Awataha Reserve

Two bright yellow slides off a tall roofed tower are the first thing you see at Awataha Reserve, a small neighbourhood playground on Awataha Crescent in The Lakes, Pyes Pa, Tauranga. It sits on the corner of a council reserve of about 3,000 square metres that runs into a much bigger lawn with a looping path down towards the Kopurererua Stream.¹

Equipment

The main tower has a long enclosed tube slide on one side and an open wavy slide on the other, reached by a ladder, so it suits kids who are steady climbers. Beside it is a lower roofed toddler unit with its own short slide and a bead-counting panel, and one visitor singles out that small slide as just right for little kids. The council asset register also lists swings and a spring rocker. Everything stands on loose bark chip, and large flat-topped boulders ring the play area as informal seats.

Practical Info

There is no shade at all yet. The trees planted across the reserve are still young, so on a summer afternoon the slides heat up in full sun. Bring hats and come early or late. No fence shows in the photos or the aerial, and Awataha Crescent runs right alongside the play area, so keep a close eye on runners. Parking is on the street, and the open grass and path behind make it easy to add a walk or a scooter loop. One visitor called it a nice secluded spot, and it feels like a playground built for the surrounding streets rather than a destination.

Older kids after more will find Orangapani Reserve, with its pump track and half court, about 300 metres away, and The Lakes Playground at Caslani Reserve, known for its 40 metre flying fox, around half a kilometre off.²