Kinmont Park Playground

A weathered timber fort and a wide, open lawn are what Kinmont Park Playground is about, in the Kinmont Park neighbourhood of East Taieri on the edge of Mosgiel, Dunedin. It is one of only seven old-style wooden play forts the city council lists across the wider city, and Mosgiel has two more at Willow Park and the Memorial Gardens.¹

Equipment

The fort is the centrepiece: a cluster of raised timber decks with slatted walls, joined by a railed ramp and ladders, with a long wooden slide running off one end. The council's asset register also lists swings and climbing equipment at the reserve. In our photo the fort stands straight on grass, with no bark or rubber surfacing, and the timber has gone silver grey with age. The deck heights and ladders suit confident school-age kids best; toddlers will want a hand.

Practical Info

The other draw is room to run. The fort sits at one side of a broad, mostly level field ringed by mature trees, with house fences along its edges. One visitor calls it basic but with plenty of space for a game of rugby or cricket, and reviews are mixed overall, from parents who rate it well for kids to others who find it ordinary. No shade sail is in view, so shade comes only from the trees at the field's edge, and we found no mention of toilets, so plan around that. For a change of scene, Doctors Park is under a kilometre away.