Marton Playground

Play Priorities

In a “labour of love”, the town of Marton has replaced its outdated 1950s playground with an incredible destination playspace that oozes “wow” factor. The project was sparked by two local mothers who wanted a community hub where all ages and abilities could play together. They founded the not-for-profit Marton Development Group, and – supported by grants, sponsors and the local community – embarked on creating a truly unique space to attract families and businesses to the area.

We were proud to be involved in the amazing collaboration – a true credit to the development group, volunteers, landscape architects Boffa Miskell  and a passionate project team. It has something for everyone through a creative and innovative selection of playground equipment and the development of a wide range of play experiences, arranged in an imaginative and exciting layout. It’s also a beautiful reflection of local history and culture, with the work of Mäori artist Len Hetet weaving Iwi stories throughout the playground.

Fun Solution

This breathtaking playground now has layers of fun to discover! Almost all equipment supplied by Playground Centre was fully customised for the unique site, including a trio of bespoke timber towers with multiple tube slides and connected bridges and balancing activities.

There are age-appropriate thrills and challenges galore, with multiple climbing adventures including a customised climbing unit and ‘birds nest’. There’s also “underground” tunnels, rock climbing grips, an interactive musical bridge, a timber stand-up seesaw and talk tubes. It’s a sensation for the senses too – with musical instruments (like the outdoor marimba for multiple musicians) and wonderful water play, including a water wheel and winder water pump. There’s also an inclusive carousel and an extra-long bank of swings with six-double bays: thought to be the longest and most diverse set of swings in New Zealand. It includes a double rope swing, a basket swing, and a face-to-face swing for multi-generational fun!

Wobbly wood rockers took on a truly local flavour – with the sheep and cow rockers specially carved and painted by Whanganui locals to represent familiar animals from the local farming area. And to top it all off, there’s in-ground trampolines and a space shuttle spinner to get the adrenalin pumping!

See it in action on TVNZ 1’s Seven Sharp: https://fb.watch/58vXliAj2d/ and be part of opening day excitement at the Marton Development Group’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/martonmdg/videos/891332978099384