Robert Thompson Reserve, Noranda

Robert Thompson Reserve is a large grassy park located opposite the Noranda Village Shopping Centre. In the centre of this lovely park is a playground with equipment to suit most children. The ground surrounding the play equipment is a mix of sand and rubbery soft-fall. There are shade sails up in the warmer months, and there are a few small trees shading parts of the playground.

At one end of the playground, there is a fenced toddler area with two magnetic gates.

The main feature in here is a bus-shaped climbing frame. The bottom level is decked out with seats and a steering wheel for imaginative role-play games. Up the stairs, there is a double slide, bubble windows to look through and a noughts and crosses game.

In another corner of the toddler area is a metal digger for moving sand around. A big favourite with Miss 2.5 and her friends, even though it’s a bit big for them yet. There is also a clear plastic sand table with holes for the sand to run through. The concept was a bit lost on Miss 2.5 – she thought she should be climbing up on it!

Another feature of this part of the playground is a hidden dinosaur skeleton just waiting to be dug up. Perfect for your budding palaeontologists!

Outside the fenced area is a taller multi-level climbing frame for bigger kids. This has a twisty slide, several ladders, a climbing wall, a fireman pole and bars to walk across. I’d say kids 4 and over would get the most from this equipment. Miss 2.5, while adventurous, found parts of it a little too challenging.

Nearby to the climbing frame are a rope web, a spring rocker, and a large merry-go-round with climbing ropes. This seemed a big hit and burned lots of energy (both the kids and mine!).

In the sandy part of the playground is a large climbing wall. It has three sides, and a central climbing tunnel where the walls meet. This is great for older kids, though Miss 2.5 did give it a crack, climbing the middle and having fun playing peek-a-boo through the gaps.

There are two swings in the sandy area too, a toddler swing and a regular swing.

Robert Thompson Reserve features lots of green spaces for running around, kicking a ball, playing a family game of cricket or exercising the dog, whatever takes your fancy.

Alongside the playground is two shaded picnic tables, a barbecue with two hot plates, and around the other side is a large gazebo. These, combined with the grassed areas, would be great for family barbecues, picnics or outdoor birthday parties.

There are a number of paths leading through the reserve to the shopping centre and looping around the playground. These would be good to ride bikes or scooters. The perimeter of the reserve is not fenced off from the busy road, however, the play equipment is set far enough back from the road that it should be fairly safe.

There is lots of free parking along Weatherill Way. Takeaway coffee is a short walk away from places like Esprezzo in Noranda Village Shopping Centre. Toilets are available in the park near the corner of Benara Road.

Overall, I think this is a great, well-maintained park with something for everyone. Well worth checking out.

Robert Thompson Reserve is located on the corner of Benara Road and Macgilvray Avenue, Noranda.

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