Ti Rakau Reserve Playground

Off Kestrel Place in Woolston, Christchurch, Ti Rakau Reserve pairs a well-stocked climbing playground with a huge sweep of open grass. One visitor calls the lawn rugby field sized and clear enough for a kite, and another found it very quiet, with hardly anyone else there.

Equipment

The playground centres on one large combination unit the council commissioned in late 2010: three slides, a track glide, two fireman's poles, a swing bridge, two sets of monkey bars, parallel bars, a tunnel, a steering wheel, and climbing walls in chain, plastic and timber.¹ Two swing frames from 2009 hold four swings, two of them infant seats.¹ One reviewer noted new swings had gone in about a month before their visit.

A parent rates it best for ages three and up, which fits a unit built around poles, bars and climbing walls. The infant seats are the main option for babies.

History and Cultural

The playground was photographed in May 2019 for the Woolston documentary project run by Christchurch City Libraries and the University of Canterbury's School of Fine Arts.² The Waihoro Spreydon-Cashmere-Heathcote Community Board's 2026 to 2028 plan commits it to supporting a basketball court at the reserve, so there may be more here for older kids in future.³

Practical Info

The play area is on bark, so bring shoes rather than letting little ones go barefoot. There are no obvious toilets, so plan for that on a longer visit. A path runs through the reserve towards the Ferrymead shops, and a reviewer singles out the bike path as a highlight, so scooters and bikes are worth bringing.⁴ Kotuku Reserve and Saint Lukes Reserve are each about 500 m away if the kids want a second playground.