St Kilda Adventure Playground – castle, slides, flying fox, pirate ship and more! In a word – impressive.
The award-winning adventure playground located at St Kilda definitely lives up to its reputation as a must-visit playground in South Australia.
It’s $3.55M upgrade in 2015 has been given the thumbs up by many families since it re-opened with new equipment. The historic seaside town of St Kilda is a 45 minute drive north of the Adelaide CBD. You may be asked “Are we there yet?” once or twice, but on arrival the kids eyes will light up as they take it all in.
This adventure park is just that – a playground offering an adventure around every corner. There is specially designed play equipment at both ends of the park, including a new castle tower with super sized slides, wooden fort, an old wooden ship overlooking the water and a volcano wave slide starting at the top of a hill. Children can run from one structure to another and find a new twist or turn at each one.
The old pirate ship is still there and is always fun to explore.
We love that the recent update of the ship included new ramps, making it much more accessible now.
Parents need no encouragement to hop on the slides with their little ones – it’s great fun!
The majestic new castle tower on the hill has a tall spiral slide down the centre and two tunnel slides at different heights. It’s easy to explore via stairs and offers a great view over the playground.
The huge flying fox is still situated along the edge of the playground. This flying fox is better suited to older children with many adults also lining up for a go. The finish is quite fast so they really need to hang on tight! There is a also a smaller flying fox for younger children that slows nicely towards the end.
On the other hill there is the upgraded volcano lava slides and wave slide, along with bridges and stairs.
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EDITOR’S NOTE (9 July 2017):
We are pleased to see that all the slides at St Kilda are now open again. There have been some changes to the Volcano slides area. The City of Salisbury opened three new slides to the public from Saturday 8 July 2017, including two big new wave slides and an intermediate level slide.
Please note this sign near the slide.
On warm days it would pay to take a towel, old sack, blanket or tie a fleecy top around your waist to slide down on, as the metal can get hot in the sun.
Groups of children love playing hide’n’seek around the wooden forts and chasey through the wooden ship wreck.
This is a playground that encourages children to use their imagination.
The Bouncy Boomerang climbing structure is a new addition to the playground and is surrounded by sand.
There are three super size swings that attract the older children with adults also taking turns.
For younger children there are also regular size swings, including a set with toddler seats, a see-saw, a sandpit with diggers and a couple of other pieces of equipment. A bright yellow playground called ‘The Yellow Submarine’ sits under a shade cloth and is designed for all ages, especially toddlers. It offers easy climbing challenges along with a small slide, ramps, naughts & crosses and a disability swing.
As part of the redevelopment there is a new basketball court, new electric bbqs and shaded picnic table areas.
There is a large grassy area and picnic facilities so this park is well suited to a day trip with friends and family. There is a vast amount of space to run around. There is also plenty of parking.
We have visited in the past on a clear winter’s day and the playground was ideal – not too hot or cold. We have also visited during a hot summer’s day and we definitely needed something to sit on to slide down the metal slides. Once the newly planted trees and vegetation grow there will be more shade. Currently there is only minimal shade and shelter so hats are a must. Keep in mind the kiosk is quite a walk from the playground, however during school holidays in summer and spring you may find an ice cream van parked alongside the playground.
The view from the top of the castle.
TIPS
- On warm days, take towels, blanket, an old sack or tie a fleecy top around your waist to slide down the metal slides.
- Wear long pants and tops with sleeves to protect against burns and grazes on the slides – arms and legs may rub along the metal as you’re coming down, especially if you try and slow yourself down.
- As there isn’t shade over the play equipment, sunscreen is a must.
- Hats with chin straps is a good idea as it can be a little breezy there.
- There are often a lot of mosquitoes, especially in the evening, but many people say they experience them during the day as well at certain times of the year – use insect repellant to guard against bites. In summer we saw the mosquitoes come out in force in the evening so it’s best to leave before then.
The last stage of the redevelopment will see new grassed areas, additional car parking, new shade structures, additional bbq facilities, a new tram stop, and new toilets closer to the playground.
St Kilda also offers visitors a variety of other attractions such as the Tramway Museum, the Boat Club and Marina plus the St Kilda Mangrove Trail and Interpretive Centre. The trail features a 2 kilometre boardwalk showcasing the mangrove forests of the Barker Inlet.
For more information about the St Kilda Adventure Playground please visit the follow the St Kilda Adventure Playground Facebook page here.
Click here for all the best playgrounds for toddlers
See our top parks & playgrounds around Adelaide
What: St Kilda Adventure Playground
When: Weekdays/Weekends/School Holidays
Where: Cockle Street, St Kilda (see map)
Who: All Ages (particularly older children)
All photographs by Play & Go Adelaide 2012 & updated in January 2016 (some photos are from 2012 and others taken Jan 2016)
At Play & Go Adelaide we make every effort to provide accurate information to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication. We recommend confirming times, dates and details directly before making any plans as details may be subject to change.
Image Source: All photos by Play & Go
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I hope that when you say the Yellow Submarine is “designed for all ages” that includes 41. Because that thing looks like fun.