Darling Harbour Playground

Oh yes, it’s a cracker.

A vast, gigantic, enormous playground. Maybe even bigger than that.

So many different areas to play on, some really challenging spaces for older children, lots for little ones too.

It gets VERY busy at weekends, of course, which can be a challenge. And it’s not good at all if you have a child who runs off, there’s too much water around.

I went on a quieter weekday, not too busy at all, a real pleasure to be able to wander freely around.

Tumbalong Park, Darling Quarter, Darling Harbour

Darling Quarter website is here. Print a map of Darling Quarter with the playground here.

Darling Harbour’s general website is here.

This playground really is amazing, partly because it’s just so big, but mainly because it has such great play equipment and spaces in it.

The only complains I’d heard are that it can get too busy and that it can be tricky to move around with a stroller as there are lots of stepped areas, especially around the superb water play areas.

The designers have gone totally wild, they’ve put in:

* balance ropes

* giant slide with tunnels and other slides

* water fountains

* water scoopers and screws and dams

* spiders web climbing frames

* a giant ring swing and superlong swings

* sandpit with sand digger

* supernova roundabout

* a long flying fox

Check out the pictures below, and the Darling Quarter website for more info. It’s a great idea to show the images to children before a visit, they love a bit of planning and preparation.

Nearest cafe: Cafe/kiosk is within the playground area itself, plus many cafes and fast food places in darling Harbour, see website above.

Toilets: There are public toilets on the east side and west side of Tumbalong Park.

Shade: There is a shade area in the plaground, but lots is unshaded too.

Enclosed: No, the very opposite of enclosed… wide open, huge and with water very close by. Beware.

Mum’s report: OK, I admit it, I love it too. It would have been a complete nightmare when my oldest boy was young as he was a bolter, and he’d have been totally overwhelmed and probably ended up in deep water. But all of the children are older now and it’s somewhere we can come and know all the age groups will be happy. And plenty of cafes to keep mum and dad happy, of course.

Parking: Several parking stations around darling Harbour, nearest is one on Harbour Street. Best to have a good look at this website: http://www.darlingquarter.com/gettingthere

Public transport: Yes, great access by public transport.