Queenstown with kids is not that great a city to visit because most of the activities and things to do are set up for thrill-seekers and older kids. Having said, it’s no problem taking them because there’s plenty to keep the little ones entertained and if you in summer, you can spend a lot of time hanging out at the lake front feeding ducks and looking for fish.

If you head over to Arrowtown, which you should, hire a gold pan from one of the shops there and go gold panning in the river.  A long long time ago the Arrow River was thought to be one of the most gold-rich in the world and some people swear they still find gold in there today.  I can’t vouch for that but a trip to Arrowtown is a must on any visit to Queenstown with kids.

I probably wouldn’t recommend Queenstown in winter with younger kids, it can be really cold and miserable but if you’ve got older kids, or kids old enough to ski, (say 4 yrs and up), then it’s worth taking them up to Coronet Peak for a day or two. If you ski yourself dump them at a ski school for half a day while you get yourself some proper skiing on the upper slopes or ski with them between your legs like I do.

Older kids can do the Shotover Jet if they’re over 1m, although they won’t be able to see much at that height if the youngest age for Bungying is usually 10 but check the websites for the most updated info.  Queenstown, and a lot of New Zealand, is all about the outdoors so get outside, stay there and get in the mix!

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