Your Family’s Best-Ever Winter Holiday
Escape the stress, escape the crowds, escape the drag of routine. Your family’s best-ever winter holiday is here in the Mackenzie, with loads of activities to keep the kids entertained and plenty of breathing space for the adults to unwind.
Here’s a few of our favourite activities for your perfect winter break.
1. Play in the Snow
Ski or snowboard, expert or beginner, the Mackenzie has two awesome ski fields with great terrain for all ages and skill levels.
Mt Dobson boasts the largest novice ski area in New Zealand, and the resort’s relaxed, friendly vibe will make you feel like a local. Roundhill is beloved by families New Zealand-wide for its range of terrain and facilities to ensure everyone has a great day out, from the littlest beginner to the most daring teenager.
Stay for a week and try them all. Stunning views, uncrowded slopes and family-friendly après-ski options combine to make this your best snow experience ever!
2. A One-Stop Winter Fun Park
For winter family fun outside the ski resorts, Tekapo Springs is your destination. Their famous hot pools stay open late, so it’s the perfect activity for all ages after a day on the slopes. Plus, it wouldn’t be winter without ice-skating and snow-tubing! Tekapo Springs is home to an outdoor international-sized ice rink, and the kids (and young at heart) will have a blast flinging themselves down a 200-metre ice ramp on an inflatable snow tube.
3. Explore a New Zealand Treasure
Every journey to the Mackenzie Country should include some time to immerse yourself in Aoraki Mount Cook National Park. Not only is it a beautiful and treasured natural landscape, but Aoraki itself holds awe-inspiring significance. Kids will love the Sir Edmund Hillary Alpine Centre, with its digital movie theatre and artefacts of famous adventure expeditions, as well as the excellent Department of Conservation Visitor Centre with its interactive exhibits of mountaineering, wildlife and other regional highlights.
4. Take the Flight of a Lifetime
You’ve gazed on Aoraki Mount Cook in the distance, but to truly appreciate New Zealand’s tallest mountain, take your family on a scenic flight and see it up close. Looking down on the rugged mountain ranges, braided rivers and glacial lakes of the Mackenzie is simply breathtaking and provides a new perspective on our amazing country. It’s an unforgettable story for the kids to share when they go back to school.
Wondering where to stay? Check out this great family accommodation: