Spoilt for school holiday choices
With our borders closed and school holidays just around the corner, it’s a good time to reacquaint ourselves with all the beauty and adventure to be found so close to home, writes Bridget Jones.
Bali’s out. Fiji’s a no-go. The Gold Coast is close, but not close enough. For many Kiwi families, the winter school holidays usually mean escaping in search of faraway sun and sand. This year though, things are obviously a little different, and we are turning to our own backyards instead.
The reality is, if you haven’t booked flights to the likes of Queenstown now, you’ll be paying a premium to visit the winter hotspot these school holidays. But all is not lost.
There are plenty of fun, interesting things you can still do to get out there and see New Zealand these holidays.
An epic road trip
Thanks to smart marketing and good deals, keys to New Zealand’s campervans flew off the shelves faster than flour and toilet paper. But, if you hunt around, there are still some great options if you fancy a self-drive holiday – particularly for the second half of the break.
Jucy still has bookings available for its fourberth Condo campervans. For $50 a day, you and the kids can cruise around in your home-awayfrom-home, with all the freedom that comes with a good old-fashioned roadie, stopping off in camp sites wherever you choose.
With two double beds, there’s more than enough room for a family of four to bunk down, and the van has a table, seating and a spacious kitchen with fridge and gas cooker.
The Condo also has a cassette toilet and a water tank. It even comes with bedding and towels, as well as unlimited kilometres and roadside assistance, so it’s just a case of starting the engine and hitting the road.
Jucy vans can be picked up and returned to Auckland, Christchurch and Queenstown airports.
Lakeside fun
It’s Rotorua’s often overlooked neighbour, but Taupo¯ is certainly worth a visit these school holidays. With Tongariro National Park, Waikato and Tongariro rivers and, of course, Lake Taupo¯ all nearby, it is jam-packed full of activities – even in the chilly weather.
You might not be up for a dip in the lake, but you can take a cruise on it or hire mountain bikes and use pedal power to explore the award-winning Great Lake Walkway and Tongariro River Trail.
And don’t forget to try to score a hole in one on the famous golf platoon in the middle of it all.
Just 10 minutes out of Taupo¯ , a visit to the iconic Huka Falls must be on the list. You can access the 11 metre-high waterfall by a short walking track, or if you want to push the boat out, get up close on a jetboat or river cruise. And then fish for your own dinner at nearby Huka Prawn Park (family admission $75 for two adults and up to five children, 15 years and under).
Why not explore the geothermal walkway at Craters of the Moon (two adults and up to four kids for $20), before soaking away the day at Taupo¯ DeBretts Hot Springs, family-friendly hot pools with slides and a warm-water playground for the kids, and spa treatments for you (adults $23, children $12, 13-17 years $16.) Flights between Auckland and Taupo¯ start at $49 with Air New Zealand.
It’s snow joke
If you’ve somehow found yourself in the glorious south, and fancy getting a bit of skiing or snowboarding in, then Mt Dobson might be the place to go. The family-owned skifield above Lake Tekapo is set to open early next month and has the country’s largest learners and intermediate area, making it ideal for beginners. It has a tailor-made ‘‘easy pack’’ for novices, including lift passes, rentals, a first-timer lesson and clothing for $145 for adults and $111 for 5- to 17-year-olds.
For experienced snow bunnies, all-day passes are priced at $88 for adults and $43 for children. Mt Dobson is a three-hour drive from Christchurch. Flights from Auckland to Christchurch start at $59 on Air New Zealand and $109 from Wellington.
Underwater adventure
Maybe it’s under the sea you’d prefer to be. Take a peek under the waves on a two-hour eco tour run by Glass Bottom Boat Whitianga that explores the magical world below the surface, and the stunning volcanic coastline above it, while taking in the impressive Cathedral Cove and surrounding landmarks around the Te-Whanganui-A-Hei marine reserve. And yes, the hull of the boat is seethrough.
Then, travel 30 minutes by road to brave the winter chill and dig yourself a natural spa pool at Hot Water Beach. A family pass on the Glass Bottom Boat costs $310.
Cross-country
Anyone who has sat on the TranzApline will tell you it’s magical. There’s nothing like bundling yourself on to the train and watching the most amazing landscape whizz by as you travel between Christchurch and Greymouth.
Taking just under five hours, passengers of all ages will be captivated as the landscape changes
from the Canterbury Plains to the Southern Alps. And with the freedom to move around the carriage, and enjoy a snack in the licensed cafe, there will be no reason for itchy feet.
This winter, you can travel the stunning route for $75 each way (down from $249 for adults and $177 for kids), covering any origin, destination, or stopover.
Hobbiton
If your kids are old enough to be enraptured by The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings films, then get thee to Hobbiton (by way of rural Waikato). The guided tour, leaving from central Matamata, takes in the films’ almost five-hectare set, stopping at all the secret Hobbit-y places, before visiting the Green
Dragon Inn for a Middle Earth beverage. Family passes (two adults, two kids under 16) cost $225, with children under 8 free.
For something extra special, treat your family to a real Middle Earth meal, touring the sets at twilight, before sitting down to an elaborate banquet dinner in The Green Dragon dining room, where tables will be heaving with traditional treats from the Shire. The banquet tour runs on Saturdays from July 4 and costs $199 for adults, $162 for ages 9 to 16, and $104 for kids under 9.
Explore your own neighbourhood
Maybe the idea of getting out of town is a bit much right now. But that doesn’t mean you can’t go on an adventure. Often, our own neighbourhoods, towns and cities are the ones we explore the least, so why not be a tourist in your own backyard. Maybe you could do a coffee (or hot chocolate) crawl through the best cafes in town, or your own walking tour of the amazing specialty food shops – like Auckland’s Sandringham or Dominion roads – sampling tasty treats along the way.
Or perhaps, you want to jump on a bus or ferry and see another part of your town that you often don’t visit, checking out the beaches, art galleries, or playgrounds along the way. If you want to do something extra special, why not book a night in a local hotel or motel, and pretend you are a lot further than just down the road from home?
Sometimes, being a tourist in your own town is the most fun – and there’s no ‘‘are we there yet’’ or mad rush to get to the airport!