Lloyd R.
from Google15 Apr 2026
Nice foot/cycle concrete path beside the river. Easy to choose walking distances, anywhere from short to medium. Nice kids playground. Toilets. Fenced area for supervised dogs. Car parking.
Playground
William Fraser Memorial Park
Parihaka, Whangārei 0112
ParksPlaygroundsSkatepark
Best suited to
Toddler zone0–4Child5–9Tween10+
NearbyTall dropWaterSkateparkAt a distance
Why these ages?
Massive destination park with accessible poured rubber surfacing, wheelchair-accessible inground trampolines, carousel, sensory play, 4-bay swings. 7m twin waka tower is tall risk but reviews mention park is 'fenced area'. Skatepark is opposite BP (across road), pump track further down - not immediately adjacent. Hatea river/loop nearby but playground area is set back. Multi-age gold standard.
Accessibility
Wheelchair accessible+ Step-free path to the play+ Poured rubber surface (firm for wheels)+ Wheel-on roundabout / carousel+ Raised sandpit / play table+ Sensory / musical panels at seated height
Access notes
Description explicitly describes continuous poured rubber surfacing throughout, wheelchair accessible inground trampolines and a carousel, and sand play tablets built at wheelchair height, making this a dedicated inclusive design playground with sensory play too.
What's here
Bike trackClimbing frameFlying foxParkingSandpitSeesawShadeSlideSpring rockerSwingsToiletsTrampolineSign in to add
William Fraser Memorial Park's centrepiece is the Pohe Island Tower, a 7 metre dual tower styled like a traditional waka and linked by rope bridges at two heights, with twin tube slides running down from the top. Cutouts of birds and leaves decorate the panels, and 3D koru fronds rise from the ground around it.
Equipment
Access and Inclusion
History and Cultural
Practical Info
Good to know
HistoryOpened within the last 5 years (as of the McNoe 2026 survey).
Source: services1.arcgis.comHistoryWilliam Mackenzie Fraser, after whom the park is named, was an engineer for Whangarei County from 1907 to 1918, held various positions with the Whangarei Harbour Board from 1920 until 1947, and was a County Council member from 1947 until his death in 1960. He accumulated around 90 Māori artefacts, with the Fraser Collection now cared for by the Whangarei Museum. He was also honorary caretaker of island sanctuaries within the Whangarei district from the 1920s.
Source: teara.govt.nzHistoryPohe Island, on which William Fraser Memorial Park sits, was historically Māori fishing grounds. The island is named after Pohe, a Māori chief who welcomed the first settlers to Whangārei. The island's use for landfill over decades ultimately destroyed its fishing heritage. The nearby bascule bridge Te Matau a Pohe (the fishhook of Pohe) takes its name and fishhook shape from the same figure.
Source: architecturenow.co.nzHistoryThe 54-hectare William Fraser Memorial Park was developed as part of a long-term plan to transform the Pohe Island closed landfill site into Whangarei's "Great Park." The Pohe Island Destination Playground, designed by landscape architect Catherine Hamilton of WSP for Whangarei District Council, officially opened on 15 April 2023 with a community event featuring The Jungle Book screening. The project cost over $1,000,000.
Source: playgroundcentre.comOn siteEquipment includes large novelty tubular slide, swings (including infant swing & basket swing), inground carousel, sand play, climbing mound, embankment slides, climbing frame, climbing & balance equipment, climbing frame, flying fox, see-saw, embankment slides, playhouse (with slide), climbing nets, balance beams, pendulum swings, various balance equipment, tunnels.
Source: services1.arcgis.comOn siteJunior-suitable items include basket swing, infant swing, inground carousel, sand play.
Source: services1.arcgis.comOn siteSpecialised equipment: a carousel.
Source: services1.arcgis.comOn siteThe centrepiece is the bespoke 7-metre Pohe Island Tower — dual towers linked by rope bridges at two heights, with twin tube slides. Other equipment includes embankment slides built into terrain mounds, tunnels, climbing nets and ropes, stepping logs, spring rockers, seesaw, stilts house, 4-bay swings, flying fox, wheelchair-accessible inground trampolines, wheelchair-accessible carousel, wobbly wood sand play module, musical drums, interactive sound bridge, and 3D koru fronds growing from the ground. Intricate cutouts of birds and leaves decorate the towers.
Source: playgroundcentre.comAmenitiesPlayground surface: artificial.
Source: services1.arcgis.comAmenitiesSite amenities include public toilets, a drinking fountain, seating.
Source: services1.arcgis.com
Forecast
The week ahead
Daytime high in °C · % = chance of rain · data from yr.no
Photos (4)
Spot a problem?
Spotted broken gear, a hazard, or something that needs a fix? Let Whangarei District know. They look after this park.
From the crew
Visits
Nearby playgrounds
Pohe Island Destination Playground
0.2 km away
Pohe Island Road, Parihaka, Whangārei 0112
Hihiaua Park
0.5 km away
197 Reyburn House Lane, Whangārei 0110
Pocket Park
0.5 km away
Port Road, Port Whangārei, Whangārei 0110
Riverside Park
0.6 km away
Riverside Drive, Riverside, Whangārei 0112
Town Basin Public Playground
1.1 km away
Whangārei 0110
Pūtahi Park
1.5 km away
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