Rotorua is one of the best destinations for a family getaway in New Zealand! Our abundance of outdoor activities, geothermal wonders and natural landscapes makes it a super fun outdoor playground for kids of all ages. We’ve created an adventure filled itinerary for a fun weekend away in Rotoura with the family staying with us at Aura:
Saturday: With our heated outdoor pool opening at 8am it’s likely the kids will want to be straight in with a swim to start the day. Luckily we’ve supplied your room with freshly ground Mourea Coffee and local Volcanic Creamery milk so you can enjoy a hot drink while the kids splash around.
Grab some breakfast from Lime Cafe next door, they have easy takeaway cabinet food or a full breakfast menu, both delicious!
Activity Options:
Spend the morning out at the Agrodome experiencing their world-class farm show and farm tour. The kids will love getting up close and personal with the animals and seeing the workings of a NZ farm. Great in any weather! You can also grab lunch at the Farmyard Cafe where they aim to use as much local produce as possible.
Alternatively head up the hill at Skyline Rotorua and get stuck into some luge action on their fresh new tracks (2023). A great activity for all ages, the luge is a gravity-powered cart which you control and guide down the tracks yourself, (the little ones can ride with a parent). You could also try out Skyline’s other activities like the Zoom Zipline, Skyswing or their mountain biking park! We would also recommend Volcanic Hills Winery for the adults, wine and a view over the lake – perfect!
Lunch:
Try Eastwood Cafe in the Forest for some wood-fired pizza’s and a big area for the kids to run around or grab some takeaways from El Mexicana Zapata, the Rivers Catch or Ciabatta Bakery and enjoy back on the picnic tables at Aura. Check out the Aura information area for the latest and up-to-date recomendations from the team!
More Activities:
Wander down the Rotorua Lakefront and let the kids lose on the new amazing playground on our waterfront – the pump track and flying fox are not to miss. You can continue your adventure by taking the free scooters from Aura around the lakefront and through the government gardens, there are lots of cool stops along the way to see bubbling mud, birdlife and more playgrounds!
Dinner:
Walk across to Eat Streat – Rotorua’s dining precint only 250m from Aura! There are loads of great options to choose from, we would recommend CBK or Leonardos for the families, and of course a stop at Lady Janes Ice-Cream Parlour on the way home!
Sunday:
Head to another of our favourites in town for some breakfast, Aroma Cafe, tucked in just behind Aura, easily walkable & great coffee. Load yourself up to get some energy to head out to explore our beautiful forest!
Activities:
Head out either on foot or by bike and explore our beautiful forest! You can hire some bikes from our friends at Mountain Bike Rotorua or bring your own and explore some of our extensive trails – the kids loop, tahi and the dipper are great starters but you can read more on our MTB for Beginners Blog. Most mountain bike trails for kids start from the Waipa Car Park side of the forest but if you want to go for a stroll under the trees, we would suggest heading to the entrance on Long Mile Road, where the Redwoods Treewalk is located. There are lots of great walks from this side, the Mokopuna track is a great loop on that side of the forest, you can walk or take bikes!
On your way out of town you can stop into the 3D trick art gallery for a fun interactive indoors activity which has over 50 different painted murals of 3D design, and they are so much fun to play around with in the photos! Another great stop on the way out of town in aMAZEme, a giant outdoor maze with lots of fun extra puzzles and tricks to keep everyone entertained.
