Native here - Pancake Rocks! Nice little hike up into the bush near there, too. My sis still lives in Qtown so shout er one for me!

Spent a peaceful week up around Pohara - so much to do with kids.

Have fun! you've never seen so many one-lane bridges!

There is also a railway journey from Christchurch to the Tasman Sea... And back. It's amazing.

There are a lot of good recs here but I'll add my two cents:

*Arrowtown, near Queenstown, makes for a nice day trip. Saffron was a wonderful restaurant when we visited but probably not approriate for kids.
*Your kids will probably get a kick out of the gondola in Queenstown
*There is some spectacular hiking / kayaking / canoeing that can be done in Glenorchy, which is ~45 drive from Queenstown
*If you have the money, you might consider flying to Milford Sound from Queenstown. We did this because we were short on time. The flight is spectacular and it'll save you a lot of driving. Obviously take the cruise once you get there.
*I agree that Mt. Cook is incredibly. Just note that it can be totally socked in with weather and you may spend a few days there an not be able to see anything.
*Don't discount Christchurch. We went before the earthquake but found it a very charming little city.

The South Island of NZ is truly an amazing place. Enjoy!

Anonymous wrote:Glad to get the positive Dunedin recs, we will be near there!

Does anyone have experience homeschooling their elementary school kids for half a year in order to do this kind of temp relocation? I'd like to spend a couple hours on school work and then be able to head out to hike, play, go to the beach, etc.

I'd love to hear what you discover about a long-term stay/homeschooling - that would be a dream!

If you have a lot of time, take a week or a few days in the Cooks or Tahiti. Most airlines are very flexible and will let you break your trip up.

Glad to get the positive Dunedin recs, we will be near there!

Does anyone have experience homeschooling their elementary school kids for half a year in order to do this kind of temp relocation? I'd like to spend a couple hours on school work and then be able to head out to hike, play, go to the beach, etc.

Dunedin is one of my most favorite spots in the world. Charming architecture. You can go spy on yellow-eyed penguins. Look it up.

I haven't been in Christchurch since the earthquake. Has it been mostly rebuilt?

I just visited the Northern Island. Rotorua smells gassy but it's an incredible city with its geysers and Maori visitor center.

Sigh. Want to go, but it all sounds so expensive.

Not sure if they accommodate kids but swimming with dolphins in kaikoura is incredible.

Penguin place near Dunedin.

Thank you! this is helpful. making a list. we will likely be there a few months (for work) so can make a lot of weekend trips to various places around NZ.

We went a year before our son was born and loved it! I agree Queenstown is great. That was probably our favorite stop of the trip. We took the bus trip to Milford Sound, which was a very long day, but totally worth it. We also did one Lord of the Rings tour that was a nice way to explore the countryside around the town.

We drove up the coast of the South Island, stopping in Franz Josef to hike a glacier. I'm not sure how that would work for kids but it was fun. We then went up to Nelson. My H kayaked on Abel Tasman and liked it...he did say it was a lot of kayaking. There may be a tour that is less physical that would work for the kids.

On the North Island, we stopped at the Waitomo Caves to see the glowworms. My H and our two friends did the "black-water rafting" but I just did the walking tour of the one cave and the little boat ride in the other. Both were really cool to see and would work for kids.

Have a great time! Our kid is 4 and we can't wait to go to NZ with him again.

Milford Sound is always worth it, although the overnight cruise can be expensive. The sound can be visited as a day trip from Queenstown, but it is a very long day trip (still stunning, though). If you have your own car you can go at your own pace and stop the night at Te Anau and combine a visit to the sound with a day walk in the vicinity. There are a number of day hikes around Wanaka (near Queenstown). Mount Aspiring National Park (accessible from Wanaka) has a marvelous hike that takes you to the rims of a glacier peeking over the mountain. There are other hikes right along the lake that gives you wonderful views and you can decide how high you want to ascend.

Mount Cook is an absolute must and there's a lovely hike (if it's not raining) that gives you wonderful views. Between Mount Cook and Lake Tekapu is a huge sheep station called Glenmore and they rent out rooms in their lodge and we stayed there for a night and saw the most impressive display of the Milky Way I have ever seen (there were so many stars that the sky literally glowed). Near Glenore is an observatory that is open to the public and has a cafe attached to it. Views are lovely and it is indeed very windy.

Castle Hill (near Arthur's Pass) is an amazing cluster of rock formations that resemble the ruins of castles of ancient giants. Kids love exploring the rocks and running up and down the hills. Near Castle Hill is an underground stream called Cave Stream that is navigable on foot (be prepared to get your feet wet, so strong sandals are a must, as is a flashlight). Think the Goonies It's about 45 minutes to walk through the underground cavern from one end to the other.

How many days is your trip?

Been to NZ a couple of times now and it's truly one of my favorite places on earth.

Abel Tasman national park - northern part of South Island. You can hike and even sea kayak - great for kids.

Queenstown is the hotbed of fun and adventure, New Zealand style. Aside from the typical thrill-seeking stuff (bungy jumping which is not appropriate for the kids), there are fun adventure parks that you can research a bit to see if they have stuff that would appeal for young kids. Don't think wine tasting is in the cards with the kids in tow, but there maybe some kid-friendly spots you could hit.

There's also glacier tours - easy hiking (but check the ages for that). You can also sign up for a one day cruise to explore the fiords and do whale watching - kind of like a mini-Alaska trip (it's a long day but worth it - gorgeous scenery). I just can't recall if you book these adventures from Queenstown but an internet search will help - everything is easy in NZ.

Not sure if the cost is worth it, but there are tours for the Lord of the Rings movie sets. Christchurch and Wellington really don't have much to offer or to see or do.

Have a great trip - I'm so jealous!!

what are your favorite must-sees in New Zealand? preferably South Island. Will have 4 and 8 year old along, so nothing too daunting, but a few hours' hiking is OK. Thanks!