Te Whiti Park

Te Whiti Park playground is a small, straightforward neighbourhood play space in Waiwhetu, Lower Hutt, with a multi play structure and slide, infant swings, a junior slide, and a small carousel on an artificial surface, best suited to toddlers and young primary aged kids rather than a destination visit. It sits inside a much larger multi sport reserve, so a play stop here is often paired with a game on the adjoining fields or a visit to the community centre next door.

Access and Inclusion

Te Whiti Park is at 172 Whites Line East, Waiwhetu, with off street parking within the reserve. The playground sits right next to Te Matauraura o Whenuangaro community centre and the Waiwhetu Sports and Fitness Centre, so it's easy to combine a play visit with another activity. Toilets and seating are on site, and Hutt City Council's smokefree policy covers the reserve.

History and Cultural

The park is named for the Māori spiritual leader Te Whiti o Rongomai, whose family lived in the Waiwhetu area. The land belonged to Te Āti Awa, who grazed animals on it until the Crown requisitioned it in 1943 as a WWII military vehicle park; Te Āti Awa accepted compensation of 47,000 pounds, much of which went toward rates owed to Lower Hutt City Council, and the land passed into council ownership in 1979. In January 2022, Te Matauraura o Whenuangaro, meaning the enlightenment of Whenuangaro (the original name for Waiwhetu), was blessed and opened within the park as a partnership between Te Rūnanganui o Te Āti Awa ki Te Upoko o Te Ika and Hutt City Council, focused on education, culture, sport, and community development for rangatahi. Each 1 February the park hosts Te Rā o te Raukura, an annual celebration of Māori culture with local performers, kai, and a whānau friendly atmosphere, one of the flagship cultural events on the Lower Hutt calendar.