Nature Play Area

The Nature Play Area is an informal, unstructured play space within Queens Park, Invercargill's historic 81-hectare green heart. Set near the park's aviary and stumpery, it offers a deliberately different experience from conventional playgrounds, emphasising exploration and connection with natural materials over fixed equipment.

Equipment

The Nature Play Area is built from recycled logs, mulch, sticks, and loose natural materials rather than manufactured play structures. Children are encouraged to climb, balance, jump, and dig using these organic elements. The surrounding plantings form additional shapes and spaces that extend the usable area. This unstructured nature play supports creativity, risk-taking, and sensory development in ways that fixed equipment cannot.

Access and Inclusion

Queens Park features wheelchair-friendly paths throughout, and multiple entry points including the heritage Feldwick Gates on Gala Street. The Nature Play Area is accessible from the internal footpath network within the park. Free parking is available at surrounding lots, and the park is open daily from dawn to dusk.

History and Cultural

Queens Park was laid out in 1857 by Chief Surveyor John Turnbull Thomson as part of the original plan for Invercargill, founded in 1856. The park spans 200 acres, bounded by Queens Drive, Kelvin Street, Gala Street, and Herbert Street. The Nature Play Area is a more recent addition, promoted by local education and active recreation advocates to reconnect children with unstructured outdoor play. The park also contains an animal reserve, aviary, botanical gardens, golf course, and the site of the Southland Museum and Art Gallery (currently being rebuilt).

Practical Info

Queens Park is free to enter and open daily from dawn to dusk. Free parking is available at surrounding lots, and cafes within the park provide refreshments. The Nature Play Area is smokefree as part of the wider Queens Park smokefree policy.