Fun family activities on a shoestring budget

Join the online conversation and share your favourite places to visit around New Zealand during the summer holidays.

 

What better season than summer to take advantage of outdoor activities with the family! Check out some free (or cheap) activities around New Zealand. Is your favourite adventure listed? If not, share yours on Facebook!

 

Beaches

Beaches, the epitome of the kiwi summer. Pack your sunblock, hats, togs, towel, sunnies, and a picnic. Here are some of our favourite spots around the country:

• Coopers Beach – Northland
• Cathedral Cove and Hahei – Coromandel
• Waimarama Beach – Hawkes Bay
• Rabbit Island – Nelson
• Sumner – Christchurch

Walks and parks

Enjoy the amazing views our country has to offer while using that extra energy from Christmas lunch. There are tons of day track options with varying lengths and difficulty levels:

• Tane Makuta Walk – Northland
• Waitakere Ranges – Auckland
• Karangahake Gorge Historic Walkway – Coromandel
• Kaimanawa Forest Park – Turangi
• Abel Tasman National Park – Nelson/ Tasman region
• Peters Pool Walk – West Coast
• Otago Central Rail Trail – Otago region
• Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park – Canterbury region
• The Chasm Walk – Fiordland

Camping

Breathe in the fresh air, switch off and soak in the great outdoors by camping in one of these areas:

• Humphries Bay Campsite – Bay of Plenty region
• Boulders Campsite – East Coast region
• Waitoetoe Campsite – Taranaki region
• Lake Tennyson Campsite – Marlborough region

Biking trails

Pedal power! Cycling is a great way to exercise and cover more ground for the adventurers. Some of the national parks and walkways mentioned above also have bike trails such as the Karangahake Gorge Historic Walkway and the Otago Central Rail Trail. Make sure to check the mountain biking track grades before hopping on your bike. Some of the easier tracks are:

• Hakrimata Rail Trail – Waikato region
• Mahinapua Walkway – West Coast region
• Lake Hayes Walkway – Arrowtown

Art walks

In addition to easy access to nature, we also have some wonderful sculpture and architecture walks if you fancy a stroll while admiring works of art:

• Auckland Domain Sculpture Walk – Auckland
  Free
• Brick Bay Sculpture Trail – Auckland
• Wellington Waterfront Art Walk – Wellington
  Free
• Art Deco Self-Guided Walk – Napier

Museums

For those rainy days, why not go to a museum? Take a walk down memory lane, or learn something new!

• Classics Museum – Hamilton
• The National Army Museum – Waiouru
• Te Papa – Wellington
  Family: free, though charges apply to some short-term exhibitions and/or activities
• The Air Force Museum of New Zealand – Christchurch
  Free (donations are appreciated)
• National Transport & Toy Museum – Wanaka
• Lakes District Museum – Arrowtown

 

Whatever you plan on doing, remember to check the weather forecast, pack accordingly and stay safe!

 

Join the online conversation and share your favourite places to visit around New Zealand during the summer holidays.