Lately, there have been a heap of playground upgrades to keep up with and somehow we missed that the Berrima St Reserve renewal at Heathcote was recently completed. Being that it’s in a bit of a less-travelled location, we figured maybe some of you did too, or at least, still haven’t had time to check it out.
If you’re looking for a peaceful playground though, it’s worth a visit.
Set back from the corner of Berrima St and Blue Bell Rd, you won’t have any trouble getting on-street parking in this quiet location.
Thankfully it is a low-traffic spot, as the fence around the playground doesn’t go all the way around.
While this playground has been promoted elsewhere as suitable for ages 2-12, we think you’d be pushing it to find anything here that will interest kids over 8.
That said, there’s plenty here for younger kids to enjoy.
Kids who love climbing will be wrapped with the numerous ladders and climbing wall on the playground’s main structure. My three-year-old daughter fell from almost the top of the climbing wall but mercifully, thanks to the synthetic turf that covers the entire playground, after a few tears from the scare she was completely unaffected.
The main structure also features a medium-sized slide, sliding pole, balance ropes, a small window for playing shop, a steering wheel and binoculars.
There are wooden stumps scattered around the edges of the playground and more stepping blocks beside the low balance beam.
You’ll find a support swing for babies, standard swing for bigger kids and a large round netted swing for multiple kids to play on at once.
There’s a stand-and-spin and also a cool tandem see-saw, which four kids can ride at a time. When they’re sick of all the play equipment they can ride their scooters or bikes on the dinky path encircling the playground instead.
We visited in the middle of the day and the large triangle shade cloth was providing shade to about half the playground and there are not too many large shady trees around, so come summer you’re probably best off to visit early in the morning.
Unfortunately, there’s nowhere right near the reserve to grab coffee or lunch, but if you’re desperate, there are shops near the highway only a few minutes away that will satisfy your cravings.
There’s room enough to set up a picnic blanket and kick a ball around if you choose to, but there’s only one bench seat and no toilets or bin have been provided.
Still playground hunting? Have a browse through some of our other Sutherland Shire playground reviews.
