School Holiday Ideas Auckland

School’s out, and the family is ready and roaring for fun times. Here’s a list of family-friendly things to do and places to visit during the Auckland school holidays.

 

Put on Your Explorer Hat

Auckland has 48 volcanic cones, so wouldn’t it be cool to climb an extinct volcano? Whether you’re raising a budding geologist or a mini adventurer, marvel over the steep crater of Mount Eden (Maungawhau), or take in the magical city and harbour views from One Tree Hill (Maungakiekie) and North Head (Maungauika).

When the sun’s shining, head to Auckland Botanic Gardens; a gorgeous green space for all ages. Here, you can embark on a self-guided discovery trail and learn about native Kiwi plants. Potter’s Garden is full of surprises; from flowers to fruit and bird life, there’s plenty of spots for a picnic and a cartwheel too.

Warm outside? Auckland is spoilt with bucket-list-worthy beaches. Make a day out of must-visit family beaches like Takapuna Beach, Long Bay Beach and Browns Bay. They all have excellent playgrounds to keep the kids active and entertained on both land and sea.

 

Nurture Imaginative Minds

Auckland Museum regularly runs kids activity programs and exhibitions, including the Weird and Wonderful gallery that’s open every weekend. Auckland Art Gallery’s Creative Learning Centre has interactive installations for kids, as well as fun gallery games for the entire family. Or, you and the kids can get artsy at your local library or Auckland’s central city library. Libraries regularly host free story time sessions and other school holiday festivities, so be sure to check out their events calendar.

 

Help a Threatened Species

SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton’s is the only place in New Zealand that rehabilitates rescued turtles. We’ve been doing it for more than 20 years! Want to know what it’s like to be a turtle care expert? We’ve introduced state-of-the-art technology to create an interactive virtual experience so you can go behind the scenes at our rehabilitation centre. It’s fun and learning combined.

Experience the entire rescue journey, from start to finish. You’ll receive an emergency rescue alert for weak turtles being washed to shore with illnesses like dehydration, cold shock or starvation. These poor turtles might have missing limbs, large wounds, bacterial infections, fish hooks or plastic pollution ingestion.

We’ll run you through the process of giving the turtles x-rays, fluids for rehydration and antibiotics to fight infections. Then, put on your detective hat to figure out exactly why they’re sick so you can properly treat them. Find out why it’s important to give the turtles a temporary home in our big fish tanks before we finally release them back into their wide ocean home.

Not only will the whole family walk away knowing more about turtles, you’ll also learn how everyday human activity impacts marine life. It’s a great way to make sure your kids turn into environmentally-conscious adults. And of course, meet the real-life turtles that are part of our rescue program – they can’t wait to meet you!