Raumati Marine Gardens Playground

Down on the Kāpiti Coast, this one’s genuinely worth the trip — and locals know it gets busy on weekends for good reason. The flying fox and miniature railway are the big drawcards, especially the train which runs on select days and has kids absolutely losing their minds with excitement. There’s also a splash pad, sandbox, climbing structure, and slides, so honestly you could spend hours here without running out of things to do. Pack a proper lunch because the BBQ and picnic tables under the shade trees make it easy to set up for the whole afternoon. And if the kids still have energy after all that, the beach is right there.