New Farm Park

I do love the playground at New Farm Park, but at the same time, I hate hate hate it. It STRESSES ME OUT so bad but there is no denying its an awesome park and playground. Located at the Powerhouse side of New Farm Park, you can find a map here.

It's been given a recent makeover (in the last year) and received some new ground cover post- January floods, so it looks spectacularly fresh to say the very least. The park attracts hundreds of people each week - and rightly so, its a really amazing and fun park. So why does it stress me out? Well, its almost too much park if that makes sense. When Cody was younger there were always bigger kids galloping around the park and making all the wobbly bridges have seizures and almost buck Cody right off. The bridges were too narrow for parents to really climb up and supervise, so she was wobbling and tumbling with me down on the ground level unable to really intervene. Now, as an older kid, Cody is prone to the dash and there is so many places she can run and get to that I couldn't even begin to try and keep up. And when she runs through the trees she manages to find branches and pathways that only she can fit underneath so I don't even stand a chance of squeezing in behind her even if I was able to catchup.

I spend my whole time at this park going "where is Cody", "can you see her". Cody, however, is having a ball because it is one heck of a fun park. So the stress of this park is my problem alone.

I think on one hand its fair to tarnish NF Park with this broad brush of child loosing fear that I'm espousing, however as I've suggested, hundreds of people visit each week so clearly I'm perhaps in the minority of people who feel this way. I'm a moderate helicopter parent - I like to have my eyes on my child at all times but I don't feel the need to be standing beside her making sure she doesn't fall. So take all this as you please - fit it in to your perspective and decide how you would feel and if its the park for you.

The playground in the trees is amazing - there's no denying it. The platforms and bridges stretch out far across the park and have all sorts of slides, balancing frames, cubbies, chain bridges and poles off the sides for, well, sliding, balancing, pretending, crossing, climbing and shimmying. The recent update of the park has seen a walking path added behind all the main action, which means that bikes and scooters whizz past all the action in the trees. This is the main section of the park and is where the chaos is centralised but the park has some areas off to the sides which are calmer and also within the trees themselves.

Cody visited with a friend and they were having an awesome game of hide and seek. I do fear hide and seek at parks as big as this - as I say, I like to have my peepers on my child and having them purposefully run and hide from me is a bit scary. The afternoon we went was pretty mellow - before school got out and during the early afternoon of a weekday (typically the least populated time for parks as most people have fled to give their child their lunch time nap) - so I felt comfortable letting them run and hide, but I don't think I would do this on a weekend at this park. I know I sound like an overprotective grouch, but the level of chaos achieved by this park at its peak is possibly more chaos than you've ever seen. I have good reason to fear.

Off to the sides there are some calmer areas - the massive climbing frame on the right is HUGE. Cody climbs right to the top - which often freaks out the people we go there with - but she's an expert climber and this is clearly her favourite thing about this park. I've asked for her opinion on what I should write about (as I do each blog) and she said I must definitely mention how good the climber is.

On the left hand side (as you are looking at the park) there is an area for the smaller kids. It's a charming little section made up of a small cubby with a climbing side, a slide and some musical equipment. Cody spends a fair bit of time in this section and its safe - its cut off from the rest of the park, the bigger kids think its for babies and there are no bikes or games happening around you.

Next to this is a rocking boat - this feature seems to be appearing as the new trend in parks. Of course it takes the weight of an adult to actually rock the boat but its fun and if you get a willing adult you generally get a ton of kids running over. Take caution though - this is when you get stuck rocking the boat for other people's kids long after your kid has fled the scene...

New Farm Park is the perfect place for a picnic/BBQ/birthday party - but you are not going to be alone in thinking that. I've seen parents stake out a table at 7am on the morning of their party with the knowledge that tables are like gold. On a weekend getting a table is not going to be easy. There's a lovely grassy patch where you can set up camp in front of the park and lots of green sun/shade around the back too. I think this is a much better picnic than BBQ park anyway.

The dragon theme is a little odd and out of place - there is a large dragon to climb on and some dragon eggs but that is the extent of it. The kids always love sitting on sculptures but this one just sits in the foreground rather oddly. Maybe I'm missing something....

CK and I both gave this an 9. But mine is a kinda reluctant 9 if you get my drift...

RATED:

Age Groups: More than any other park, this caters for all ages very well.

Kid Friendliness: There are too many kids here for any interaction.

Parent Friendliness: There are too many parents here for any interaction.

Shadiness: It's New Farm Park - there are the biggest and best trees here ever.

Tricked Out: Its all pretty cool really.

Picnic/BBQ: Perfect for both, but you'll be lucky to get a spot.

Shabbiness: Recently renovated so its really clean.

Toilets: Close toilet block that was fairly decent. I didn't feel the need to wash myself and my child in disinfectant after we had stepped foot into it!

Hovering Required: Read my rant above.

Bring Yr Bike: The outer path is great for bikes.

Wow: Yeah, it has probably the best wow factor in parks in Brisbane really because of its magnitude and beauty.

ANZAC Park (AKA Pen Pal Park)

The thing I love about writing this blog is that we are getting some awesome recommendations of parks for inclusion. This, combined with the fact that I'm driving again (I had a five year hiatus after I lost my nerve after being hit by a truck), means that CK and I are unstoppable now with checking out new parks. Today's park comes recommended by Marisa and Rachael and props go to me for navigating that massive roundabout (without loosing my cool) in front of the Toowong Cemetery. Indeed this park is just by the roundabout (bottom of Mt Cootha by the Botanic Gardens and the Toowong Cemetery) behind the bus depot. Map is here.

CK makes up the best names for parks - this one is known as Pen pal Park. Out front of the homestead (pictured above) is a very large letterbox. I was the postman and CK was getting letters from her pen pals in Melbourne (or Melvin as she calls it). I think it could also be called Homestead Park or Chicken Park really.

Set in a beautiful surrounding, this park is circled by a ring road which had an abundance of lunch time walkers when we were there. The trees are beautiful and it would make an amazing picnic or BBQ area down under the trees near the pond (please note that the pond is not fenced so if you have young kids you would definitely have to keep an eye on them). Indeed we are proposing the return of our much loved breakfast BBQ with out friends at this park this weekend as we were so inspired by the wood fire BBQ and wonderful picnic areas.

Playground wise, its really a haven for the younger crew - your under five's. There is the homestead we have mentioned already, with its water tank tunnels on the side which have two yellow slides jutting out to the ground. There is the car, supposedly set to pretend move bales of hay across the park but was hosting a great game of hide and seek when we were there today. The other little details like the sheep rocker, galah swings. And the flying fox. Oh the flying fox! Supposedly Brisbane's longest flying fox - this wasn't a "wow" flying fox in terms of its set up, but the sheer length of it means that the older kids (and *cough* parents) gravitate towards it like magnets.

For me the winner was the sandpit. As you would know if you've followed our playground adventures, young CK is a fiend for the sandpit. Yesterday she emptied her shoes (in the house of course) of what seemed like an entire bucket of sand. She just loves it. In terms of sandpit excitement, I'd suggest that Anzac Park is the best sandpit in town.

Fully fenced (though I noted several weak spots where the adventurous kid could bust out), this was set up like a vege patch and chicken coop. Given we have both a vege patch and chicken coop at home, I'm always impressed to see such a setup for the kids. There were an abundance of buckets and spades lying around - like they'd been bought by a parent and "donated" to the cause - and CK immediately set to clean up the prentend chicken poo. Oddly enough she doesn't clean up chicken poo at home but now that we know she's keen we might set her to work...

The small details of this park were what made it special for me. The theme was complete - it wasn't half a homestead with some swings thrown in but a complete picture. The surroundings with the pond (which was albeit a bit grotty but did have a baby duck and a heron) was picturesque and made me want to spend time here. This was what CK and I both like in a park. Its one of those parks that really impress me as its theme makes it unique. To me it feels like the council were inspired and not just throwing the stock standard park together but creating something designed to educate and encourage.

CK and I both gave this an 8. Worth a drive for sure!

RATED:

Age Groups: It caters for all ages quite well but predominantly will please younger kids

Kid Friendliness: The batch today wasn't particularly inclusive but I'm hesitant to judge it as dodgy kids based on one group

Parent Friendliness: Nobody talked to us however I was besotted by two new parents who were just gaga over their newly walking boy - it was all that was good about parents right there.

Shadiness: Wonderful canopy of trees in the surrounding but not so shady over the playground itself. We were there on a very overcast day but I can imaging summer would be hot!

Tricked Out: The flying fox was super cool

Picnic/BBQ: Old school wood fire BBQ and plenty of them!

Shabbiness: The pond was grotty but the playground and park was fine.

Toilets: Close toilet block that was fairly decent. I didn't feel the need to wash myself and my child in disinfectant after we had stepped foot into it!

Hovering Required: There were a few different areas where you'd want to hover for younger kids. The pond also would be an issue if you took your eyes off your younger child. For CKs age (nearly 4) it was fine to let her run, but I'd say anything younger and you'd want your running shoes on.

Bring Yr Bike: There are little paths throughout the playground however I'd suggest that they'd be good for smaller kids (ie slower carriages) only as they are right in the playground and it may interfere with the other kids.

Wow: I think the theme was flawless and a wow factor in itself.

Jubilee Park (AKA Tree Park)

Jubilee Park (on Fletcher Parade - off Coopers Camp Road in Ashgrove/Bardon) has been a favourite of ours for a while now. We've played there when we lived over that side of town, we have friends who lived nearby and had picnics there but - best of all - CK's cousin Henry lives nearby and is always on hand for playing. It's situated on the Ashgrove/Bardon border - the map can be found here.

The sun was setting so I only got a few dodgy photographs - plus it was super crowded and I'm always trying to take care not to include other folk's children in pictures I post on the internet. So a couple of teaser images to give you an idea, however I think the map link best gives scope with how huge the whole area is, including the ovals. I mention the oval as this is the one park where the oval seems to get used frequently. You know how most parks have an oval off to the side, however it is completely barren of activity except if there happens to be Saturday morning cricket? Well Jubilee Park seems to break free from this oval as ghost town model. CK and her cousin always make a mad dash and run straight into the centre - I've no idea why this park is more conducive to this but the chasing game seems contagious and at any one time there are often toddlers and young children breaking free into a massive run across the field.

There are always groups picnicing here - and you do need to picnic as there are no BBQs here (but there are across the road in another park). I've enjoyed a picnic at this park (as part of a group where I was the only person who had a child so everyone else was there for the picnic rather than the playground) and its a really lovely place to spend the afternoon under the canopy of trees which covers the playground entirely. It can get dark and cold so bring a cardigan if you are visiting late in the afternoon or on a shady day).

This is a lovely climbing park. There are three separate climbing frames - your standard tent like frame (this one has a possum on the top - most have a giant spider for some reason), a climbing wall (which CK at a very tall four years old seems a bit small for) and a more advanced frame which has a variety of climbing platforms and seats which dangle from within it.

There are the standard swings (two separate areas - one for the big swings and one which has a double set of the baby swings), a see-saw, a variety of music making tools (drums and a xylophone) and the lovely hill slide (seen at the Milton Park - which we will be reviewing soon - and the Enchanted Forest) which CK loves so very much. Its certainly got enough for the bigger kids (with the climbing and the ovals) and the little kids (with the see-saw, swings and slides) so it makes this a great park for families with kids of different ages.

CK is away today but I'll get her to add her rating shortly. I would give it 7. If this was your local then you'd be pretty darn happy, but its not in the league of the "wow" parks like Colmslie, Kalinga or the Enchanted Forest.

RATED:

Age Groups: It caters for all ages quite well.
Kid Friendliness: normally I'd say it was friendly - there have been a couple of brutish kids recently which have put me off a little - I think because its a climbing park it does attract older kids who are sometimes a little rougher.
Parent Friendliness: most parents have been good but there have been a couple of jerk parents there recently too (to go with the brutish kids). I'd suggest if you do have younger kids and want to try this park out go during school times.
Shadiness: wonderful canopy of trees
Tricked Out: the climbing frames are very nice
Picnic/BBQ: some tables and benches but the BBQ is over the road (too far away for you to try and be at this park but BBQ your food)
Shabbiness: always litter and graffiti free
Toilets: no toilets
Hovering Required: No you can see everywhere in the park from wherever you stand. As I say, the kids are prone to running out into the fields here so be prepared for that!
Bring Yr Bike: No there are no bike paths here. Across the road (with the BBQ) I think there are, but its a separate area altogether
Wow: there are a couple of things here which make CK really excited, but its not going to knock your socks off.