The latest Livvi’s Place, Livvi’s Place Elara has opened in Marsden Park.
If you follow the blog, you’ll know how much we love Livvi’s Place playgrounds. And if you don’t know about Livvi’s Place playgrounds then you had better familiarise yourself now because they are fantastic!!
Livvi’s Place Elara is water themed playground. Now I haven’t been to Livvi’s Place water playground but I bet its even better than the ones we are accustomed to.
Top tip: If you’re going to visit, make sure to pack a towel and some spare clothes!
Livvi’s Place Elara
The Livvi’s Place playgrounds are my absolute favourite. They’re bright, colourful and carefully thought out! It’s actually become the bar against which I measure other playgrounds. A few years ago we even held my son’s birthday party at the Livvi’s Place in Ryde and it was a massive success.
What are Livvi’s Place Playgrounds
Livvi’s Place Playgrounds are the brainchild of the Touched by the Olivia Foundation who’s aim is to build special child-friendly places that encourage social inclusion between children.
This playground features a water play zone as its centrepiece but also has a flying fox, slides, swings, climbing nets, a carousel, fun glider, trampoline loop and a basketball half-court
Just a note: the playground equipment may be a bit big for toddlers and is probably suited to children 3 years and over. But that doesn’t mean that they can’t play in the water or try go around the track.
Livvi’s Place Elara Features
It’s huge!
Firstly, the size of the playground is impressive because it is 7,400 square metres. How incredible!! So much space to run and play.
Great Equipment
Not only are the Livvi’s Place playgrounds well designed in terms of accessibility and space but the play equipment is also top notch!
Some of the really unusual and interesting equipment:
- A long swinging knotted rope for kids to try and balance on.
- Smaller climbing frame.
- The cubbies high up in the air that you can climb up into and then walk between by way of a net and then side down from the other.
- A spinning disc and spinning chair. Just keep an eye on those smaller kids, one of mine has got stuck on there before. It was a horrible experience.
- The trampoline loop!!!!!! How cool is that. There are little trampoline squares lined up in a circle for the kids to jump along.
The run of the mill equipment which is by no means boring or ordinary includes:
- Musical features like the steel drums, talking tubes and tubular bells.
- Climbable netting.
- Spring see-saws.
- Mound slides.
- Swings.
Water Play
The water area is a space that is filled with water jets shooting up out of the ground.
Top Tip: there is a button on the ground that starts the water so be sure to look for it if you think the system isn’t working.
Bike Track
There is a bike track too.
The bike track has little traffic lights and lanes, yield signs, roundabouts and pedestrian crossings. It’s a great great place to take your bike!
There are even little pretend filling pumps that you can pull out of their wooden stands.
If you’re brave enough, you can try the Hoop De Doo, it’s a little ramp up to a bumpy bit of road.
Livvi’s Place Elara Facilities
Like the other Livvi’s Place playgrounds, the spaces are designed to be family friendly. You can go and spend hours and hours. With that in mind, the Livvi’s Place playgrounds have good facilities.
Picnic and BBQ Facilities
There are picnic tables and free electric BBQ facilities so you can have lunch. Granted getting the kids to stop playing long enough to eat is not an easy feat.
Fully fenced and partially shaded
Fencing
When it comes to little kids, especially runners, you need the playground to be fully fenced.
The fence thankfully incorporates the seating areas and the bike track.
However, the fencing is not around the basketball area so watch the kids if they decide this is what they want to play with on the day you visit.
Shade?
There are tarpaulins covering parts of the playgrounds but they just don’t cover everywhere. We are going to have to wait until the trees they planted grow!
Top Tip: make sure your kids have got hats, water bottles and sunscreen.
What’s Missing…
Coffee and food
Unfortunately, there is no cafe or coffee stand but I’m hopeful that someone will spot in the gap in the market soon and pop up there.
Parking
You can find parking in Elara Boulevard and Northbourne Drive.
There is parking but it just isn’t enough for the size of the playground. If there is going to be that much space and room for kids then you need to provide for that many parents to park when bringing them!
