Annandale Park

A broad, quiet lawn hemmed in by mature trees and back fences, Annandale Park is a small neighbourhood playground in Ilam, Christchurch, set just off Maidstone Road in the streets around the University of Canterbury.¹ The few pieces of play equipment are spread out across the grass rather than bunched together, so little ones get room to toddle from one to the next.

Equipment

The council's asset register lists a metal swing set with three swings, one of them an infant seat, a plastic slide in the middle of the playground and a rope roundabout on the south-west side.² The swings stand over a wood-chip bed about 300 mm deep inside a timber edge.³ In the visitor photos we viewed, the slide is a short blue one with yellow rails, and two low red-and-yellow seesaws sit straight on the lawn. One reviewer sums it up as a slide, see-saw and swings, which is about right; the roundabout did not appear in any photo we saw.

This is a toddler-friendly stop for under-fives and early primary ages rather than a morning out. Another reviewer felt there was not enough equipment, and older kids may run out of things to do quickly.

Practical Info

There is no fence. The park is open lawn bordered by houses, with Maidstone Road along one edge, so keep an eye on runners. A sealed path with a street light crosses the reserve, a bench sits beside the swings, and the trees around the edges are a mix of evergreen and deciduous. We have no record of toilets here. One visitor called it a peaceful small park in a lovely neighbourhood. For more to climb, Montclare Reserve is about 550 m away and Bullock Reserve Children's playground about 700 m.