Hawke's Bay Wine Country
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ATTRACTIONS AND FAMILY

Hawke’s Bay fun and fabulous for families

Hawke’s Bay is a dream destination for families: easy to get around, packed with sunshine, and loaded with experiences and activities that work for all ages (and energy levels).

With Napier and Hastings close together, you can build days that mix “big-ticket fun” with chilled-out breaks, beaches, parks, wildlife, hands-on learning, and plenty of places to refuel.

Hawke’s Bay is the ultimate playground for families these school holidays, packed with adventures for kids and adults alike. At the heart of the action is Splash Planet, where the Splash Planet Play Park delivers hours of fun with Tiny Town, the Splash Garden, Jungle Adventures Playground, Fantasyland Express Train, Wonderland Mini Golf, Flying Fox, Jungle Jeeps, the Merry-Go-Round, and even the fragrant Scented Garden, a perfect mix of thrills and imagination for all ages.

 

For nature lovers, Cape Sanctuary offers a family-friendly wildlife experience with rare native birds, scenic walks, and guided encounters that bring New Zealand’s unique fauna to life. While The National Aquarium of New Zealand brings kids face-to-face with penguins, stingrays, and turtles plus feeding shows.

For sweet adventures, Arataki Honey offers honey tastings, fun bee-themed experiences, and the chance to learn how honey is made from flower to jar. Meanwhile, active play can continue even on those rainy days, at Velocity Entertainment, with laser tag, trampolines, and arcade games, or at Time Zone, where racing simulators, redemption games, and fun challenges keep everyone entertained for hours.

 

The Waiaroha Heretaunga Water Discovery Centre invites kids to dive into the science of water, exploring interactive exhibits that teach about rivers, aquifers, and sustainable water use in a hands-on, immersive way.

The Faraday Centre is pure hands-on science fun. Kids can experiment with electricity, test their balance and reflexes, play with optical illusions, and tackle brain-bending puzzles. Every corner is designed to spark curiosity and make learning a playful adventure, and it’s impossible to leave without a few “wow” moments.

No matter what your family loves, thrills, science, animals, or just fun-filled days outdoors, Hawke’s Bay has it all this school holiday season, making it the perfect place to create lasting memories.

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