing them all the things I did when I was young and adventurous, and discovering new experiences together. I am desperate to visit Hobbiton too! One day…!
We did similar, backpacked around New Zealand in our early 20’s. We then took the kids back to do it in a camper van. We had the best time! The Tongariro Crossing is one of our best achievements too.
Seriously this is on my bucket list. I would love to hop in a van and explore New Zealand with the kids. Now I want to do it even more! Thanks for linking up to Monday Escapes!
New Zealand is an amazing country to explore as a family, particularly in a van!