Addington Park

Addington Park is a broad, tree-lined sports field off Barrington Street in Addington, Christchurch, and its playground is a compact corner of bark chip beside the path at the edge of the grass. It works best as a picnic and a short play between errands: one visitor describes a picnic on the field followed by about ten minutes on the equipment.

Equipment

The council asset register lists one combination unit with a slide, two climbing walls, a climbing net, ladders, platforms, play panels and a steering wheel, plus a Supa Nova spinning disc, a solo spinner and a swing frame with four seats, two of them infant seats.¹ Photos show the unit's blue slide and yellow panels, the round Supa Nova beside it and a tall red swing frame set apart on the bark. The low platforms, steering wheel and baby swings suit toddlers and under-fives; reviewers call it small but functional, so school-age kids will get through it quickly.

Access and Inclusion

A sealed path runs past the play area with a bench facing the equipment, but the playground itself is loose bark chip, which is hard going for wheelchairs and buggies. No fence is visible around it in photos or aerial imagery, and reviewers say the field is a popular dog-walking spot, so keep little ones close.

Practical Info

The park has a public toilet and changing room building, but those toilets were closed when the council consulted on a community garden lease for the park's south-east corner in 2025, with the council committing to upgrade them.² A section of the park has since been leased to Te Waerenga Community Garden, and the toilet renewal contract was awarded in July 2026,³ so check they are open before relying on them.

This is a daytime stop. An earlier council safety audit reported by Star News found people felt the park was unsafe after dark, with thick planting along the waterside path.⁴ Reviewers also mention steady traffic noise from Barrington Street and the Southern Motorway, though one notes plenty of recent tidy-up work. A reviewer notes it is handy to Barrington Mall and a cafe with outdoor seating, and Simeon Park, about 600 metres away, has another playground if you want a second stop.