PotW – Marine Gardens, Raumati

Garden Road, Raumati
It’s a bit of a haul from our place to Raumati for this destination playground, but it is 100% worth it every time we go.
In the summer, there is a generously sized water play area, with fountains and buckets. Loads of squealing and heaps of fun.
Year-round, there are a range of play equipment, spread over a generous area, including a good flying fox, a long slide (that’s not quite steep enough to actually slide all the way down) and an adult-sized stationary vehicle. There are shaded seats, flat areas for a blanket picnic, and picnic tables.
The best part, according to Mr6, is the miniature trains. With three loops, several bridges, a couple of level crossings, and a busy, multi-track platform, the trains operate every Sunday (weather dependent), along with two twilight sessions per year. Tickets get cheaper the more you buy at a time.
There are a couple of toilet blocks in the wider playground area, and across the road (and down a bit) from the entrance by the trains is a dairy that sells ice creams. The sad shell of the old Raumati Pool still hangs around at the beach side carpark, where you can get on to the beach easily. Parking can be tight on a sunny day, despite the multiple parking areas around the playground.