With kids · Christchurch · New Zealand
Christchurch with kids
Family-tested sights, a calm base and the practical details that make travelling with children easier.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Yvanyblog, Public domain
Quick answer
Christchurch is one of New Zealand's easiest cities with children: flat streets, free parks and playgrounds, wildlife parks and the hands-on Antarctic Centre, with beaches and the gondola close by. Top picks: Margaret Mahy Family Playground, International Antarctic Centre and Orana Wildlife Park. Families usually base themselves in Central City.
Key facts
- Family picks
- 8
- Best area for families
- Central City
- Rainy-day options
- 3
- Busiest months
- January
Best things to do with kids
Park · Central City
1.Margaret Mahy Family Playground
Opened in 2015 on the Avon riverbank and named after the Christchurch children's author, this is one of the largest playgrounds in the Southern Hemisphere, with a giant slide tower, water play, climbing nets and flying fox. It is free.
Bring a change of clothes for the water-play area in summer.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Kids
- Free
- Outdoors
Museum · Christchurch Airport
2.International Antarctic Centre
Next to the airport, where Antarctic programmes have flown south for decades, this centre has a storm room with sub-zero wind chill, a colony of rescued little blue penguins, a 4D theatre and rides in an all-terrain Hägglund vehicle.
Schedule it on your arrival or departure day, as it is a few minutes from the terminal.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Expensive
- Kids
- Rainy day
- Nature
Zoo · McLeans Island
3.Orana Wildlife Park
New Zealand's open-range zoo, on the city's north-western edge, keeps lions, giraffes, rhinos and gorillas in large enclosures, as well as native kiwi, tuatara and birds. Guided encounters and feeding sessions run through the day.
Plan your visit around the scheduled animal feeds and talks listed at the entrance.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Expensive
- Kids
- Nature
- Outdoors
Zoo · Northwood
4.Willowbank Wildlife Reserve
This wildlife reserve in the northern suburbs focuses on native species such as kiwi, kea, kākā and tuatara, plus farm animals children can feed. Evening guided tours give a good chance of seeing kiwi active in a natural setting.
Book an evening kiwi tour; the nocturnal birds are much easier to see then.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Nature
- After dark
Viewpoint · Port Hills
5.Christchurch Gondola
Cabins climb Mount Cavendish on the Port Hills to a summit station with a café and views over Lyttelton Harbour, the Canterbury Plains and, on clear days, the Southern Alps. Walking tracks lead along the crater rim from the top.
Go on a clear morning for the best chance of seeing the Alps, and walk part of the Crater Rim track.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Views
- Kids
- Couples
- Outdoors
Experience · Central City
6.Punting on the Avon
Punters in boaters and striped jackets pole flat-bottomed boats along the Avon (Ōtākaro) beneath willows and past the Botanic Gardens. Trips leave from the historic Antigua Boat Sheds, which date from 1882, where you can also hire canoes and paddleboats.
Choose a late-afternoon trip on a calm, sunny day; blankets are provided on cooler days.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- Couples
- Kids
- Outdoors
Garden · Central City
7.Christchurch Botanic Gardens
Founded in 1863 inside a loop of the Avon River, the 21-hectare gardens include a heritage rose garden, a New Zealand plants section, glasshouses and some of the country's largest exotic trees. They open onto the wider lawns and paths of Hagley Park.
Visit in spring for the daffodils and blossom in Hagley Park, or in April for autumn colour.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- Outdoors
- Nature
- Kids
Museum · Wigram
8.Air Force Museum of New Zealand
At the former Wigram air base, where New Zealand military aviation began, the museum displays restored aircraft from early biplanes to Skyhawks and helicopters. General entry is free.
Combine it with a rainy-day afternoon; it is about 15 minutes by car from the centre.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Kids
- Rainy day
- Free
- History
Rainy-day ideas
- International Antarctic Centre — Schedule it on your arrival or departure day, as it is a few minutes from the terminal.
- Tūranga central library — Head to the upper levels for a view over Cathedral Square and the rebuilding cathedral.
- Air Force Museum of New Zealand — Combine it with a rainy-day afternoon; it is about 15 minutes by car from the centre.
Where families should stay
$$$ · Best for first-timers, families, food lovers and nightlife
Central City
Inside the four avenues, the central city holds the Riverside Market, the Terrace bars and restaurants on Oxford Terrace, Tūranga library, the Art Gallery and the Margaret Mahy Family Playground, with the Botanic Gardens a short walk west. The heritage tram loops past most sights, and hotels range from apartments to new boutique properties.
- Good
- Walk to most city sights; Best choice of restaurants and bars; Tram and bus hub
- Watch out
- Some vacant lots and construction remain; Weekend noise around the Terrace
- Nearby
- Riverside Market, Christchurch Art Gallery, Tūranga, Botanic Gardens
Family travel tips
- Pair the International Antarctic Centre with your airport arrival or departure.
- Bring a change of clothes for the water play at the Margaret Mahy Family Playground.
- Sun is strong even on cool days; use high-factor sunscreen and hats.
- Swim between the lifeguard flags at Sumner and New Brighton in summer.
- Motels with kitchens and parking are often more practical for families than central hotels.
Day trips for families
- Akaroa (About 1 hour 30 minutes by car) — On Banks Peninsula, the harbour village of Akaroa was settled by French colonists in 1840 and keeps French street names and colonial cottages.
- Hanmer Springs (About 1 hour 45 minutes by car) — An alpine village known for its thermal pools and spa, surrounded by forest walks, mountain-bike trails, jet-boating and bungy at the nearby Waiau Ferry Bridge.
- Kaikōura (About 2 hours 30 minutes by car) — Between snow-capped mountains and a deep offshore canyon, Kaikōura is famous for whale-watching trips that see sperm whales year-round, plus fur seal colonies on the peninsula walkway and crayfish from roadside stands.
- Castle Hill (Kura Tāwhiti) (About 1 hour 20 minutes by car) — On the road to Arthur's Pass, giant limestone boulders scattered across tussock hills form a surreal landscape that is a site of significance to Ngāi Tahu and a popular spot for walking and bouldering.
When to go with children
The best months overall are December–March. January is the busiest, so book the big sights early. Weather by month.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Christchurch good for kids?
Christchurch is one of New Zealand's easiest cities with children: flat streets, free parks and playgrounds, wildlife parks and the hands-on Antarctic Centre, with beaches and the gondola close by.
+What can kids do in Christchurch?
Margaret Mahy Family Playground, International Antarctic Centre, Orana Wildlife Park, Willowbank Wildlife Reserve and Christchurch Gondola.
+Where should families stay in Christchurch?
Central City: The rebuilt core around Cathedral Square, Oxford Terrace and the Avon.