Year-long wait for massive playground at Kingston Park finally over

Have you visited what has been being spruiked as Tasmania’s best playground yet? See the equipment and give your verdict >>

• Kingston Park $7m playground completion delayed due pandemic, not likely to open until February 2021
• Stage one of the Kings Quarter subdivision will include 80 homes

LOCAL families flocked in droves over the weekend to check out the opening of what has been being spruiked as Tasmania’s best playground.

Work began in January last year on the massive playground at Kingston Park, with Kingborough Mayor Dean Winter tipping it would give Launceston’s popular Riverbend Park playground a run for its money as the state’s new “best” play precinct.

Sisters Chloe Weldon 9 and Eliza Weldon 7 of Blackmans Bay try out the new playground. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

Plenty of room for the kids to run amok. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

Climbing and balancing. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

“Now it’s time for local families to come give us the verdict,” Cr Winter said.

The $5m playground officially opened on Friday afternoon, with a program of events taking place at the site over the next three weeks.

A new market also held on site on Sunday combined with fine weather saw hundreds of children and parents visiting the sprawling playground.

The development was originally expected to be ready for public use in November, but largely due to impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was pushed back to March.

It features elements including a sand play area, slides and seesaws, spinning and sensory garden, rock pool water play, baby and toddler play area and picnic areas.

What a swing! Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

And a sea urchin shell to hide in. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

Director of Playstreet and landscape architect Carl Turk said the playground had been designed around nine key areas offering spaces for all different age groups.

“There’s a climbing rope forest with a sky fort for anyone who appreciates a vertical challenge, as well as a musical sensory garden and a spinning zone with accessible equipment and slides,” he said.

Agency of Sculpture director Ben Gilbert said he hoped the large stainless steel sea anemone would provoke sensations of being near the sea.