📍Queenstown, New Zealand

After a long journey, this is exactly the soft landing you need — flat, shaded paths wind through native beech forest and rhododendron groves, with Lake Wakatipu flashing silver-blue between the trees. Arrive by 9:30am and the paths are nearly empty, birdsong the loudest sound around; by midday the benches fill with picnicking families. Let the kids run ahead on the wide gravel paths — there's nothing to bump into and frequent benches mean you're never far from a sit-down.

Linger at the peninsula tip where the gardens open to a 270-degree sweep of alpine water — this is the spot to unroll a picnic blanket and let the jet lag fully drain out of small legs. The lake here is often calm enough to mirror the mountains, and there's usually space to let kids splash bare feet at the water's edge under supervision.

Buckingham Street feels like stepping into a storybook — dappled light through century-old sycamores, weathered Victorian shopfronts, and enough flat, wide footpaths that a stroller glides right through without a hitch. Arrive by 9am and the street is hushed, just shopkeepers opening up; by 11am it fills with wandering visitors. Let kids peek into the old buildings' windows and count the historic cottages down the residential lanes — there's a gentle treasure-hunt quality to it that keeps small attention spans engaged.

Wind down the morning at the Arrow River footbridge, where the water murmurs below and mountain shadows shift across the valley — a good spot to let kids toss pebbles and watch the current before settling in for lunch nearby.

This is a drive built for small faces pressed against car windows — Lake Wakatipu unfurls in silver-blue sheets beside the road, beech forest rising gold and green on the other side, and The Remarkables looming ever closer with each bend. Start by 9am to have the pullouts largely to yourselves; make this a drive of frequent short stops rather than one long haul, since young kids do best with movement breaks every 20–30 minutes.

Find a beech forest turnout to stretch legs properly — this is a good spot to let kids scramble over smooth lakeside stones (with supervision) while the peaks reflect in the shallows nearby. Pack a picnic, since dedicated dining options are sparse along this stretch — better to plan meals around Queenstown or Glenorchy village itself rather than expect roadside food.

A fitting bookend — return to the same lakeside paths from day one, now familiar rather than foreign, for one last unhurried wander before packing up. Arrive early to catch the gardens near-empty and let kids revisit their favorite spot from the first day, whether that's a particular bench, tree, or stretch of shoreline.