Seabreeze Park

Seabreeze Park is a small lawn reserve on the ocean side of Pukehina Parade, where the swings face straight out over the dunes to the sea. This little Pukehina Beach playground in the Western Bay of Plenty suits a short stop with toddlers, with toilets on site and easy access over the dunes to the sand.

Equipment

The play gear is modest and aimed at the very young. A timber swing frame with two bays holds a belt swing and a baby bucket swing, set in a loose chip bed with timber edging. A second bed beside it holds a two-seat spring rocker. That is the lot, so under-fives get the most out of it; one visitor describes the equipment as minimal, while another singles out the swings.

Practical Info

A block toilet painted with a large octopus mural sits at the landward end of the reserve, and reviewers mention the toilets too. Two wooden picnic tables are set out on the grass, one right at the dune edge. There are no trees over the play beds and no fence around them: neighbours' timber fences line both sides and a rope and post edge runs across the front. One reviewer recommends coming first thing for the sunrise over the water, and on a clear day Whakaari / White Island can be seen out to sea.¹

The surf beach has strong currents in places,¹ and volunteer lifeguards patrol it seven days a week in summer, so swim between the flags.² For calmer paddling, the sheltered estuary is on the other side of the peninsula.³

For more to climb, Maramarua Park, about 600 metres along the Parade, has a flying fox, and Midway Park, under 2 km away, has a pirate ship playground with a skate ramp and pump track.²