The school holidays have arrived and it’s time to find some ideas to fill out the days of our young ones. We know that finding new ways to entertain them can be a real puzzle for some of us.
We sat down at Christchurch & Canterbury Tourism and tried to find the most exciting activities within the region. And then we compiled the activities so you could have all the ideas in one place.
Some of the activities are related to Christmas, but you will also find plenty you can do over summer. The Canterbury region offers unique activities we cannot find in any other part of New Zealand. Our list is designed to make sure you and your family have a great time over the holiday period.
Make sure you read right down to the end of this post to enter our prize draw for a FREE Family Pass at Willowbank Wildlife Reserve.
1) The Great Museum Santa Search is on at the Canterbury Museum
The Great Museum Santa Search is in full swing at the Canterbury Museum until 10 January 2010. Put your detective hats on and get ready to hunt for Santas hidden all over the Museum. The chase is back and better than ever! Go in the draw to win a great prize and get your entry forms from Museum Information.
While the kids are searching for Santa, the older ones can see a moa in a minute or spend hours exploring New Zealand’s rich cultural and natural heritage. Canterbury Museum is in the heart of Christchurch City, within strolling distance of the Botanic Gardens, The Christchurch Arts Centre, Christchurch Art Gallery and Cathedral Square.
2) Feed the animals at the Orana Wildlife Park
Have you heard about Orana Wildlife Park’s best-kept secret? They showcase fifteen daily animal feedings!
Get “up close and personal with the animals”; hand feed the Giraffes, see the Sumatran Tigers search, leap or even climb a pole for their food, meet White Rhinoceros in a face-to-face encounter, see the blistering speed of the world’s fastest land mammal the Cheetah and pat a Llama!
For those more courageous, participate in a unique experience called the Lion Encounter Ride. Ride the specially designed feeding wagon which travels through the African Lion Habitat for extremely close up views of the “King of Beasts” – an unforgettable experience not to be missed!
3) Bake your own Christmas goodies with The New Zealand School of Food & Wine
Popular demand alert for sweet gifts this Christmas! Learn to make chocolaty Christmas fudge, jewelled decoration biscuits and snowball truffles… and keep the kids occupied for a couple of hours! You will also find out how to wrap up Christmas gifts to make them look special.
Enrol now for Tuesday 22 December, from 9.30am to 11.30am. The price per participant is $40. Places limited, so hurry! The New Zealand School of Food & Wine is located on Victoria Street, in Christchurch, in the same building as Hay’s Restaurant.
Enrol to the Christmas goodies class here.
4) Don’t miss the family ‘Twilight to Dark’ Tour at Earth & Sky Observatory
If you are going on holiday in the Mackenzie Country for the Christmas period, you should definitely be thinking of visiting the Earth & Sky Observatory at Mount John in Lake Tekapo. The kids will love it!
The astronomy guides will take them to the MOA (Microlensing Observations in Astrophysics) telescope, where they will learn about what the international teams of astronomers study here. They will also be taught how they use these giant instruments to further our knowledge of the universe.
You can use a special solar telescope or solar glasses to observe the Sun in complete safety. Visit the 16″ telescope in a dome where you may see bright stars or planets if visible in the evening.
To gaze at the stars, enquire about bookings here.
5) Go Roller Skating at Alpine Springs Spa & Winter Park
Still in Lake Tekapo, get in line and roll on in for summer skating on roller and inline skates! The ice skating rink has been converted into a roller skating rink for the summer period. Lake Tekapo’s latest attraction is great fun for all ages!
Alpine Springs Spa also offers three adjoining main Hot Pools landscaped in local greywacke rock. They have been strategically placed on site to take best advantage of the wonderful views looking out over Lake Tekapo and the Two Thumb mountain range. The pool temperatures range from forty degrees Celsius to thirty six degrees, so you can sit back, relax and soak.
The best part of it is that you can enjoy until 10pm each night!
Roll on to the Alpine Springs Spa and get tickets here.
6) Hit the Hot Tracks in Hanmer
Hot Tracks is a very exciting way to get off road and explore Hanmer Springs for the whole family. Very flexible, you can hop on one of those vehicles for a 30 minute tours with on-road and off-road terrain. Don’t worry about heavy boots and jackets because the vehicle is fully water-proofed.
You won’t believe it until you have done it! The incredible all terrain ability of these specially designed Swedish military vehicles is unique; they can go anywhere, no matter the obstacles in the way. Don’t think your 4×4 can ever match where Hot Tracks goes, because you might be disappointed!
Enquire about availabilities for this off-road adventure here!
7) Visit The Giant’s House in Akaroa
Few of us have heard about The Giant’s House located in Akaroa. The Christmas holiday is the perfect occasion to pop down and meet Josie, the garden creator. The eyes of your children will shine and sparks as soon as you step in the garden. The Giant’s House is a very unique experience to delight small and big kids.
There are surprises everywhere in this glorious garden, from mosaic steps, an extraordinary sculptural wall mosaic and welded steel sculptures to other creations. Wander around in the colourful gardens of roses vegetables, citrus and flowers. Expect the unexpected at The Giant’s House! Akaroa is the heart of the Banks Peninsula and is a scenic 90 minute drive from Christchurch.
Get tickets here to delight your eyes at the Giant’s House!
8) Glenstrae Farm 4wheeler Adventures
Located 20 minutes south of Kaikoura, Glenstrae Farm 4 Wheeler Adventures has got what it needs to please everyone. This exciting 4WD bike experience and guided ATV tours take you through beautiful, hill-country farmland, with native bush & songbirds which no one else can access as it is privately owned. You will not forget the memorable views of the Kaikoura coastline’s rugged reefs and beaches; the farmland has even got its own seal colony!
The 4WD bike experience is suitable for people over 16 years old. The youngest can enjoy a guided ATV tour in the 8 wheel Argo, an amphibious vehicle. No experience is required and full tuition is given. Glenstrae Farm 4 Wheeler Adventures makes sure the tracks and quad bikes are always well maintained.
Drive at your leisure and enquire about bookings here.
9) See the kiwis at Willowbank Wildlife Reserve
You are a kiwi, but you have never seen one? Visit the kiwis in their natural environment at Willowbank Wildlife Reserve! During the school holidays, the Reserve will also be feeding fish, eels, turtles, otters, gibbons, lemurs and llamas, from 12.40pm to 1.45pm every day.
Willowbank Wildlife Reserve is a unique Christchurch attraction and a journey into New Zealand. It does not pretend nor wish to be a zoo. It accepts the responsibility and guardianship that goes with preserving and promoting wildlife conservation and rehabilitation within New Zealand. You are invited to watch, touch and feed the unique native wildlife, become friends with the farm animals and learn about the introduced pests that have influenced New Zealand’s bio-diversity.
Discover more about Willowbank Wildlife Reserve and get tickets here.
10) Join a Farm tour in Akaroa
The Akaroa Farm Tours is a must in the Banks Peninsula! The tour kicks off with a guided drive around the property with spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean. Visit the unique Paua Bay Farm and watch sheepdogs working on the steep hills and in the sheep yards. A sheep shearing demonstration follows, which should keep your children’s eyes wide open!
Learn more about the history of the bays and memories of days gone by and take a stroll through the garden with its mature native trees. The farmland will amaze you with its prolific bird life.
Rural life is at its best with Akaroa Farm Tours. You’ll all have a delightful time to talk about for long.
Enquire about availabilities here for an unforgettable 2.5 hour tour at Akaroa Farm Tours.
Giveaway: Win a FREE Family Pass at Willowbank Wildlife Reserve.
Thanks to the wonderful people at Willowbank Wildlife Reserve we have a FREE Family Pass to give away to our blog readers. Entering is very easy, all you need to do is:
- Follow us on Twitter and retweet this post by clicking on the Twitter icon below, OR
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The lucky winner will be drawn 7 days from the date of this post, so don’t miss out!
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Kia Ora!
Congratulations to Gareth from Christchurch on winning a Family Pass at Willowbank Wildlife Reserve.
Thank you very much to all of you for subcribing and sharing our new blog with your contacts. Keep in touch, there is much more to come!
Cindy
Kia Ora Cindy, you mention the Earth & Sky Observatory in the article. I did the Night time stargazing tour there and I thought it was brilliant. It was a highlight of my trip to NZ last September and October. I also did the daytime tour and found the Earth & Sky crew excellent, with very informative guides. I saw The Jewel Box cluster of stars that night and was blown away! I would definitely recommend a trip to Lake Tekapo and the Mt John Observatory. I would love to have the opportunity like you, to write about New Zealand. My blog website is at the top of the list of blogs on the official New Zealand tourism website,(The Jewel Box – Lake Tekapo) so I’m happy about that. Maybe I’ll get back there someday! http://tinyurl.com/y9e26vn Martina Mc Auley.