Late last December, while we mums were frantically organising table- settings and gift-wrapping, a brand new playground opened rather quietly in the Sutherland Shire.
You’ll find it on Acacia Road on Sutherland’s north side. It’s not too far from the highway and next to the Bupa aged care development site.
The new playground is, in fact, the result of a land-swap agreement between the Sutherland Shire Council and healthcare provider Bupa.
It’s set back from the road but not fully enclosed, which given the playground is targeted at toddlers, may not have been the best choice.
In our two trips there so far I’ve already witnessed three mothers running after little ones who were headed out to the road.
The playground, though, is spacious and hasn’t been cluttered by adding too much.
It features:
- a baby swing
- a large round netted swing
- some logs for walking across and jumping on
- playground equipment that is designed for little kids to run up and down
- a small metal slide
- a climbing net
- a sliding pole
All of the equipment is set on artificial grass, and though this might be great from an environmental and maintenance point of view, the equipment (and the slide) gets extremely hot in the morning sun and offers very little shade. So if you’re visiting during the summer months, plan your trip for the afternoon.
Coordinated kids will enjoy tearing around on their scooters and skateboards on the path that borders all of the equipment and can stop for a drink at the bubbler if you forget to bring drink bottles.
There are no bins or toilets provided, though, so you may need to plan ahead.
For the active parents and grandparents, the park offers three pieces of gym equipment:
- a step-up bench
- a sit-up bench
- a multi-bench
So, assuming your kids aren’t making a bee-line for the road, you can squeeze in a little bit of exercise while you’re there!
And if you need some help enticing your kids to leave the playground, there are two convenience stores and a takeaway shop on the corner of Acacia Road and Waratah Street that offer some delicious reasons to head home.
Click here to read more of our playground reviews.
