Playground with children - Gore District
Gore District Council

Gore Family Experiences

The Gore District is a fantastic destination for a family vacation with so many activities to choose from it doesn’t matter how old you are or what you’re into! Here are some of our best insider tips to make your trip to Gore memorable with some great Family Activities.

Playgrounds can be found throughout the district. The most recently built playground is perfect for younger kids and can be found at Gore Kids Hub. Dolamore Park, just 12 kilometres outside of Gore, contains a flying fox, climbing ropes, and lots of area for kids to run around.

The Gore Bike Park on Richmond Street is a fantastic place for tiny ones to learn to ride a bike with its small size network of roads and stop and give way signs, offering a realistic setting to practice in. For the older kids why check out the Hamilton Park BMX Track or the continuous loop of round bumps and banked turns at the Mataura Pump Track.

SBS St James Theatre, Gore's bustling and electrifying cultural hub, has daily blockbuster movies, live performances, and a quirky snack bar. During the school year, at least two family-friendly films are normally shown on weekends, with more during the school holidays.

Bannerman Park

Bannerman Park was named in 1977 in honour of Mr R B Bannerman, whose foresight helped procure extra land for the park. Known as the Hidden Valley, the land was set aside in the 1870s but was full of gorse and broom until the 1960s…

Hokonui Pioneer Village & Museum

An agricultural and historical display park, the Hokonui Pioneer Village and Museum was established in 1977. It was founded by the people of Gore and Eastern Southland to protect the history of the local area. The main attractions…

Put your walking shoes on and head to Bannerman Park. This extensive gardens with a deer park can be found in the heart of Gore. Sealed pathways and shaded picnic tables make this a fantastic family destination. Take a family photo at the Gore Trout statue, then take a stroll down the Mataura riverbank. 

Come and experience the chills, thrills, speed and elegance of curling, ice hockey, speed skating and figure skating, for all ages at the Gore Multisports Complex. If ice sports aren’t your thing why not go for a swim or participate in a variety of other games such as archery tag, bubble balls, and soccer darts.

Hokonui Pioneer Village is a perfect destination for a family outing and a trip back in time. It's a favourite spot for youngsters to feed the ducks in the pond, and there's lots of space for them to run around.  An historic bank, a pioneer cabin, an early school, and a blacksmith's forge are among the historical buildings at the park.

Other Family Experiences