Matatu Reserve

Matatu Reserve is a lakeside lawn in The Lakes, Pyes Pa, where Tauranga families come for the ducks first and the playground second. The play offering is small, a set of swings plus public toilets,¹ so treat it as a stop on a lake walk rather than a morning's destination.

Equipment

The council lists only swings here,¹ with no slide or climbing frame, and one parent's wish for a bigger playground sums it up. For more to climb, follow the lakeside walkway south about 750 m to The Lakes Playground on Caslani Lane, opposite the shopping village,¹ which has a mini flying fox and water play.³ Ngakumama Reserve playground is closer, a few hundred metres north.

Around the lake

The water is the real draw. Reviewers come to feed the ducks and watch the eels that rise for crumbs, and the developer suggests seeds, oats, peas or corn rather than bread.³ Reviewers also warn of a bad-tempered goose and plenty of droppings on the grass. Timber boardwalks and a long footbridge cross the reeds around the water, and Lake Taurikura, the 10 hectare freshwater lake The Lakes is built around, has no tides and is used for kayaking and paddleboarding.³

Practical Info

Public toilets are on the reserve.¹ The paths are flat and part of 20 km of walkways and cycleways suitable for mobility scooters,² so a stroller, scooter or dog walk all work, and reviewers rate it for a picnic or a quiet lunch. The lawn runs right up to Lakes Boulevard on its eastern side, so watch runaway toddlers. For coffee, The General cafe sits in The Lakes shopping village, across the road from the main playground.³