Equipment
Saint Omer Park playground sits on Lake Esplanade beside Lake Wakatipu, offering a family-friendly play space within a beautifully landscaped lakeside park. The playground provides swings (including options for younger children), slides, and climbing frames alongside the scenic shoreline. BBQ facilities, picnic tables, and seating are available nearby within the park, making it a popular spot for extended family outings. Weeping willow trees frame the lake edge, with their branches touching the water.
Access and Inclusion
The park is fully pram accessible, with paved walking paths throughout. Free parking is available directly at the park. The flat, sealed pathway network makes the playground and lakefront easy to navigate for pushchairs, wheelchairs, and mobility aids. The playground is free to enter and open at all times.
History and Cultural
Saint Omer Park is named after Francois St Omer, an early Queenstown settler and former mayor. St Omer and his son Frank transformed what was once bare land into the tree-lined lakeside park seen today, planting the weeping willows that have become its defining feature. Working alongside local chemist Lewis Hoptop, they established much of the planting throughout central Queenstown. Frank continued his father's tree-planting legacy and eventually left the park to the council. The park has since become a cherished community green space at the heart of the waterfront.
Practical Info
Free entry, open year-round. Restrooms are available within the park. Parking is free and plentiful on Lake Esplanade. Note that the stone and pebble lake edge requires appropriate footwear for shoreline walking. Queenstown Lakes District Council has a smokefree policy covering this playground. The park is within easy walking distance of Queenstown's central shops and restaurants.
