Walter Gors Park, Dee Why

The Brand New Walter Gors Park and Playground 

 

Last week the Brand New Walter Gors Park opened in Dee Why. As it’s the middle of school holidays we’ve been waiting for a quiet day to visit but it does not seem this new playground will get quiet any time soon.

 

walter gors northern beaches playgrounds sydney

Park or Playground

 

Yes, there is a park and it incorporates a playground. The playground is adjacent to a “natural” playground, a water play area and an exercise area. I will deal with each of these in greater below.

 

Where is the Walter Gors Park

Address

The Walter Gors Park is on Howard Avenue in Dee Why, just East of the Chemist Warehouse in that small Coles Shopping Centre.

 

The official address is 36 – 40 Howard Avenue, Dee Why, NSW, 2099. Your GPS should pick up this address pretty easily. Otherwise AppleMaps uses the address 31 Howard Avenue. I have included a map below so you know where I am talking about.

  

 

Parking 

There is on street parking but the park is opposite the big Howard Street Parking lot. The Howard Street Parking lot has entrances at both Howard Street and Oaks Street.

The Coles Shopping centre also has free 2 hour parking if you want to park there and walk through the small mall to Howard Street.

The park was expanded and the playground developed as part of the Dee Why Town Centre Masterplan. I gather we are set to see more change in the area in the coming years.

 

 

What’s At Walter Gors Park

There are a few different parts of Walter Gors Park but the main features of the Park have to be the water play, the playground structures, the natural play area and the park space.

 

1. Water Play

 

There are two water play areas that have water fountains shooting up into the air. We visited early in the morning and there were already a few sopping wet but smiling kids.

 

The whole water play area is flat and tiled. I know that slippery tiles sound dangerous but in the time that I was there I didn’t see any children fall.

 

2. Playground

The playground structures are out of this world. There are very interesting looking tubes to slide down and crawl through. The main structure is a big rocket looking tower that you can climb up connected to the smaller structure that has a slippery dip.

 

Extending out of the rocket is a hydraulic fireman’s pole – you step out onto a disc around the fireman’s pole and it gently descends like a lift. It is so cool!! 

 

Along the walls of the structures there are various games to play, wheels to turn and wooden steering wheels.

 

There is a separate area that has a few swings with both swings for toddlers, bigger kids and a big nest swing.

 

3. Natural Play Area

The Natural Play Area is alongside the park and over a short fence from the playground. In this area a  number of big tree trunks and big rocks have been lain on the ground for children to walk along.

 

There is also a collection of different coloured timber poles  with varying heights which have been erected. I gather this is for older school children to practice their balancing. For the little ones there are larger tree trunks for kids to walk on.

 

I love this area. It is very calming and a great space to develop balancing, climbing and walking skills.

 

4. The Park

 

The park is a lovely open space of grass. There are a few big trees and other little shrubs and plants that are being grown.

 

It’s a lovely space for a picnic or to kick a ball. Even at 9:30 there were plenty of moms setting up picnic blankets and changing their kids into swimming gear to take advantage of the water play.

 

Additional Features

  1. The exercise area compliments these features but I’m not really an exercise person so I can’t really talk to that point much 🙂
  2. You could easily take a scooter or a bicycle as there are pathways that run around the area.  You just have to be very careful of the lack of fence.
  3. There is also a raised area covered in grass turf with what looks like two ping-pong tables. This area was cordoned off and may still be in development.

Walter Gors Park Facilities

 

Accessibility 

The whole area is flat so completely accessible for kids in wheelchairs or moms pushing prams. There are no steps to navigate and no obstacles to moving around. The only area you may struggle in is the Natural Play area.

 

Coffee

You can get a coffee from a number of cafes close by. The closest is probably Gloria Jeans at the Coles Supermarket but there is also a nice looking cafe across the road from Gloria Jeans.

 

There is also a lovely little greengrocers just beyond Gloria Jeans were you can get the kids a piece of fruit as a snack. I popped in for a few banana and landed up getting our weekly fruit and vegetables.

 

Seating 

I saw a number of benches and seats dotted around the park and the playground.

 

Strangely there is this whole collection of picnic benches in one area. Almost like a church with lots of pews.

 

Bathrooms

There are two toilets right next to the playground, between the playground and the park.

 

BBQs

In the park itself but on the far side, the end opposite to the playground are BBQ facilities. It looks like shade cover may be going up over the BBQs but its not up yet.

dee why parks and playgrounds

 

The BIG Downside – NO FENCE

It is such a pity that there is absolutely no fence around the park. This is not good as the park is bounded by Howard Street.

 

While the playground is set off from the curb the park is right on the road. The water play is also just off of the pavement that runs along the road.

 

Howard Avenue is not a quiet street and there is also a lot of construction going on in the area which makes the roads even more chaotic.

 

I know that we all keep our eyes on our kids and we always tend to them but what happens if you have a child that makes a run for it or gets on a scooter and loses control.

 

It is just too much to risk and I will only visit with my 2 kids if I have my husband with me.

 

Aside from the issue of their being NO FENCE an additional point is that this is not an inclusive playground. There aren’t any facilities for children with physical disabilities which is unfortunate. 

 

If you’re looking for other playgrounds on the Northern Beaches click on the links below for the full review.

 

Collaroy Beach Playground 

Flying Fox, Mona Vale 

Green Street Playground