Dunedin kids’ top ‘insider’ tips for school holiday fun

Dunedin is a great spot to explore with the family these school holidays, with an exciting mix of attractions to keep the kids entertained for days on end. But don’t take our word for it, we brought in the local experts to share their top tips on the best things to do and see in the city.

 

EDUTAINMENT

Ástra (aged 6) recommends the Otago Museum, saying, “The zoo up the stairs (Animal Attic) has lots of cool animals. I thought the lion was real, but luckily it didn’t move. I like the butterflies in the forest too (Tūhura Tropical Forest) because you can touch them. One landed on my friend!” 

The Otago Museum is something of a one-stop edutainment station, featuring three floors of fascinating permanent exhibits including a real Egyptian mummy. The museum’s Tūhura interactive science centre and 360-degree planetarium is a firm favourite for kids of all ages, with plenty of hands-on fun and learning.  Excitement is building for the new Dinosaur rEvolution exhibition, which opens in the second week of the school holidays. Kids can get up-close to realistic animatronic dinosaurs and find out how these majestic creatures once lived. There are a whole host of other dinosaur-centric events and activities rolling out over the holidays too, including the ever-popular Dino Disco.

Toitū Otago Settlers Museum is another good choice for keeping kids busy, with numerous interactive displays that bring the past to life. Maia (aged 7) is certainly a fan, saying, “It’s really cool, you can dress up in clothes from the olden days and go inside a sailing boat cabin, but my favourite bit is the stripey tiger bus and the cheese rolls at the café.”

Grab a museum trail booklet and find hidden artefacts tucked away among the galleries or learn more about the Māori designs and the history of Otago as the Toitū celebrates te reo Māori this spring.

Right next door is the Lan Yuan Chinese Garden, a serene slice of old Shanghai in downtown Dunedin. Kids love spotting koi in the ponds, posing in the pagoda and playing with the assorted traditional Chinese games.

 

BIKE-ABOUT

Isaac (aged 7) is all about the city’s best bike-riding spots and the harbour cycleway is a particular favourite, “I like how the wind makes me go faster on the way back. It means we can get ice creams quicker,” he says.

There are plenty of options for easy family cycling expeditions, tackle the jumps and bowls of the BMX track at Forrester Park, cruise the replica roads of the mini city at the Marlow Park bike park or head for the hills and try out the start of the Otago Central Rail Trail in Middlemarch. A number of local cycle shops also offer mountain bike and e-bike hire, if you don’t want to bring your own.

For those obligatory ice-cream stops, head for the Rob Roy Dairy for their huge selection of flavours and epic sundaes, stop by Gelato Junkie and indulge in Italian-inspired deliciousness or try out the legendary scoops of hand-made ice cream at Patti’s and Cream in Mornington.

 

GETTING CREATIVE

Budding artists will find plenty of inspiration around the city streets, discovering a street art big and small, adorning walls, doors, alley ways and all sorts of nooks and crannies.

“The walls in Dunedin are all covered in paintings and crazy stuff.  My favourite pictures were of a boy catching clouds, the crazy horse near Chipmunks and the lizard that’s eating its own tail. I wish I could paint on walls too,” says Marlo (aged 8).

The creativity continues at the Dunedin Public Art Gallery, which has a regular programme of arty happenings and activities for kids.  These holidays the gallery is holding map-making workshops and creating free activity books complete with challenges and prizes to coincide with current exhibitions.

 

ADVENTURES IN MOSGIEL

Tucked away in Mosgiel you’ll find a hidden gem in Wal’s Plant Land, as explained by Rhiannon (aged 10), “Well there were lots of things to do, like the trampoline and the mini golf, I especially liked the mini golf because there were all sorts of obstacles. The train was fun too, but I didn’t really go on it many times because mum wanted to look at the plants,” she says.

Wal’s is an easy place to while away a day, between the 18-hole mini golf, golf driving range, garden centre, café and mini-trains that run each Sunday over the spring and summer. If you leave without buying a real fruit ice cream, the kids will never let you live it down. 

The next stop in the area has to be the Memorial Park playground, with its impressive fort and slides.  Pick up lunch at Food Talk on the way and picnic under the trees as the kids play. On warm days, you can venture out to Outram Glen for a paddle in the river or a stone skimming competition.

 

WILD AND MAGICAL

Orokonui Ecosanctuary could easily be mistaken for the land at the top of Jack’s beanstalk. high on the hill overlooking Blueskin Bay just north of Dunedin you’ll find the Orokonui Ecosanctuary, it’s a genuine cloud forest that’s home not only to all manner of native birds and lizards, but also New Zealand’s tallest tree, which is the only giant you’ll find here. Wander under the canopy of bush and keep your eyes peeled for colourful displays and tuneful songs of tui, kākā, bellbirds and even takahe. 

The Otago Peninsula and Otago Harbour present multiple opportunities for a fun family day out.  Jump on board a wildlife cruise with the Monarch or Port to Port and spot all the creatures of wing and water that inhabit the area. Pack a picnic and catch a ferry to Quarantine Island for the day, the perfect play-space to spark imaginative pirate games or pretend to be marooned (albeit temporarily).

Seek out fascinating birds of all kinds, from the gigantic northern royal albatross to the world’s smallest penguin at the Royal Albatross Centre and Blue Penguins Pukekura. Wander through the tunnels of an old wartime fort and peek out of spyholes around the disappearing gun.

Just up the hill, a more adventurous kind of family wildlife experience awaits at Natures Wonders; a thrilling 4WD Argo tour that takes in some exciting terrain, before arriving at fur seal nursery and penguin viewing area. One look at the liquid brown eyes of a baby seal and you’ll be getting new ‘pet’ requests for months.

A trip to Dunedin wouldn’t be complete without a visit to Larnach Castle, which sits regally atop the Otago Peninsula.  To kids such as Raffles (aged 9), it seems almost magical, “Larnach Castle is my favourite place, and not only because I get to fill my face with scones and cakes at an awesome high tea. It feels like an ancient castle from Europe. It has amazing creatures like lions and eagles carved into its stair cases and an awesome turret with ramparts, from which I can stage an imaginary battle with invading orcs,” he enthuses.

See Dunedin from a kids-eye-view and you’ll quickly discover that this is a place packed with wonder. For more tips and recommendations from local’s, check out Kids Insiders.

To make the most of your school holiday visit and make the budget stretch further, explore the school holiday special deals on dunedinnz.com