Family fun in New Zealand’s ski capital

With the growing popularity of multi-generational travel seeing grandparents, parents and their children holiday together, I had the opportunity to experience a multi-gen trip for the first time in Queenstown, New Zealand last month.

This picturesque city is popular with holidaymakers all year round, but Queenstown Airport is forecasting its busiest winter on record with about 785,000 passengers between July and September 2026.

And while most winter visitors seek thrills on the ski slopes as well as bungee jumping and whitewater rafting, adventure sports were not on my list.

The trip came about because my son-in-law, Jordan Kagan Gescheit, co-founder and executive director of Detector Inspector, a leading national provider of residential safety and compliance services, was attending a conference organised by real estate agency Barry Plant.

Held during the July school holidays to encourage delegates to bring their families, the conference program featured events and tours that included partners and children.

So Jordan, his wife Melissa and children Ava, 8, Oscar, 5, and Millie, 2, invited my wife Gaby and I to join them on the trip to help with babysitting.

Before leaving Australia it was agreed that parents and grandparents would enjoy periods of free time while also doing activities together.

Queenstown’s closest ski field is Coronet Peak, only a 25-minute drive from the city centre, and Ava and Oscar signed up for two days of ski lessons, while Jordan had a refresher lesson. Before long the kids were heading down the beginner’s slopes at ease.

Ava said: “I loved skiing and can’t wait to go again.” 

During the lessons, non-skiing grandparents can watch from the comfort of the mountain-top restaurant.

One of Queenstown’s most popular family attractions is the Skyline Gondola, offering spectacular views from the cable car as it heads 500 metres above Lake Wakatipu to Bob’s Peak. At the top is action on the luge track or time to relax in the cafe and enjoy stunning views. The gondola return ride costs $NZ69 ($A57) for adults and $NZ48 ($A40) for children, although family packages are cheaper. 

Queenstown boasts one of the world’s most scenic children’s playgrounds on the foreshore of Lake Wakatipu near the Queenstown Botanic Gardens. Known as Queenstown lakefront playground, there are rides, climbing frames and rope swings to keep kids entertained. And when parents want a coffee break, there’s the Boathouse cafe nearby.

Walking around the foreshore in the heart of Queenstown you see lots of families, many with toddlers and babies in prams. Free street performers attract crowds during the day, while many restaurants and cafes cater for families by offering kids’ meals on the menu and providing high chairs.

Travel bloggers and guide books such as Lonely Planet highlight popular eating places including Ferburger and The Cow, but be prepared for long queues, especially during peak hours. 

Many restaurants provide coloured pencils and paper to keep kids busy waiting for meals. Finz restaurant in upmarket Steamer Wharf went further and provided young patrons with crayons to draw on the paper tablecloths!

During the conference the hotel provided a buffet breakfast until 10am, which offered flexibility for our multi-gen group – some days it was a table for seven and on other days the grandparents dined separately.

Another popular Queenstown tourist attraction is the coal-fired steamship TSS Earnslaw, which has been operating on Lake Wakatipu for more than a century. Passengers can view the steam engine in operation, but most of the cruise across the lake is spent taking in views of the snow-capped mountains.

Gaby and I used a child-free day to take a 45-minute ferry ride to Walter Peak Farm and enjoy a leisurely smorgasbord BBQ lunch at an historic homestead. The relaxing lunch and return ferry costs $NZ219 ($A182) per person.

Our multi-gen group spent a day at Arrowtown, about 20 kilometres from Queenstown, travelling by maxi taxi. Step back into yesteryear in the historic goldfields town lined with cafes, craft shops and boutique stores as well 19th century miners cottages. All the family can pan for gold in the river after hiring equipment at the Lakes District Museum.

Among the cafes that are geared up for children in Arrowtown is Pavilions with a cubby house out the front along with toys and high chairs inside.

Any multi-gen holiday faces logistical challenges, but a family-friendly city such as Queenstown helps make it an enjoyable destination for all ages.