Queenspark Reserve

Queenspark Reserve is a pine-dotted neighbourhood park in Parklands, Christchurch, where a small playground shares the ground with sports fields, a nine-hole disc golf course and mountain bike tracks through the trees. It suits a family split between little ones who want the swings and older kids who want to roam.

Equipment

The council's asset register lists a play fort, a slide and a tunnel slide, a climbing net, a spring rocker, a boat play piece and several low obstacle elements, plus a swing set with four seats, two of them infant seats.¹ That mix leans towards toddlers and under-fives, with enough climbing to keep a five or six year old busy for a while.

History and Cultural

In 2023 the council asked locals to help choose replacement equipment, saying the old play space had reached the end of its useful life. The new playground was planned for the same spot, with some vegetation at the front of the park cleared so it is easier to see into, and some park furniture upgraded.² A Google reviewer notes that the new playground has since been put in.

Practical Info

The reserve sits on rolling old sand-dune ground under mature pines, behind Burwood Hospital and about 2 km from the beach.³ The disc golf course is a short, beginner-friendly nine holes, and the park is quiet for the most part apart from dog walkers.⁴ Reviewers also rate the bike tracks that undulate through the trees. There are no toilets or drinking water at the reserve, so bring what you need.⁴ One reviewer wishes for a coffee cart while morning sport is on, and another mentions patchy grass on the sports fields.

Queenspark Te Hua Mānuka school is next door, and Royal Park Reserve is a few minutes' walk away if you want a second playground on the same outing.