Holiday programmes, community news, events and opportunities

Parks and Recreation at the DCC is pleased to announce the opening of the Birds of the Town Belt walk!

Head to the Kōpara Loop Track at Jubilee Park, home of the ‘Birds of the Town Belt’ trail, to spot 28 hidden birds perched high in trees and tucked away on the ground. Pick up a map at the Dunedin i-SITE Visitor Centre.

DCC is also running a Summer Holidays Trail Photo competition - be in to win a pass to Lan Yuan Dunedin Chinese Garden or a Family Pass from Orokonui Ecosanctuary! Competition information is available here: Summer Holidays Trail Competition - Dunedin City Council

Dunedin Christmas Festival, a free, family-friendly event celebrating the festive season.

 Date: Saturday, 20 December 2025

 Location: Kensington Oval, Princes Street

 Time:

• 2:00–3:15 PM Festival activities
• 3:15–4:00 PM Community Christmas Carols and a Traditional Christmas Message

Festival highlights include:

• Free face painting

• BBQ and food stalls

• Bouncy castle

• Field games

• A few food trucks

• Carols and festive atmosphere

• Plus more!

Nature Hunts on walks around Dunedin and The Catlins 🌿

 Dunedin Discoverer - 8 Nature Hunts on walks up to 2km

 Dunedin Explorer - 8 Nature Hunts on walks 2km to 4km

 Catlins Discoverer - 6 Nature Hunts on walks up to 2km

 Catlins Explorer - 6 Nature Hunts on walks 2km to 4km

(See advert below)

Free coding classes for children 🖥️

(See advert below)

Community Christmas Carols Event 🎶

Event details:

• Date: 21st December 2025

• Time: 5pm-7pm 

• Location: Musselburgh Baptist Church, 131 Musselburgh Rise, Dunedin.

• Theme: Carols on the Lawn

Balmacewen Tennis Club Hot Shots Day 🎾

Sunday, 14 December

3:00 pm–4:00 pm

FREE for all local school students and their families

Registration Form:

https://forms.gle/zAZ7hSwD4sW5eEuQA

Cricket Holiday Programme 🏏

Otago Cricket is running two holiday programmes this coming January for tamariki aged 5–13. This includes a two-day Super Smash programme and a week long multi-sport programme. The attached posters include all key details such as dates, pricing, activities, and how to register.

This Christmas, tumble down a rabbit hole to The Globe Theatre for a bizarre, vibrant adventure.

Kidz Active Football Holiday Programme

Ages: 7-14
Focus: Skill development, themed days, daily World Cups, mini-tournaments, prizes, and loads of fun!
Activities include:

• Ronaldo Day

• Messi Day

• De Bruyne Day

• Bellingham Day

• Football challenges

• Score ratings

• Mini tournaments

Dates & Locations:
Before Christmas - North East Valley
• 18th, 19th, 22nd, 23rd Dec
• 1 Bank Street, NEV

After Christmas - North Dunedin (Northern Club)
• 12th-16th January
• 74 Butts Road, North Dunedin

Prices:
• Football Hours (9am–3pm): $55
• Full Day Care (8am–6pm): $65

Alice in Wonderland: A Pantomime is arriving in Dunedin with a thirty-strong, all-local cast,

including both seasoned performers and some newcomers to our stage. Ben Crocker’s madcap

script has all the usual suspects from Lewis Carroll’s timeless novels (the Mad Hatter, Cheshire

Cat, and more), as well as some rabbity additions – so you’ll be sure to see your favourites.

Wonderland owes its unique, eccentric sound to an entirely original soundtrack, with music

and lyrics by University of Otago alumni Penelope Hare and Tobias Devereux. With a variety

of stylistic influences, the thirteen songs are set to première on streaming platforms once the

production opens. Alice in Wonderland also features colourful set, puppetry, costume, and

makeup design from local creatives, showcasing the variety of talent Dunedin has to offer.

“Our key word is ‘magic’. Wonderland is such a dynamic world, so our goal is to immerse

audiences in that whimsy, to meet them in the madness. If we can offer people a moment of

genuine, childlike joy, we’ll know we’ve done our job.”

Although pantomimes are usually billed as ‘children’s entertainment’, Hare and Devereux emphasise that Alice in Wonderland has something for everyone.

“We’ve got a few cards up our sleeves, so to speak,” says Hare. “Let us surprise you.”

Alice in Wonderland runs from Thursday, 4 December to Sunday 14 December. 

Parenting Through Separation – Upcoming Courses
Free courses to support parents through separation are available online and onsite:

December: Online – Mon 15 & Tue 16 Dec, 6–8pm (both sessions required)
January:

• Onsite – Sat 24 Jan, 9am–1pm, Methodist Mission Offices, 258 Stuart St, Dunedin

• Online – Wed 14 & Thu 15 Jan, 6–8pm (both sessions required)

• Online – Wed 28 Jan, 10am–2pm

• Online – Sat 31 Jan, 9am–1pm