Styx River Conservation Reserve

Styx River Conservation Reserve in Redwood, Christchurch, pairs a big timber playground with what the council calls one of the best examples of an active spring, a pool you can sit beside and watch bubbling up out of the ground.¹ The playground sits near the east end of the reserve off Willowview Drive, and a riverside track links it to the springs.

Equipment

The wooden playground has a double flying fox, a multi-play structure, roundabout, balancing logs, rope bridge and swings.¹ The council asset register adds a seesaw, slide, baby swing and water play, and the council's own list of top Christchurch playgrounds mentions a water pump.² Stony and smooth tracks loop around the play area for scooters, small bikes and running laps.¹ With a baby swing at one end of the range and a double flying fox at the other, it suits toddlers through to confident primary schoolers.

The springs and the river

A walking track follows the Styx River (Pūharakekenui)³ from the playground to the springs, past ponds and native planting; allow about 30 minutes there and back.¹ The spring rises in a pool about three metres wide, ringed by tiered seating under a sculptural canopy that echoes flax fronds.¹ Reviewers rate it as a calm spot to sit and watch the water, though a few mention rubbish dumped in the reserve and one feels upkeep has slipped in recent years.

Practical Info

There are no toilets here; the nearest are at Murchison Park.¹ There is no car park either, so park on the roadside along Willowview Drive, where several entrances lead in.¹ Picnic tables are dotted around, and the council takes bookings for two picnic spots.¹ Dogs can run off-leash in the reserve under voice control but must stay at least a metre clear of the playground, and one reviewer suggests checking the water before letting a dog swim.¹ There is no fence around the play area; a low chain and timber bollard edge runs between the lawn and Willowview Drive. Redwood Springs Park is a couple of hundred metres away if the kids want a second stop.