Jurassic Adventure on Opawa Road in Hillsborough is Christchurch's dinosaur-themed family attraction, where life-sized dinosaurs loom over an 18-hole mini golf course and adventure waits around every corner. Play a round among the giants, hunt for dinosaur bones in the Dino Dig, or take on the Raptor Run — billed as the world's first dinosaur-themed maze and hunt.
Beyond golf and digging, there's plenty to keep the family busy: dinosaur laser tag sessions, a ride-on T-Rex for all ages, Jurassic Jeeps for budding drivers, a bouncy castle and a retail shop stocked with dino goodies. One standout feature is accessibility — Jurassic Adventure is proud to be one of the only mini golf courses in New Zealand offering wheelchair access to the full 18 holes.
It's an outdoor attraction open seven days, including school holidays and public holidays, with family passes like The Big 3, school trips and gift vouchers available from the kiosk or online. Dino Dig spaces are limited, so booking ahead is the way to guarantee a slot.
Pull off Opawa Road in Hillsborough and it quickly becomes clear this is no ordinary stop on the edge of Christchurch. Jurassic Adventure is the city's dedicated dinosaur attraction — a place where life-sized dinosaurs tower over an 18-hole mini golf course and families can swap golf clubs for excavation brushes, laser blasters or the keys to a jeep. The team bills it as New Zealand's number one Jurassic attraction, and everything on site is built around a single idea: letting families step back in time for an hour or a whole half-day.
The line-up goes well beyond golf. There's the Dino Dig, dinosaur laser tag, the Raptor Run maze, a ride-on T-Rex, Jurassic Jeeps, a bouncy castle and a retail shop — enough to fill a birthday outing, a school holiday or any weekend when the kids need somewhere to burn off energy.
The centrepiece is the mini golf course, touted by the team as Christchurch's best, where every hole plays out among life-sized dinosaurs. It's the kind of course where putting competes with dinosaur-spotting, and the theming makes it as much a photo stop as a competition.
One detail the team is especially proud of: Jurassic Adventure is one of the only mini golf courses in New Zealand to offer wheelchair access to the full 18 holes. Every hole is playable for wheelchair users, which makes it a genuinely inclusive family day out rather than a token gesture.
If 18 holes isn't enough — or mini golf isn't your fancy at all — the Dino Dig hands you the tools of a palaeontologist. Each 60-minute session lets hunters search for dinosaur bones in a dedicated excavation tent, and because spaces are limited, booking ahead is the way to guarantee a slot.
For something faster-paced, Dinosaur Laser Tag runs 45-minute sessions of dinosaur-themed tag. Newer to the line-up is the Raptor Run, billed as the world's first dinosaur-themed maze and hunt — part navigation challenge, part scavenger hunt, and a natural fit for kids who like a mission.
The three pair neatly into The Big 3, a family pass bundling mini golf, the Dino Dig and the Raptor Run into a half-day of activities. A family covers two adults with up to three children, or one adult with up to four.
Younger visitors — and plenty of older ones — gravitate to the T-Rex ride, a ride-on dinosaur attraction open to all ages. Budding drivers can take a Jurassic Jeep for a spin, also open to all ages though reasonable driving skill is required, and the bouncy castle offers either a 20-minute burst of energy or an all-day pass.
Before leaving, the retail shop is there for anyone heading home with a new favourite dinosaur, and gift vouchers are available from the kiosk or online for those planning return visits. Schools are catered for too, with dedicated school trips on offer — a popular way to fold a dinosaur obsession into the curriculum.
Jurassic Adventure is an outdoor attraction open seven days a week, including school holidays and public holidays. Because Christchurch weather can have the final say, the team posts current updates on their Facebook page — worth a quick check before heading out.
Everything can be booked online, and bookings matter most for the Dino Dig, where spaces are limited. Face coverings have been required when entering the kiosk, and as an outdoor activity the site has operated under all traffic light levels, with distancing recommended during busy periods.
You'll find Jurassic Adventure at 239a Opawa Road in Hillsborough. Questions can go to [email protected] or by phone. Whether you come for a serious round of dinosaur golf, a bone hunt or just to stand next to a T-Rex, plan for a couple of hours outdoors and let the kids set the pace — there's a good chance the grown-ups end up just as invested in the final putt.