Aotea Lagoon in Papakowhai is widely rated the best playground in the Porirua area for equipment, variety and space, built around an artificial saltwater lagoon that exists only because a railway causeway once sealed off Onepoto Bay. The south end reopened in June 2025 after an eight month rebuild, so this flagship reserve is in some of its best shape yet.
Equipment
The northern play zone centres on a large fort playground with a boat, hut, spinner and slides, a senior multi play structure with a tubular slide, a gated toddlers area with its own junior structure and infant swing, a climbing rope tower, rocktopus, balance disk and basket swings. A splash pad runs from 9am daily in summer, and a pump track opened late 2023, funded through Waka Kotahi's Transport Choices programme. A fitness area with Kompan gear supports strength training for adults tagging along.
Access and Inclusion
The reserve is wheelchair and buggy friendly, just off State Highway 59. The 2025 renewal added a disabled car park alongside on street angle parking elsewhere. Other amenities include a petanque court, picnic and barbecue areas, and a hireable island reached by a short bridge.
History and Cultural
The lagoon opened on 22 March 1980, formed after the Ministry of Works built a railway causeway across Onepoto Bay by 1960, cutting it off from the sea. It was developed jointly by the Ministry of Works, council and local service clubs, with the Crown transferring ownership to council in 1994. The model windmill controlling the gates was a gift from Paremata Jaycee in 1981. The Rotary rose garden planted in the 1980s made way in the 2025 rebuild for a new lawn and events space, a Rotary built boardwalk and around 2000 native wetland plants, with roses gifted to Porirua Rotary and Whenua Tapu Cemetery. The Butterfly Walkway carries over 128 memorial plaques.
Practical Info
Public toilets, picnic tables, seating and the splash pad are all on site. Council's smokefree policy applies. Tree cover over play equipment is limited, though some tables sit under established trees. The lagoon adjoins the playground, so young children need supervision near the water.
