Ardrie Park

Ardrie Park is particularly pretty, with rows of grand trees and freshly planted flower beds spaced throughout the well-kept lawns. The playground is right in the middle of the park, nestled under the huge canopy of the nearby trees.

There are several separate play units within the playground. The senior unit has high decking linked by a clatter bridge. Leading off the decking is a regular slide and a banister slide, plus many different types of metal 'climbers'. Two flying foxes of different heights are next to the large unit as well as some challenging hand-ring monkey bars.

I particularly like the preschooler/toddler unit as I've never seen anything like it before. It reminds me of a little farmyard pen, or maze, but not quite... It has little 'doorways' to step over or duck under, a little cubby house, a staircase leading up to the top decking where there are a couple of steering wheels and a double-width slide to zoom down. There is a noughts and crosses panel and several peek-holes for spying through. This area is a lot of fun for littlies and their parents.

A separate junior unit houses a chain mesh climber and a unique hoop climber which lead up to a high decking and another slide. Further down the playground are some swings and a quirky little teeter-totter.

All of this is fully fenced since the park is a leash-free dog zone. Up the path is a barbecue and some tables, across the path is a toilet block, and down the path is a large expanse of grass that is perfect for ball sports while the dog runs around.