KEY POINTS:
Active dad
Skiing in the South Island or extreme sports and mountain biking in and around Rotorua might be obvious destinations for boys' weekends for active blokes. But Auckland also offers great ideas for action-packed adventures.
Start with that boys' weekend staple - paintball - at the Actions Paintball (www.actionspaintball.co.nz) course in Swanson then, when the boys are sufficiently battered, head further west to Tree Adventures (www.treeadventures.co.nz) in the Woodhill Forest for the ropes course, before hitting the road north to Snow Planet for a few hours of snowboarding or skiing. Back in the city, give the boys a taste of America's Cup match racing. Former America's Cup yachts NZL 40 and NZL 41 can be rented for three hours of racing across the Waitemata. (www.sailingnz.co.nz).
Once off the water, head up the SkyTower and either throw yourself off the SkyJump or meander around its high outrim on the SkyWalk for a little adrenalin boost.
Fishing dad
To add a little fizz to a boys' weekend away fishing, try heading out in a helicopter. Both Heletranz (heletranz.co.nz) and Helilink (www.helilink.co.nz) based in Auckland offer several different packages to transport fishermen.
Heletranz has a great heli-launch package, which includes a helicopter ride over the Hauraki Gulf to either Great Barrier Island or Kawau Island, where the boys will be transferred to the gorgeous launch MV Angie. Alternatively, Helilink's Fishing Odyssey package takes you to charter boats in the Far North before heading back to Great Barrier Island and then on to the Rangitaiki River.
Golfer dad
A boys' weekend away golfing can be a simple thing: clubs, boys and car. But if it's a matter of not wanting to do the organisation, there are several tours available.
Paradise Golf Tours (www.paradisegolf.co.nz) has a range of pre-packaged or design-your-own golf tours available to some of the best golf courses around the country. It has package deals that include play on courses in Taupo, Queenstown, Christchurch, Hawke's Bay or Auckland, among others.
The site has a Father's Day four-day Auckland golf package of two nights' accommodation at the world-class Formosa resort in beautiful Beachlands, plus two rounds of golf at Formosa and another at The Grange in nearby Manukau for $836 for two.
Gourmet dad
Boys who appreciate the best in food and wine could consider a group booking for the gourmet weekends run every three months at Stamford Hotel in Auckland. The weekends involve two days of cooking classes, demonstrations and tastings, culminating in a degustation dinner. The next is scheduled for September 20.
Around the Auckland region, two of the best areas to head to for gourmet indulgence are Waiheke Island or Matakana.
Must-dos on Waiheke include tastings and a meal at Cable Bay Vineyard, Mudbrick and/or Te Whau. Three of the island's best.
Matakana, north of Auckland, is awash in vineyards, including Ascension, Takatu and Matakana Estate.
But if the boys feel like a beer or two instead, the famous Leigh Sawmill Cafe is a short trip up the road in Leigh. The cafe buzzes with live music at the weekends, is famous for its pizzas and operates its own boutique brewery.
When it comes to eating, you can fend for yourself at Matakana Farmers' Market, otherwise Ransom Vineyard does great lunches and Cafe Sandspit, near the Kawau ferry wharf does a good brekkie.
Luxury dad
There's definitely something to be said for gathering the lads and debunking to a lodge for a little lazing about with a few drinks and a big screen TV - and where all those other add-ons such as the golf, the food, and the fishing are never too far away.
Carrington Lodge (www.heritagehotels.co.nz) and Kauri Cliffs (www.kauricliffs.com) in Northland have golf courses on their doorsteps and are close to all the great fishing, diving-type activities Northland has to offer. Carrington even offers skeet shooting if you're after something a bit different.
Further south, Lake Taupo Lodge (www.laketaupolodge.co.nz), at Acacia Bay is perfectly positioned for the fishermen and comes complete with a full-size billiard table for apres-fish entertainment.
