Waikerie Water & Nature Play Park Playground Review
By Claire Davill
Whether you’re making a short stop during a Riverland road trip, or staying at Waikerie for longer, the riverfront playground ticks all the boxes for play. From fully-fenced, fully-shaded equipment, to water play and nature play, plus ample picnic facilities and nearby toilets, there’s a lot on offer here.
Waikerie’s riverfront precinct encompasses parks, playgrounds, ovals, boat moorings and a caravan park, all surrounded by large shady gum trees and the River Murray. The playground here is large and has something for everyone, from very young kids to the more adventurous.
The centrepiece is a large, fully fenced and fully shaded playground. The corrugated iron shelter means you’re out of the sun in summer and out of the rain in winter. There’s plenty here, especially for younger kids, with multiple small slides, monkey bars, bridges and climbing nets.
There are some swings here too, although they’re not under the shelter. There’s also two basketball hoops at different heights, and some barbeques and picnic tables.
Outside of the fenced playground, and further away from the river is an unfenced playground suitable for older kids. It’s not shaded, but large gum trees shade parts of the playground at certain times of the day. There’s a shaded picnic table and a basket swing, together with toddler swing and regular swing.
You’ll find some nature play elements here too, including log stepping stones and sandpit with digger. There’s also a boat to play in, and a xylophone to play.
There is a central climbing tower and accessible merry go round here as well.
Further up the hill is a great water play area with pumps, push buttons, channels and weirs. The water pressure is low, so you’ll need to work to get the area wet!
A small climbing wall and tunnel/cave are located along the retaining wall.
There’s a huge double flying fox to race back down the slope as well. Pull the seats up into the shade at the top for awhile before riding if it’s sunny, so the seats aren’t too hot. We found they cooled down very quickly in the shade, even on a very hot day.
Things to consider:
- At the time of writing (December 2022), vehicle access to the riverfront area was restricted due to the floodwaters and temporary levee bank. This means you might have a short walk to access the playground, but there is the added bonus that access to the river is fenced off, making it safer for kids running around. Parking is available on Rowe Street and Peake Terrace.
- When the river levels are normal, keep in mind that the water is easily accessible outside of the fenced playground. Keep an eye on young children.
- Bring sunscreen and hats if you will be playing in the unfenced portion of the playground.
- The Waikerie ferry is a short walk from the playground. Pedestrians are allowed to travel on the ferry, and this makes for a fun mini excursion across the river and back.
Location:
Leonard Norman Drive, off Peake Terrace or Rowe Street, Waikerie
For more information and all enquiries please visit the Visit Riverland website.
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: photos by Play & Go Adelaide 2022
SUBSCRIBE
Want to get all the latest events and activities straight to your inbox?
Subscribe to our weekly email newsletter below to keep up to date with our latest posts and find out all the best events & activities for Adelaide families. Newsletters are only sent once a week, and you may sometimes get a special offer exclusively for our subscribers only!
