Grey Gums Park (aka Baby Work Park)

Grey Gums Park (aka the "baby" work park) is located behind the new "Synergy" building in QUT's Kelvin Grove Urban Village. Map is here.

Called "baby" work park as its the younger park of the two set in QUT KG - which is where I work. Interestingly, with the markets on the weekend, the fabulous The Boys House of Coffee (which is wonderful and Luke/Chris/Noni/etc are such lovely folks to talk to), the parks etc - CK thinks that my work is the most wonderous place to be...

KG Urban Village is a mixture of housing commission and assisted housing, fancy schmancy overpriced student accommodation, QUT workers and other assorted general public. This is reflected in the people visiting the park. Along one side of the park there is a row of townhouses and the other side is a new building site. This is not to put you off though.

The park itself is a wonderful park for the under threes. It's well set up as a toddler park where there are lots of tactile interactive installations and everything is low set to the ground and not challenging to those less agile. It works perfectly in tandem with the "big girl" park which is further down the street behind the Health Centre (pool/gym) which is filled with climbing frames and large slides better suited to the more stable limbs of small child.

The main structures of the park are a coffee shop and a cake shop. This is a great place for the kids to make you a coffee out of bark and get paid in bark. I've had some of the best bark cakes I've ever pretended to eat at this park too. CK - now nearly four - still loves running around this park, so whilst it does suit a younger crowd better, it has the "pretend" element which really keeps the older kids happy to. CK really does love this park and for all is lo-fi nature and neglect, it really is a solid park. There is lots to do here and tons to keep an active developing mind happy.

The downfall of this park is the constant vandalising and general litter everywhere. I tend to do the rounds and pick up all the litter as CK starts to play - its a big problem and there is always something destroyed in the park (usually the interactive poles which have an audiovisual element are beaten to a pulp).

Behind the park there are the standard gym set up (sit ups, pull ups etc) which are NEVER used except for older school kids who come down from KGSH or the arts school and loiter around.

Rarely are there other kids in the park. When there has been some they've all been ok - no BFF formed here but the kids have been okay to talk to.

CK rates this park at 8 and I would give it 7 - mostly for convenience. It's a solid park, but nothing which is going to knock your socks off.

RATED:

Age Groups: under 3's
Kid Friendliness: there are rarely other kids at this park
Parent Friendliness: nobody really talks at this park (if you do come across another group)
Shadiness: no shade in the park itself - the surrounding benches have shade
Tricked Out: its from the new school of parks which are brightly coloured theme inspired parks. The cake shop and cafe are fun, but the overall park has no real consistent theme
Picnic/BBQ: one BBQ - if you come during a week day there are sometimes office gatherings happening here
Shabbiness: gets really dirty and really damaged - I've never been there when everything was working
Toilets: Nearest is down in KG Urban Village - about five minutes away
Hovering Required: No, the park isn't big enough to need to hover
Bring Yr Bike: Nope, don't bother
Crowded: this park is like a ghost town.
Wow: I think a two year old would love this park so much, but its not going to wow anyone else.