Raise your family in Whangārei

You'll be spoilt for choice with early childhood options for your children - with over 100 providers in Whangārei. 

The centres are smaller in size compared to larger cities, with an average roll of 40 children and with a mix of under 2s, over 2s and 0 - 5 centres.

There are 10 Te Kōhanga Reo centres, which offer total immersion in Māori language and values for preschool children, across the District. 

Whangārei has a fantastic range of kindergartens and play centres and there are also a wide range of home-based childcare options throughout the District, if you’re looking for something smaller and more bespoke.

There are 13 secondary schools across the Whangārei District to choose from including:

• kura (kaupapa Māori)
• single sex
• private and religious-led
• composite
• rural
• urban
• co-ed options.

Zoning applies to some schools so we recommend you check this before looking at accommodation and housing options as this may affect your schooling options.

There’s a wide variety of tertiary study options in Whangārei.

Local educational institutes include:

• Te Pūkenga Whangārei
• Te Wananga o Aotearoa
• the Developer’s Institute
• select courses from the University of Auckland are offered at their Whangārei campus.

Whangārei is also home to campuses for the International Travel College of New Zealand, which offers certificates in Tourism, and the NZMA, which offers study options from Electrical Engineering to ESports.

There are plenty of popular, family friendly events including:

• Whangārei Night Lights Festival
• Puanga Matariki Festival
• Whangārei District Council's Endless Summer Festival.

Check out our Events listing for more upcoming events, music, festivals and live shows.

Annual creative art events which are great for the whole family include:

• ArtBeat
• The Whangārei Sculpture Symposium
• Whangārei Heads Arts Trail.

Explore more events at Creative Northland.

You may also enjoy performance art with the:

• Whangārei Theatre Company
• Octagon Theatre
• Northland Youth Theatre.

ONEONESIX is a community space for original, innovative and unique forms of performance art.

National and international sporting fixtures are held at the Northland Events Centre, Cobham Oval and facilities at Kensington Park, including football, rugby, hockey and more.

We strongly encourage you to get behind the local Northland Taniwha Rugby team during the season!

Sports are important to the Whangārei community and sports facilities are found across the District, from the city centre to the smaller suburbs.

From karate to climbing, dance to diving, soccer to swimming, there are classes and clubs for a wide range of interests.

There are over 48 different sports with local clubs and associations across the Whangārei District listed on the Sports Northland website.

Multi-purpose recreational areas such as Kensington Park offer facilities for hockey, athletics, netball, cricket, squash and a gym.

The Whangārei Aquatic Centre offers swimming lessons for all age groups and abilities, including classes for babies and swim squads for the competitive swimmer.

The Kamo Sportspark is home to bowling greens, a playground and five club tennis courts, and is also where the Kamo Tennis Club runs regular events for juniors, seniors and women.

There’s also plenty of awesome weekend activities like:

• Heads Up Adventures
• Action Zone
• Adrenaline Adventure Park.

Check out even more options on our Activities page and the Sports Northland website - if you can’t see information on the sport you’re looking for, reach out to their friendly team!

With over 2,000 hours of sunshine per year and a subtropical climate, there are plenty of options to spend family-friendly time outside!

Choose from over 50 playgrounds and six skate parks across Whangārei District - you'll never be far from a free and child-friendly outdoor activity.

In addition to the playgrounds, there are more than 40km of urban shared paths for walking and cycling and 50+ walking trails in the District.

Enjoy a day at Kiwi North, where kids can see live kiwi up close. Many families visit the Kiwi house multiple times a year and take advantage of the beautiful grounds for regular picnics.

For those living near our beautiful coastline (nearly everyone!) ocean swimming, fishing, diving and surfing are popular pastimes. Local surf schools offer year-round lessons for youth and adults alike.

Another popular experience for avid ocean goers is a trip to the Poor Knights Islands, a marine reserve where you can snorkel with giant snapper and schools of trevally.

Weekends are a great time to head to the beach with your picnic, plus surfboards and boogie boards to catch a few waves. Or if you prefer to be on the water, lots of locals have kayaks, small runabouts or paddleboards to provide weekend entertainment.

All year round you'll be sure to meet plenty of other families out and about, enjoying what Whangārei has to offer.