Free Things to Do With Kids in Tauranga

Mount Maunganui Main Beach is one of NZ's best, with patrolled swimming in summer, soft sand and gentle Pilot Bay on the harbour side for toddlers. The free walk around the base of Mauao (the Mount) is a 45-minute flat loop with stunning coastal views — easy enough for school-age kids and pram-friendly in parts. The fitter and braver can climb to the summit for free.

Papamoa Beach stretches for kilometres of free, uncrowded sand a little further east — perfect for a relaxed family day.

The Waikareao Estuary Walkway is a free, flat 9km loop (do a shorter section with little legs) with boardwalks over the water and loads of birdlife — a lovely, sheltered option on a windy day. Closer to the city, the harbourside paths and the Tauranga waterfront are free to wander with playgrounds dotted along the way.

McLaren Falls Park, about 15 minutes from the city, is free to enter and a magic spot for families — waterfalls, lakeside picnic lawns, easy walks and glow-worms after dark. Memorial Park's splash pad and the various suburban playgrounds give kids free water play and run-around space, and the harbour-edge Memorial Park pool area is a local favourite in summer.

Baywave is the local aquatic centre with a wave pool, hydroslide and toddler pool — not free but cheap and a brilliant wet-weather option. The Tauranga Historic Village charges a small entry to step back in time, and the central library runs free school-holiday programmes. For a free animal fix, the estuary and beaches are full of seabirds and the occasional dolphin pod offshore.

With some of the country's best beaches and coastal walks all free, Tauranga and the Mount make it easy to have a brilliant family day for almost nothing. Here's how a free day adds up for a family of four.