Jubilee Park | Wooden Fort Adventure Playground | Port Noarlunga

August 19, 2025

Jubilee Park, in Port Noarlunga, is the best playground in the south of Adelaide.

A multi-level, wooden adventure fort where kids can climb, slide, swing, hide & explore. The fort provides endless fun for all ages in a imaginative maze of timber play structures.

Updated Review by Angelica-Hazel Toutounji – August 2025

The Jubilee Park playground is an iconic wooden castle that grabs your attention and lures you in from the get go. It is undoubtedly the most well loved playground in the Southern suburbs and one which has stood the test of time. Built in 2002 and maintained by the City of Onkaparinga, this playground has been meticulously cared for and improved over the years.

Located between the busy Saltfleet street and the Onkaparinga river, the playground is well equipped with ample parking and a wooden fence that wraps around the main play space. Inside the wooden fortress children are spoilt for choice with play equipment galore. What makes this the perfect choice for families is how well the playground caters to children of all ages.

There is a dedicated toddler play area with a small tunnel, slide, swings and a bridge. There is also a fire station complete with fire pole and a climb on fire truck a few metres away for imaginative play. Within the fort there are multiple slides, monkey bars and swings, not to mention the huge castle structure.

Outside of the wooden fort an additional playground has been created featuring a sandpit, climbing net, speaking tubes and a dedicated water play space. The entire playground has a musical theme that filters throughout the park. Kids can enjoy the musical bells, bang on the drums or have fun with the wind chimes.

Play equipment aside, this park is adjacent to a decent sized grass area which is perfect for all kinds of play and picnics. There are BBQ facilities on site, toilets and multiple seated areas scattered through out the park as well as shaded areas both in and around the playground. All of these features make this a fantastic place for families and friends to get outside, gather, play and spend quality time together.

The story of how this playground was built is wonderful. The sign at the entrance (pictured above) says that it was built with love in 2002 – and it really was. The local community combined their efforts to create this adventure playground for local families – they raised the money, and then volunteers built the wooden structures in just a week. All around the playground you’ll see plaques of the local businesses who have contributed. It’s worth the drive even if you live on the other side of the city.

The playground is maintained by the City of Onkaparinga and has had a few upgrades. This includes the dual swing pictured below. The first of its kind in Adelaide, it allows a parent to sit and swing together with a baby or small child. You could also swing a baby and an older child at the same time.

It means that instead of pushing them from behind, you can see their face and enjoy the ride too. An older child could also swing together with a baby.

The other main attraction is the huge fort style castle, and on the day we visited, and no doubt repeated every day, children were everywhere running and laughing as they played chase or hide n seek amongst the logs.

There is a wooden ship docked along one side of the fort to inspire little pirates, and a maze of wooden pathways leading in and out, and up and down the whole structure. Steps and ladders lead to hidden sections with poles and slippery dips to take you back down to ground level once again. The materials are sturdy and the entire wooden fort playground is fully fenced – a necessity when so close to the Onkaparinga River and with the main road not too far away.

There are so many features in this playground it’s hard to name them all, but they include swings, monkey bars, bridges, tunnels, look outs, a lighthouse, open and enclosed slides and loads of climbing equipment. Safety aspects include the child-safe gates and the ground cover is a combination of rubber and bark chips.

Inside the wooden playground there are shaded places to sit, underneath your own turret.

There is a section designed for children aged 2 to 5 years that isn’t as high and includes smaller structures, games and some clever musical chimes.

Due to an arson attack in 2011, the playground received some major repairs and the design pays tribute to the fire fighters who fought the blaze. There’s a fire station, a fabulous bright red fire truck, toy bell and a fire pole.

Jubilee Playground Pt Noarlunga fire truck

Surrounding the playground are numerous picnic tables, shelters, BBQs and large grass areas to kick the footy, have a hit of cricket or fly a kite. The public toilets are a short walk away, the car park is alongside the playground, and the entire area has wheelchair access. There are walking and cycling tracks nearby too. An ice-cream van visits on the weekends.

Things to consider:

Only the wooden play area is fully fenced and the area is large so young children will need supervision
Try to visit early during the day as it is a popular spot, especially on weekends
Consider bringing a change of clothes so your children can enjoy the sand and water play areas
The park is wheelchair accessible and there are accessible toilets on site too
Jubilee Park playground is only a short distance from the main street of Port Noarlunga so you have easy access to food and coffee before or after your visit

There is another modern playground right outside the Wooden Fort playground, which you pass through to get to the public toilets. Here you will find more BBQs, picnic tables, shaded seating and another grassed area. In November 2016 new play equipment was introduced to this modern play area.