Looking for a simple, affordable way to make family memories this weekend?
We've created three family adventures by train that combine the excitement of the new City Rail Link tunnels and stations (now open) with playgrounds and imaginings for the kids along the way.
With free weekend travel for children under-12 and new journey options, it's never been easier to get out and explore.
Take the Auckland Rapid Transit (ART) network, discover our re-energised urban neighbourhoods, and watch every stop spark a new adventure. Use the AT Journey Planner app to keep the day running smoothly.
E‑W LINE
Start with some epic action at Hayman Park’s playground. Climb everything. Create slide challenges. Try it all.
Once the kids have burnt off some energy, slow the pace and explore Manuk-kau Noa Iho Hayman Park, following new paths along the edge of a healthier, restored Puhinui Stream.
Then head to nearby Manukau Station. Jump off the train when it arrives at Ōtāhuhu Station and wander to much-loved food spot: Ōtāhuhu Food City. Pick something new. Quick bites, big smiles.
Next stop Sylvia Park Station. Switch to indoor explorer mode, and see the kids invent secret missions, walking lap challenges and a race to see who’s first to find something red.
All aboard the train to Ōrākei Station. Who’s first to spot birds and boats when you see the sea? Run or scoot ‘there and back’ along boardwalks fringing Hobson Bay and Ōrākei Basin. Feel the fresh sea breeze.
Jump aboard the train again and feel like you are gliding across the water towards the Waitematā Harbour.
Now for the prize. The train will head into the new City Rail Link tunnels. Spot New Zealand’s longest underground platform as you pass through Te Waihorotiu Station.
Arrive at sparkling Karanga‑a‑Hape Station. This might be the longest escalator the kids have ever seen. Learn about the art you see in the ceilings by clicking QR codes and reading the story to the kids. Wander through St Kevin’s Arcade to Myers Park playground.
Explore twisty, leafy paths in the park, find the cutest artworks prompting thoughts about care for our environment, explore one of the most colourful and creative playgrounds ever, and choose something else from this ten-stop walk in Karangahape Road.
Head home the way you came, or change it up and take a new way home!
Come visit the beautiful Hayman Playground which is right next to the Manukau Station.
S‑C LINE
Jump aboard at Papakura Station and ride the train to your first stop at Puhinui Station, ready for some energy-busting play.
Take a short scoot or walk from the station to the ultimate play-zone in Old Papatoetoe. If you google ‘Papatoetoe Town Hall’ the new laneway and mural will lead you to the spot.
Once the kids are exhausted, hit the tracks again and ride a train to Grafton Station.
The vast green manicured spaces of Auckland Domain are a short walk from the station. Roll or run down hills, wander forest-like paths, and get the biggest ‘wow’ moment of the day for your budding plant magicians at the beautiful Windergarden glasshouses.
Now for the jackpot. You’ll head into the new City Rail Link tunnels, see the deepest underground platform at Karanga-a-Hape Station and then go one more stop and disembark at the biggest and busiest new station: Te Waihorotiu.
Have you seen the Horotiu artwork in the heart of the Auckland City Centre?
Learn about the art you see in the ceilings of the station by clicking QR codes and reading the words to the kids. Once you ascend the escalators into daylight grab some street snacks, look up at the Sky Tower and spot Victoria’s Street’s epic new artworks Horotiu - a giant bronze longfin eel – and Wāhine welcoming you to midtown.
Choose one more activity from this ten-stop walk in midtown, and for the grande finale travel one more stop towards the sea and disembark at Waitemata Station.
This station is a game of two halves – one exit is a century-old jewel of Auckland’s past, and the other is an ultra-modern glass box. Explore them both, grab an icecream, watch boats glide by from a wooden bench at Te Wānanga, and choose a final treat from this top-ten list.
Head home the way you came or discover a new way home, now that you have mastered the art of the network!
O‑W LINE
Pack a ball in the backpack to throw or kick around. Starting out west, step aboard a train at Henderson Station.
Arrive at New Lynn Station and watch the kids spy weird and wonderful art and funky shapes in the station and village square. They’ll jump, balance and climb everything. See who’s first to find five colours, before the next train beckons.
Jump back on a train. Next stop Kingsland Station. Head to Nixon Park and unpack the ball, ready to play on the grassy bank. Slide, climb, swing, repeat, before the family sits down for a well-earned picnic recharge.
Now for some city centre magic. Step on the next train and ride to another masterpiece of stations: Maungawhau Station.
Learn about the art you see on the soaring basalt wall by clicking QR codes and reading the words out loud. Before you do, see who can guess what the red triangles mean.
If you arrive on a Sunday, be sure to visit the new Maungawhau Market - a vibrant new destination where great food, local produce, creativity and community come together at the station.
If the family’s still up for it, scoot, cycle or walk through Basque Park and ride along the famous pink lightpath – Te Ara I Whiti – high above a busy, traffic-filled motorway. The kids will have a story to tell at school on Monday.
Take a local bicycle and ride along the illuminated Te Ara Whiti Lightpath.
Last stop – if there’s a game on or even if there isn’t – Penrose Station. Invent some funny family drills, play a pretend game, pass, kick, celebrate goals. Feel like a pro. Or watch some real live action at Go Media Stadium.
Head home the way you came or create a new journey, now that you are seasoned travellers on the network!
Here are the new routes [PDF 1.69 MB] – the new way to get around Tāmaki Makaurau.
FAMILY WHISTLESTOP MAGIC
- 20–30 mins between stops = sweet spot (no meltdowns!)
- Scooters = instant upgrade to epic
- Small ball = fun anywhere
- Treats = motivation boosters
- Train rides = part of the adventure