Auckland to Taupō: A truly wonderful family road trip

The great family road trip has been a privilege some of us have been deprived of for the past few years – who would have thought anyone would miss long car rides with warring siblings in the back seat; toilet stops ten minutes after everyone swore they did need to go and endless snack and ETA enquiries?

But it’s all back on the cards, and with renewed appreciation it’s time to load up the chilly bins, pack up the station wagon (including 28 ‘essential’ soft toys, matchbox cars and an endless supply of muesli bars and crackers) and hit the road.

If you’re looking for a North Island route to explore, Auckland to Taupō is a wonderful option and breaking it up with some overnight stays on the way there (and back) makes it even more of an adventure.

Here’s a personally tested itinerary that will work well for anyone travelling with their offspring. You can ramp it up or down depending on budget and timeframe.

Hamilton is a great place to spend a couple of days, especially if you have kids. Woodlands Garden Grove Cafe in the Woodlands Victorian Estate is well worth a stop on the way in – and while our teen and tween loved it, I couldn’t help but cast my mind back to when they were younger and we would have whiled away half a day easily in a place like this.

It’s a paradise for small people with a huge cricket oval, trolleys, a cricket set, giant chess and other oversized interactive games. The historic homestead next door is fascinating too, with fun dress-ups for the kids and a beautiful walk through the garden which can look almost Monet-esque depending on the season. Wander around or take the chance to sit down with a coffee (or a local beer or cider) while the kids wear themselves out.

Speaking of places where kids are well occupied, Waikato Museum in Hamilton itself – right on the banks of the river – is a cracker. Schedule a decent amount of time for this one because once you’ve got past the stunning waka and gorgeous galleries, your kids are not going to want to leave the highly interactive Exscite science gallery.

There is so much for them to do and they'll be thrilled at the fact that rather than telling them not to touch, you’ll be encouraging them to get all up and over everything. They’ll love the giant games and fascinating science experiments and you may even find yourself wanting to join in too.

Dinner by the river is a must. Older kids might like Mr Pickles (the food is outstanding) but there’s also fried chicken from The Bearded Weasel takeaway (closed for winter) just round the corner or Vietnamese from Banh mi Caphe also in the same riverside area – or pop across the road for the incredible dumplings from The Chilli House.

Again Hamilton delivers the child-friendly goods with a large amphitheatre style area for kids to free-range after dinner – with their Duck Island Ice cream in hand of course. Hamilton is where it originated after all.

Depending on your kids’ age and interests there are a few options before you leave Hamilton for the four-hour drive to Napier. The zoo will fascinate them with more than 600 native and exotic animals. Make friends with alpacas, giraffes, kunekune pigs, ring-tailed lemurs, bison, tuatara – and everything in between.

And of course there’s the glorious Hamilton Gardens – there’s a reason this incredible attraction has won international awards and while it’s always been fun for all ages, the developments of the last few years (like the Surrealist Garden) have made it even more attractive for families.

As you enter this area it's hard not to feel like you've suddenly shrunk as towering ‘trons’ - animatronic trees with moving branches – loom above you. The Insta tweens will love posing by giant doors, wheelbarrows and spades and the tromp l’oeil wavy floor at the entrance.

Hamilton is also a great place to explore by bike if you want to hire cycles and explore some of the bike trails.

Two days in Hawke’s Bay is great but there’s obviously plenty to do if you have time to stay five, or even a week. It’s such a family-friendly destination. If you are there in gannet season, don’t miss this incredible experience.

There are a couple of ways to do it but we went with Gannet Safaris Overland and were blown away not only by the birds but the jaw dropping Cape Kidnappers scenery on the way there. At peak time there are over 20,000 birds and unlike other colonies where you’re squinting from a fair distance, here you get within metres of the preening, dancing, swooping action. There are definitely some ‘characters’ and you will wish you spoke gannet after witnessing some of the argy bargy and – it’s an avian for sure.

Napier’s Marine Parade has to be one of the most family-friendly waterfront stretches in the country. The three-kilometre stroll includes a bike pump track, junior bike track, playgrounds for every age and stage, Bay Skate (a very impressive skate park) Sunken Gardens, mini-golf and the National Aquarium.

While away the afternoon exploring whatever takes your darlings’ fancy and finish it off with a whopping great ice cream, as you stroll back to the car. The options for dinner in the region are endless, and places like Mister D, Chan’s Chop House, Alessandro’s, Mary’s, and Hunger Monger will mean both adults and kids will be happy.

If your schedule allows, this is a great area to cycle. Hire from Napier City Bike Hire and Tours and head out to the vineyards if your kids are up to a few picturesque kms (stop in Ahuriri to check out the sea wall murals and grab coffee and pastries from Crazy Good).

If you’re looking for somewhere family-friendly, Church Road has a wide-open space out the back where you can grab a platter for you and some fries for them and stretch out on the lawn.

There are also museum tours with mannequins depicting parts of the history of the vineyard that kids might find entertaining. If you don’t fancy driving back after over-enthusiastic tasting, Napier City Bike Hire and Tours will even pick you up and take you back to base.

Either drive the 2.5 hours straight to Taupō or detour via the Mohaka River for some off-the-beaten track white water rafting. Mohaka Rafting Company (closed for winter) even does a float trip that will take kids as young as five, so it’s not just for older adventure-seeking kids. The scenery is truly stunning and the guides incredibly knowledgeable.

If you don’t want to do that, drive straight through and check yourself into Taupō DeBretts Spa Resort or Lake Taupō Holiday Resort as some of the most family-friendly accommodation in the North Island.

If you’ve packed a lot into this trip you’ll love staying somewhere where the kids can spend all day in the pool – and they will. Lake Taupō Holiday Resort even has a swim-up bar so everyone’s a winner.

There are so many options for your last day (or days) before returning home. One is the incredible world of geysers, hot springs, bubbling mud pools and some of the largest silica terraces in the world at Ōrākei Kōrako – kids will love the five-minute boat ride and walk around this steaming geothermal wonderland.

Or head out on the water with Taupō Sailing Adventures to see the Māori rock carvings with fabulous hosts Dave and Jess. If you’re looking for adrenaline, hit up Formula Challenge for a blat on the Taupō Karts or try the Rapids Jet experience at Aratiatia Scenic Reserve on for size.

Shooting through a narrow canyon and spinning around on the sizeable rapids will definitely elevate everyone’s heart rate, it even induced a smile from our surly teen. For free fun there’s always Huka Falls and the playground and naturally heated Otumuheke Stream at Spa Thermal Park. Watching the Aratiatia Dam release might sound like an odd thing to do, but you and your family will love it.

And if you’re eating out, don’t miss the doughnuts at Baked with Love, fish and chips at Grasshopper, or dinner at The Bistro or Two Mile Sailing Club if you’re looking for family-friendly options. The Taupō leg of your trip could be anything from a day to much longer, depending on what you’d like to do before hitting state highway one back to Tāmaki Makaurau.

Sure there’s a bit of whingeing and scrapping to be endured from the back seat but the great Kiwi road trip is a rite of passage and Auckland to Taupō is a truly wonderful itinerary for the whole whānau.

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