Acland Park reserve and playground

Acland Park playground is a bold, rainbow coloured play space in Rolleston's Acland Park subdivision, with tube and embankment slides, a sand digger and a pump track next door that between them suit toddlers through to primary school aged children.

Equipment

A tubular slide and a junior embankment slide anchor the layout, with a play hut, a sand pit with a digger, a junior carousel, a rope swing and a basket swing rounding out the equipment. The surface is artificial turf. A half basketball court and outdoor fitness stations sit alongside, and the adjoining bike pump track suits scooters, balance bikes and BMX riders.

Access and Inclusion

The sand digger and junior carousel make the playground especially welcoming for toddlers, and the artificial surface with angle parking nearby keeps access straightforward for buggies.

History and Cultural

Acland Park was developed between 2017 and 2021 by the Avanda Group as part of a wider residential community, with the playground designed by Playground Centre and DCM Urban Landscape Architects. It was a finalist in the 2019 New Zealand Property Council Awards for Urban Design, and a family reviewer for The Seeds ranked it fourth out of 32 Rolleston playgrounds, praising the sand play and the fort.

Practical Info

The park includes a sheltered picnic area and on street angle parking. Selwyn District Council operates a smokefree policy here.