The new Harbord Diggers is now open – a mom’s review

The New Harbord Diggers

The brand spanking new Hardbord Diggers opened last month and let me tell you, it was worth the wait. It appears that a large portion of the Northern Beaches Community agrees with me because the first two weekends it was open it was packed! Absolutely packed!

 

If you live nearby and haven’t gone to check it out, you really should. Just aim for a week day if you can, it’s empty and peaceful and the kids get the run of the place. Having said that the atmosphere of the weekend is pretty cool and your kids may bump into someone they know.

 

I do have one point to make about safety but I will get to that later on in the post. After the general information you need to decide whether to make the visit.

The New Harbord Diggers

I think it’s best to start out by explaining what the “Harbord Diggers” is because I would never have understood what it was without seeing it. The Diggers is similar to an RSL in that it was created by a group of Australian soldiers who fought in France. Almost as soon as the club was started money raised was given away to member families who were in distress. Over the years the club has grown and grown and is now a massive property housing restaurants, cafes and bars. The new expansion and development of the club includes residences, child care and a gym of some sorts. I don’t think that the latter has been finished yet.

 

So what does this mean for families?

If like us, you don’t live there, it doesn’t preclude you from visiting. It is essentially a Newport type establishment where you can go and eat or have a drink while the kids can play. It’s a place where families can go hang out. And it doesn’t hurt that it overlooks the sea without hindrance.

 

Member versus Guest

If you live within 5kms of Harbord Diggers you have to sign up to be a member. Membership will however, only set you back $6 a year and you will get that amount back in food discounts probably on your first visit, if you’re eating.

If you live outside that zone, you can become a guest. This does mean though that you won’t be entitled to the cheaper food and drink rates.

 

The fancy new Harbord Diggers is great for families. Our review covers what it is, where it is and what is so good about it!

Where is Harbord Diggers?

Harbord Diggers is at the headland that borders Freshwater and Curl Curl. The official address is 88 Evans Street, Freshwater.

 

How to get in and where to Park

The entrance is on __ Road and is marked entry (thank goodness for that). As soon as you get into the entrance you go left and down into a massive parking lot. It’s so big you could be at a shopping centre. Parking is free for the first four hours.

The way I park is I go all the way to Row C, drive through C, don’t go down the ramp on the left, and then double back to Row E. If you park at Row E you’ll be able to see the lift and you’ll be able to get out the parking lot early when your kids are upset because they’re over  tired from playing.

The entrance is the big glass box that houses the lift.

Now that you know what it is and how to get there, I’ll explain what to expect and why its a great spot.

The fancy new Harbord Diggers is great for families. Our review covers what it is, where it is and what is so good about it!

 

Harbord Diggers Features

Harbord Diggers features a number of restaurants, cafe and bar all in a big open area.  It has been beautifully renovated and is really smart. Outside there is a big patch of grass for the kids to play on and there is also a unique small play area inside for kids under 10 years old.

And the food…. the food is really good! I hope it stays at that quality with time.

 

The Play spaces

There are two play spaces for kids, one inside is a specially created area and the other is just the outside area.

Outside

In front of the building facing out over the ocean is a large piece of grass. Well, it’s not grass yet, it’s a bit closer to straw at this stage.

There are a few garden games laid out – four in a row and noughts and crosses.
It’s a great place to lay down a picnic blanket and enjoy the sun.

During the week there are toddlers and babies aplenty running around the lawn.

The fancy new Harbord Diggers is great for families. Our review covers what it is, where it is and what is so good about it!

The unique play space

It’s a really interesting space. Behind a chest high wooden fence is a hilly area covered in fake lawn.  There is a tunnel that runs under the hill and into an “underground space” but I’m not sure what’s in there.

It’s been designed to look like a natural space so there is a wooden log Animal for the kids to play on. However it seems the most fun is to be had running up and down the hill. It’s a fantastic way to wear out the kids.

 

The Restaurants 

 

There are a few different places you can order from, all within the same compound.

Acqua Fresca by Pilu has pizzas for adults and kids.

Teddy Larkins Express has wings, ribs and burgers. For the kids there is chicken and chips that comes with a slice of watermelon. I saw another kid eating it and it looked delicious!! We had a beef burger from this menu and it was so good!

Waterdragon has dumplings and spring rolls, stir fry and fried rice. For kids there are veggie spring rolls, steamed fish and dim sums.

The last restaurant, DD Collective, serves chicken schnitzel, beetroot salad, fish and chips and nachos. The kids menu has chicken nuggets, fish and chips and salmon and greens.

Those are all aside from the cafe which operates under DD Collextive too. The cafe serves breakfast and has coffees and amazing sweet treats. I love the cafe. Their chocolate cake is SO good as are their breakfasts. I’ve eaten at least two of their hazelnut and raspberry muffins too 🙂

 

The fancy new Harbord Diggers is great for families. Our review covers what it is, where it is and what is so good about it!

Safety Concerns and One other point

The Harbord Diggers is still under construction in some parts. That may not sound like a bad thing, but if your kids are running around with no shoes on, either because they were in the play area or because they’re playing on the grass, they must be careful. My little girl got a screw to the foot this afternoon and it was not pleasant for her or anyone. Please please be careful, there could be all sorts of things that have been left on the ground by the construction crew. This also means that there are still ladders and things around so if you’ve got a little explorer, just make sure you keep an eye on them too.

My other concern is a bit less drastic. The play area is a bit strange. As I said,  there is a tunnel in the middle of it. While it makes for so much fun, it seems to be one way which I don’t know if smaller kids may be unsure of how to get out. Also, it does mean that there is a opening which you can’t see into in which the kids can congregate. It’s hard to keep watch on them because they disappear from sight.

 

The fancy new Harbord Diggers is great for families. Our review covers what it is, where it is and what is so good about it!

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