Traveling to New Zealand with baby/toddler/kids in tow? Here are some tips to help!
GENERAL TIPS:

One of New Zealand's excellent playgrounds for kids. We found one in literally every place we visited.
There are lots of playgrounds in New Zealand and they always seemed to be in good repair. We found one in every town we were in – no matter how small. We did lots of wine tasting during our trip. We were surprised (and delighted) to find many of them not only welcomed children – they had a collection of toys available for them to play with! Our daughter (10-months-old at the time) was warmly welcomed literally everywhere we went, including museums, art galleries, restaurants and hotels.
Diapers are called nappies. Strollers are called prams or push chairs (just like they are in the UK), but people usually seemed to understand what we meant anyhow.
FOOD:

Watties and Only baby food were available everywhere we went in New Zealand. Both brands offered organic choices.
DIAPERS (aka NAPPIES):
These were also widely available, although, much to our surprise, Pampers are not. We used the Huggies ones (available in boys and girls!) and had no problems. If you come from the US, it helps to know that there are 2.2 lbs to the kilo in order to figure out which size to buy for your child. Diapers were also available in the airport (just in case). The Warehouse – a cross between Target/Walmart/Carrefour and Costco – seemed to be the cheapest place to get diapers. They sell them in huge boxes, so would be a good place to stock up at the beginning of your trip. Again, these are pretty common, so it should be easy to find one.
ACCOMODATION:
YHAs (youth hostels) were very welcoming. They don’t have cribs, so if you’re traveling with a toddler/baby you’ll want to make sure to bring along your Phil & Ted’s Traveler (Travel Cot). Although the rooms tend to be on the small side, we had no trouble getting ours to fit and felt welcome. Hostels are a great way to save money – so they’re perfect for family travel! Other hotels were equally welcoming. Some did have cribs available, but it was still nicer to have our own.
RESTAURANTS:
We had no trouble taking our daughter to restaurants in New Zealand. We were warmly welcomed and no one seemed put off by our daughter. Most of the restaurants we ate at offered the use of high chairs. Those that didn’t have them available didn’t object to us keeping her in our UppaBaby G-Lite umbrella stroller. (Once again that washable seat cover came in very handy!)
TRANSPORTATION:
We rented/hired our car from Avis. They provided us with a car seat which they installed for us (thankfully!). The only hiccup was that we had to take it with us on the ferry. This actually wasn’t a big deal. Their representative helped us to remove it from the car and it was checked through for us without a problem, so we didn’t have to carry it on board.
The amazing nursery on the ferry from the north to the south island. Along with the cribs and changing area there was an easy chair for nursing and a sink and bottle warming area.
Been to New Zealand with baby/toddler/children? Please share your tips and experiences!
We’re planning a 2 week trip to New Zealand with a very active 16 month old and I found your tips useful and reassuring.
Which places were you able to travel to in NZ with your child in tow? Were you able to do many physical/ adventure activities with your child around? Any tips would be very welcome!
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