Butterfly Creek at 10 Tom Pearce Drive, near Auckland Airport, is a family attraction that combines a tropical butterfly house with a dinosaur park, farm animals and mythical creatures. Dinosaur Kingdom has more than 50 life-size animatronic dinosaurs, including a 24-metre Diplodocus. Other areas hold Buttermilk Farm, Kiwi Forest, monkeys, meerkats, otters and tamarins. The website says it has New Zealand's only saltwater crocodiles, and it describes the park as more than a zoo. Visitors can ride the train, use the free playground and eat at the café.
Birthday parties come in two packs, with a themed room, lunch packs for the children, a train ride and entry to the park. The park also holds Christmas parties for groups from 40 people up to 200, with daytime or evening catering. School and early childhood visits are welcome, and school trips get discounted group pricing with train rides, keeper talks and animal encounters. The website lists separate term-time and school-holiday opening hours, and the term-time hours are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. Our pick near the airport for a family day with dinosaurs, butterflies and a train ride.