Blockhouse Bay Recreational Reserve

Blockhouse Bay Recreation Reserve is the big green middle of Blockhouse Bay in Auckland: five sports fields, sealed paths winding under tall pines, natives and autumn-colour trees, and a playground on the Terry Street side where a parent can use the fitness stations while the kids climb. Come for a walk, a run-around and a play in one stop rather than for a destination playground.

Equipment

Auckland Council lists two climbing frames, a seesaw, a slide and a small merry-go-round, with a swing set nearby that includes a colourful basket swing.¹ Photos show the play area on bark inside a timber edge, reached by a short boardwalk ramp, and the orange-framed swings standing just behind a block of four adult fitness stations; more exercise stations are spread around the sports fields on the eastern side.¹ The council rates the equipment for junior and older children. One parent found little to keep a three-year-old busy because of the height of the gear, so it suits confident climbers better than toddlers. The play area also has its own page here as Blockhouse Bay Playground.

Access and Inclusion

The playground sits on open lawn with no fence, and Terry Street runs close by on that corner, so keep watch on runners. Accessible toilets with changing rooms are next to the mobility parks at the Exminster Street car park, and every car park has accessible spaces.¹ The reserve is hilly; the main paths are sealed, though one reviewer rated some walkways poorly.

Practical Info

Toilets are right beside the playground on the Terry Street side, and one electric barbecue sits on the path between the car park and the playground, with picnic tables and drinking fountains around the park.¹ There are three car parks, off Terry, Rathlin and Exminster streets; gates open 7am to 9pm, but the Terry Street gates close at 7pm in winter.¹ Dogs may run off-leash in the general park areas but are banned from the playground and the fields. Deciduous trees shade the play area in summer.¹ The fields are busy with club sport, including the Bay Roskill Vikings rugby league club,² and one reviewer warns parts of them turn muddy after rain. Shipton Reserve, about 600 m away, is the next playground over if the kids want a change.