As of October 2018, Gascoyne Park in Woodvale opened an exciting new playground. This includes nature-play elements and traditional play equipment to suit kids of all ages.
The first thing to catch Miss 4’s attention was the carved wooden crocodile. He is carved out of a log, his back left rough while his head and tail are smooth and painted green. He’s great for balancing, or Miss 4 thought it was fun to pretend to feed him using sticks and sand.
The main attraction is the main play structure though. This features a double slide, curly slide, various ladders, a fireman pole, wooden climbing walls, a climbing web and a rope bridge.
Imaginative play elements include steering wheels and a playhouse or shop in the bottom section.
A flying fox and a ninja warrior style course of swinging platforms and handles are also available for older children who like to swing and climb.
Logs of various sizes, stone blocks and rocks bring in a natural feel. These too are great for balancing, along with the limestone retaining wall that surrounds the sandpit base. Climbing over the rocks was definitely a winner with Miss 4.
A small swing set stands adjacent to the sandpit with a regular swing and a toddler swing. This has a rubbery softfall base for softer landings should there be a tumble.
On the other side of the playground, a shaded picnic table stands close by. This as seen better days as it appears to have been reused from the previous playground, but it’s still sturdy and, with a table cover, would be perfectly fine for a casual party. Bench seating is also dotted around the park, with three seats located close to the playground, and another nearby in the shade of the trees.
The whole playground is surrounded by groves of palms and cycads, as well as native eucalyptus trees, maintained by the City of Joondalup and The Palm and Cycad Society of Western Australia. These plants give the park a bit of a jungle feel – perhaps a theme for your child’s next party?
Large grassed areas are also available. So you could easily bring down a ball to kick, the backyard cricket set, or just bring the family dog down for a good run. Dogs are permitted to run here off leash.
Paths run from the surrounding streets, between the trees and surrounding the playground. These paths would be good kids for practising on a scooter or bike as most are fairly flat.
All in all, we had a fun visit to Gascoyne Park. There’s lots to keep kids busy, and Miss 4 didn’t want to come home. The only downsides are a lack of shade with no shade sail over there playground and no public toilets onsite. Depending on the time of day, the many trees offer shelter to the play area, but it would be quite hot in the middle of the day. So I’d suggest packing a hat and sunscreen, and long shorts or pants to avoid burnt bottoms on the slide.
Gascoyne Park
Located on the corner of Gascoyne Parkway and Timberlane Drive, Woodvale.
If you’re in need of a coffee or a snack, Avoka is close by in the shopping complex on Trappers Drive.
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