Eliston District Park Playground, Waterman Drive, Clyde North
Calling all adventure seekers - there is plenty on offer here at this incredible playground. Let's start with a huge three storey tower with two massive slides which spit kids out into a depression in front of the tower. A seat is conveniently provided for parents to watch the mayhem. The slides can be reached by spiral stairs and a big sloping rope net provides an alternative way of getting to the first level. One slide launches off level 2 while the faster, straighter slide launches off level 3 - pick your adrenaline poison.
Apart from the huge slides we also love soft, colourful surfaces and there are plenty of these which form hills with climbing holds and slides and gullies with rope climbing nets perched above them or balance beams over them. This area is the 'Big Kids Playground' and also has a nice climbing wall, flying fox with disk seat, standard swings, basket swing and a circle which you spin around on your arms.
On the other side of the picnic area is the 'Little Kids Playground' with a nice sandpit under shade sails with lots of sand play equipment, mound with dual wave slides, swings, in-ground trampoline and an area of ramps with tunnels, bridges, ladders and balance beams.
The picnic area in the centre of the play areas has a shelter with two tables, unshaded table, BBQs and water tap. There are also an additional two unshaded tables on the side of the playground area.
The park has lots of other facilities including a skate park, three fitness stations, half basketball court, community garden, orchard and a big grassy lawn area.
The design of this park was inspired by the site's early pastoral beginnings where bountiful celery crops were grown for over 40 years by the Schreurs family. The green hued rubber stripes you see in the play areas represent the texture of celery crop plantations, while the 'ridge and furrows' of ploughed fields come alive in the undulating forms of the rubber mounding. The orchard is planted as a reminder of Casey's proud market garden history.
This is a fantastic resource for the community but there are some negatives - no toilets and parking space is limited at busy times.
Update - Toilets have been built at the nearby Clyde Recreation Reserve. There is a road to the Recreation Reserve beside the school on Waterman Drive. The distance is 600m.
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Location
Cnr Waterman Drive and Eliston Avenue, Clyde North 3978 Map
