Tree Adventures

Last weekend we went out to Tree Adventures for a birthday party, and I am so glad we discovered this place in Woodhill Forest in far west Auckland. It took us just shy of an hour to make the trek on a Saturday morning from the eastern bays, so this is definitely a day trip activity and something that requires a little bit of forethought. Tree Adventures is a treetop-zip line-canopy obstacle course all in one, and there are options for people ages 5 and up and with progressively more challenging courses for older and taller people.

It is essential to book online ahead of time as this place is popular. When you arrive, the staff fits everyone with an appropriately sized harness and helmet and gives an extensive safety briefing. To be fair, there are two carabiners and a zip line attachment on each harness, and it took our group a little bit of time to figure out how all of the equipment worked, how to clip in and out safely, and how to store the gear not in use so they didn’t drag things around on the ground. The most difficult part of Tree Adventures was keeping a group of eight year old boys focused on the safety briefing, but asking an eight year old boy to focus on something kind of boring for half an hour is a big ask.

After the briefing, they were let loose to explore the first four courses - the ones most appropriate for their age group. They spent a good two hours making their way through the mid-air courses and zip lines, and every kid was able to successfully complete every obstacle. For older people, there are an additional six courses available. (Prices range from $22 for a one course kiddie option up to $50 for the full experience.)

Most surprisingly, after climbing and some birthday cake, the kids had just as much fun running around the woods, building some make-shift forts, and generally going a little feral and Lord of the Flies. The staff didn’t mind at all, and the fun only ended when the parents started plucking their child out of the games to go home (it was a trek after all.)

For active kids who need to burn energy, this place gets two enthusiastic thumbs up. It is worth the drive time to enjoy the fun in the trees.