Matthews Park Playground

Matthews Park is a Kāpiti Coast District Council sports reserve on Menin Road in Raumati South, sitting next door to Kāpiti College and combining a small family playground with a year round sports ground that hosts cricket and touch through summer and rugby league and junior soccer through winter.

Park description

The reserve is in Raumati South, a quiet residential pocket of the Kāpiti Coast roughly 60 km north of Wellington and a few minutes drive from Raumati Beach. The site is dominated by the sports fields, with the playground tucked along one edge and a half basketball court close by, so caregivers can keep eyes on both at once. KCDC lists on site facilities as toilets, a water fountain, and a seating area, which makes Matthews Park one of the better practical stops in the Raumati South / Raumati Beach loop. Parking and bus stop information are on the council page but no specific bus route is listed, so families coming by public transport should check Metlink before they go.

Playground description

KCDC lists the play kit as a slide, swings, and a seesaw, paired with a basketball half court on a hard surface alongside. The mix is straightforward and best suited to toddlers and early primary aged children, with the half court extending the appeal up into older primary and tween age groups for shooting around or a quick game. Reviewers and the council page both note the playground is small relative to the sports footprint, so this is a sport plus play stop rather than a destination playground in its own right.

Peak hours

The site is busiest on winter Saturdays when the senior rugby league and junior soccer fields are running, and on summer Saturdays during cricket and touch season. Mid week mornings during term time are the quietest stretch. School holidays add a steady stream of weekday families, especially in summer when the toilets and water fountain make it a practical longer stop. With no significant shade structure over the equipment, sunhats and a morning visit are the kinder choice in January and February.

History

Matthews Park has been a long standing Raumati South sports reserve and the council page lists it as a vibrant, well utilised community space attracting locals year round. The Menin Road location reflects the World War I street naming pattern across this part of Raumati South, with Menin a reference to the Belgian town heavily fought over on the Western Front. The playground itself is positioned as a family friendly complement to the sports fields rather than a flagship play space.

Local context

The park sits next door to Kāpiti College and the Kāpiti Bears Rugby League clubrooms, which is why the senior rugby league field is here. For a longer family day, Matthews Park pairs naturally with Kawatiri Reserve / Tennis Court Road for a Raumati South loop, or with Marine Gardens Playground at Raumati Beach for the full coastal afternoon. The award winning Lorna Irene Drive Reserve, with the first wheelchair seesaw in New Zealand, is also nearby and worth the short drive.