A family stay-cation style getaway in the big city

OHbaby! Editor Kristina Rapley rediscovers her love of the 'big smoke' with a family staycation-style getaway.

Sometimes Auckland gets a bad rap when it comes to family-friendliness. But it actually has some of the most iconic, kid-friendly activities in the country that you'll definitely want to add to your must-do list, wherever you are in NZ. Ticking a couple of these off was our family mission last month.

We moved out of Auckland in 2021 with the hope of a more relaxed lifestyle and flexible, remote-working arrangements (thanks Covid!). We’ve truly never looked back, although we have been meaning to take our now four-year-old back to some of the aforementioned attractions now that she’s older. It was such a fun weekend, which I reckon would be equally as fun if you currently lived in the City of Sails anyway. It very much felt like a little city staycation-style getaway, a chance to leave the housework and daily chores behind for a few days and soak up some family time.

STAY

We spent two nights at the Mövenpick Hotel in Auckland’s CBD, and it was perfect. It had everything you’d expect from an inner-city hotel, plus a few added extras (it is Mövenpick after all) making it ideal for a family-friendly stay. For coasties like us, it was so fun to be right in the thick of it in the bustling city. Mövenpick is right opposite the ferry building, so it has gorgeous water views out over the harbour. It’s also smack-bang in between Commercial Bay and Britomart Square, so there's no shortage of amazing eateries and restaurants (more on that later). The harbour views by day are stunning, and by night the twinkling city lights are spectacular, a real eye-opener for our daughter who hasn’t really been exposed to city life like that before.

While the location was a 10/10, it was those special little extras that I mentioned that made it really magical. Not only do kids get unlimited free ice cream for the duration of their stay, they also have a 24-hour 'dial a sundae' service. There is literally a dedicated button on your hotel phone that is a direct line to order a totally over-the-top, extravagant ice cream sundae to your room.

There’s also a daily 'chocolate hour' in which chocolate lovers can gather on the 13th floor between 3pm and 4pm, and indulge in as much chocolatey goodness as they can handle, for free! Miniature fancy chocolates, slices and cakes, ice cream, chocolate fondue and an assortment of things to dip in it – kidtopia! The bar is also conveniently on the 13th floor, so if chocolate isn’t your thing perhaps a tipple is the go (I can attest to this helping manage the sugar-high after chocolate hour). Mövenpick has quickly become my favourite hotel in Auckland, five stars from me!

EAT

Breakfast was included in our room, which was fabulous, but I did sneak out on my own one morning to sample Daily Bread which is right next door to Mövenpick on Galway Street, Britomart. This bakery and deli has a cult following among Auckland city dwellers and for good reason too. Great coffee, fresh-baked artisanal breads, delectable doughnuts and pastries filled with vanilla custard creams, and buns topped with nostalgic pink icing. The deli has beautiful fresh sandwiches, toasties and salads – I could go on but I won’t, just make sure to go sometime, okay?

We ate most of our meals across the road at the Commercial Bay foodcourt. This place is epic! As well as a bunch of amazing retail outlets (which are open till 7pm Thursdays – Saturdays), the food court houses a bunch of different restaurants all serving tasty and fresh fast food. There are seated restaurants and a bar too, but we loved the large communal seating area, so we could all choose our own meal from different places and then sit together. There were loads of other young families there, so we didn’t feel out of place. Whether you fancy pasta, burgers, noodles or dumplings, there is something to satisfy every craving or fussy palate.

PLAY

First on the agenda was the Auckland Zoo, and wow has this place had an upgrade since I last visited! New Zealand’s largest zoo is home to 128 species and over 2,900 animals, so it’s safe to say you can easily spend the better part of a whole day here. The giraffes, lions, cheetah and spider monkeys were our faves, and of course the new tiger cub Cahya was utterly adorable, well worth a visit to see her while she’s little. It was lovely to see so many families making the most of a day out, with many enjoying a picnic brought from home in the lovely grounds and green areas. The zoo is ever-changing and there is always something new to discover, so if you haven’t been for a while, I’d highly recommend a visit.

The next day we checked out of the hotel and headed straight to Kelly Tarlton’s. I have so many fond memories of this place (I had a school sleepover there in the 90s) so I was super excited to take our girl. Amazingly it was just as awesome as I remember, which is a hard task when it comes to childhood memories! It was great to show Tallulah all the century-old memorabilia and walk-through a replica of Scott’s Hut – that left such an impression on me as a kid. I was shocked to learn that the actual Scott’s Hut in Antarctica is still there and is almost perfectly preserved, remaining largely the same as it was in 1917. Anyway, back to the fish… you don’t just walk through the penguin enclosure watching them waddle around on ice anymore, you can actually see them swimming and darting around under the ice cold water – it was amazing to see what skilled swimmers they are from that eye-level.  

And of course the iconic escalator around the rest of the aquarium is still there and is as cool as ever. Once you’re off the loop and visiting the other displays, there’s heaps of interactive screens with fun games to play, which was an unexpected highlight. But by far the most fun was had (by all, I might add) at the new Art Aquarium, where visitors get to turn imaginations into reality! Let me explain… there is a room with a bunch of tablets and stools, and in a separate area there is a giant wall-to-wall movie screen with a vivid underwater scene on it. On a tablet, you choose a creature to ‘paint’ in your chosen palette, click 'done', and watch as it swims into shot on the screen for you to follow and see what they get up to! I’m not sure if my description will do it justice, but it was SO MUCH FUN, we stayed there for ages creating different characters and colour combos. It’s educational too, as you learn all about why these creatures exist in nature, the roles they play in the ecosystem and why conservation is so important.

A totally fabulous little weekend adventure which filled all our cups. Auckland, you’re alright!

SHOUT-OUT TO:

Mövenpick Hotel Auckland all.accor.com
Auckland Zoo aucklandzoo.co.nz
SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton’s kellytarltons.co.nz