The epic Huntlee District Park One Playground at Huntlee opened in October 2022 and it’s well worth the drive (it’s about 45 minutes drive from Newcastle or 30 minutes drive from Maitland).
Suitable for kids of all ages, there’s enough play equipment to entertain them all day long. You can even take your furry family members with you as there’s a large, fenced dog off-leash area right next to the playground.
Huntlee District Park One is located near the entrance to Katherine’s Landing, the first village in the new Huntlee residential district and township in North Rothbury, near Branxton.
There’s a spacious car park right near the playground and you shouldn’t have trouble finding a car park. If you do, there’s another car park a short walk away, on Triton Boulevard.
The first thing the kids will spot is the amazing, enclosed slides – there’s four to choose from! Older kids will enjoy the challenge of scrambling their way through the climbing nets, framed inside seven large cubes, to access the top of the slides.
Each slide has clear viewing panels and there’s a large tunnel to crawl through, connecting two sets of climbing cubes. Younger kids/preschoolers might have trouble accessing the slides but there’s lots of other equipment suitable for them.
Younger kids have their own small castle to play on. It includes a ladder, bridge, small slide and a pole to slide down. They can have fun with imaginative play underneath, peeking through the windows and climbing through the doors of the castle. This whole area is shaded and there’s plenty of benches and seats nearby from where to sit and supervise.
Right next to the play castle is a two-level sandpit. Younger kids will love playing in the sand, so don’t forget to pack sand toys or some cars and trucks.
The all-abilities equipment in this area includes a large, accessible bouncy and a flush-to-the-ground merry-go-round able to accommodate three wheelchairs. There are wide concrete paths joining the different areas of the playground as well as disabled amenities.
There are five swings at this playground, so kids won’t have to line up too long for a swing. Besides two baby/toddler swings there are two regular swings and a spiderweb swing. All are shaded by large shade sails.
There’s some really great equipment at this park that we haven’t seen anywhere else. One such piece of equipment is the hanging tire swing. Able to accommodate one or two children at a time, this swing swings backwards and forwards at the same time as it swings around in circles. It was a hit with my kids aged five and seven and we saw older kids enjoying it too.
Kids aged five and up, who were high enough to reach the bar, were also enjoying the small flying fox. The track is curved, so they gain speed and momentum by pushing off from one platform to the other.
Behind the flying fox is a jungle-gym style climbing cube with a climbing wall and rope nets. This is also suited to kids aged five and up.
There’s another, larger flying fox at the bottom of the playground, featuring two zip lines.
The half basketball court near the playground is partially fenced. Bring a ball with you as it’s a lovely spot, set amongst the trees, to shoot some hoops.
When it’s time to rest and refuel, AJ’s Cafe, located on-site, has a comprehensive breakfast and lunch menu. AJ’s Cafe is open from 8.30-3.30pm seven days a week. There are plenty of tables inside the cafe, but on a sunny day the outdoor verandah is a nice spot to sit and eat.
The cafe overlooks the playground and there are picnic tables as well as cafe-style tables and chairs. The large, lawn areas are perfect for laying out a picnic rug and there are three gas barbecues if you prefer to bring lunch with you.
You’ll find plenty of picnic tables and benches scattered around the playground, including an undercover table overlooking the basketball court and another overlooking the flying fox.
There is one larger, undercover picnic area with four picnic tables and two barbecues that would be perfect for a birthday party.
Huntlee District Park One is incredibly well designed. There are plenty of water fountains and bins throughout the park, two baby change tables (one at the public amenities and one at the amenities located inside the cafe) and plenty of shade provided by large shade sails and the existing trees. As the newly-planted trees mature they will provide even more shade.
There’s even a fenced off-leash dog area nearby, so your four-legged friend can join in the fun.
Good to Know
Address: 1 Triton Boulevard, North Rothbury
Ideal Age: All ages
Public Toilets: Yes. 3 x unisex toilets including disabled access and baby change table.
Water Fountain: We counted at least 3.
Picnic Facilities: 6 x undercover picnic tables plus more uncovered picnic tables.
BBQ: 3 gas barbecues.
Parking: 2 large carparks. 1 close to the playground, the other within walking distance.
Nearby Cafe: AJ’s Cafe onsite. Open 8.30am -3.30pm every day.
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Meg is a born and raised Novocastrian whose interests include gardening, reading and writing poetry. In between writing for Newy With Kids and working as a School Learning Support Officer, Meg enjoys camping and travelling with her family and exploring Newcastle and all it has to offer. Meg has two energetic kids and is passionate about kids having the opportunity to be outdoors as often as possible.