Brooklands redzoned area

Brooklands Domain is a full neighbourhood playground still standing in a Christchurch suburb that has largely gone. Most of Brooklands, on the city's northern edge beside the Styx River and Brooklands Lagoon, was red zoned after the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes and nearly every house was bought out and demolished,¹ so the playground now sits among quiet streets, open grass and birdlife.

Equipment

The council asset register lists swings with a baby seat, a slide, climbing equipment, a seesaw and a flying fox. Aerial imagery shows them spread across one large open pad: a tower unit with a blue slide, a swing frame and what looks like the flying fox run along one edge; OpenStreetMap also maps a four-seat swing and the seesaw.² There is enough here for toddlers and primary-age kids alike. Beside the play area are a half basketball court with one hoop and a fenced tennis court, useful once the slides lose their appeal.

History and Cultural

Around 400 Brooklands neighbours left after the quakes. In September 2020 the Government handed ownership of 70 hectares of red zone land in Brooklands and Southshore to Christchurch City Council, which at the time had not decided the area's long-term future.³

Practical Info

Public toilets sit next to the play area off Anfield Street, with picnic tables and benches close by.² The playground is not fenced, but it sits well back from the road across open grass, and traffic is very light. Reviewers mostly come for the surroundings: bike rides around the lagoon and along the river, dog walks, fishing and wildlife watching, and the near-empty streets are popular with learner drivers practising their parking.