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Traveling with little humans can mean a lot of extra planning and packing. Trying to find child friendly activities in a new town can be challenging. Baby’s and older children are all very different and can tolerate different levels of daily activity or lack of. So, hear goes, coming from a local mumma who shudders at the idea of strapping my one year old into his car seat for a full day of sightseeing, here are a few ideas for activities to do in Te Anau with young children.
Local short walks.
Te Anau and Fiordland has an abundance of short walks ranging from leisurely to a little more challenging. My favourite is to park up at the control gates and head out on the Kepler track towards Dock bay.
Bird Park.
Head down to the local bird sanctuary and join the Takahe feeding every morning at 10.30am. With a huge variation of native NZ bird species, the kids will love the leisurely walk around the enclosures right on the lake side.
Trout Observatory.
Just a $2 donation per person will get you into one of our longest standing attractions. Rainbow and Brown trout can be seen in abundance. Located across the road from the Fiordland DOC centre, look out for the sign.
Stay at Getaway Te Anau.
Come and stay at Getaway Te Anau. The jumping pillow, pirate themed playground and games room with keep the kids busy on sunny, snowy or wet days!
Glow worm caves.
Take a cruise over Lake Te Anau to a world of underground beauty. Ask the Getaway Te Anau reception about departure times, we are more than happy to help make any bookings, we also have discounts available for our guiests.
Lion’s Park.
Located on the lakefront just a 2 minute walk from Getaway Te Anau you will find an awesome playground, great for any age. Yes, that means you can have a go on the flying fox! Also a perfect spot for a picnic.
Cinema.
Check out the weekly Fiordland cinema timetable. They generally run a kid’s film during the day and a feature film later at night.
Mini Golf.
Great for kids with a competitive side. There’s no way I’d ever let my brother beat me at a round of mini golf!
Relax with a Hot chocolate.
If it’s warm out, head down to the Sandfly café, they have great coffe and don’t hold back on the marshmallows on your hot chocolate or fluffy! They have a great outside area to watch the world go by.
Feeling the cold? Head over to the Wapati Bakery, they have a great indoor area for the kids with toys galore.
F & C at the lake.
Head to the Te Anau Dairy to grab some fish and chips and picnic on the lake as the sun goes down. Doesn’t get much better!
Bike hire.
Getaway Te Anau has bikes of all sizes for guests of the park. Head into reception and talk to one of the lovely reception staff about hiring some bikes. If you’re looking for something challenging head over to the Lake 2 Lake track or simply along the lake front.
