Newmarket Park

Newmarket Park is a six-hectare reserve in Parnell, Auckland, whose upper playground centres on a Roctopus, a large multi-limbed climbing structure for school-age children, set on rubber safety surfacing.

Equipment

The climbing frame beside the Roctopus adds a second big climbing challenge for school-age kids. There's limited dedicated toddler apparatus, and no shade directly over the equipment, so the rubber surface heats up fast on a sunny Auckland afternoon; a hat and sunscreen are worth packing.

History and Cultural

The park has an unusually layered past for a neighbourhood green space: levelled in the 1930s as an athletics ground, it became New Zealand's national football stadium from 1962, hosting international matches until a landslide in 1979 ended that chapter. The slopes were later stabilised and replanted with native trees.

Practical Info

Public toilets, a drinking fountain, picnic tables, and seating sit near the equipment, with accessible parking close to the toilets. A dedicated car park operates daily from 7am to 8:30pm off Ayr Street, and Newmarket's cafes and shops are a short walk away.