Throsby is a new suburb in the area of Gungahlin, located
20 minutes north of the city. It is a suburb under construction (at the time of writing), with brand new houses being built and the first residents starting to move in. For families, a brand new suburb can also mean a brand new playground - and Throsby has already got that covered. A new and colourful playground has been built in Bettong Avenue, with a wide range of colourful and fun equipment for both toddlers and older children. This playground is full of surprises, especially if you have kids who love to climb - and jump!
Fun for all ages at Throsby Playground
To get to the playground, drive along
Horse Park Drive between Forde and the Federal Highway and then turn off at the "Throsby" sign. Continue driving along this road and you will see the colourful playground a few hundred metres down the road, on the right hand side. There are parking spots along this road (
Bettong Avenue), however if you drive past and around to the other side of the playground, there are more spots available. My daughter and I parked on this other side, as we wanted to walk over the bridge and look for waterbirds on the way to the playground.
If you walk in from this end of the playground, you first see a colourful half basketball court to the right, a red rope climbing frame straight ahead and a set of swings to the left, with views out to the waterway and birdlife below. If your kids love playing basketball, don't forget to pack your ball!
Walking over the bridge to the colourful playground
Climbing frame, half basketball court and swings
If you kids love to climb, there is a large pentagon-shaped climbing apparatus, with small rock climbing mounds to claw up to the top. My daughter, age 6, found this too hard, however older kids will enjoy the challenge of mastering this unusual shape. On the other side of it is a small red spinning cup and next to it is a red, T-shaped spinning structure, where older kids or adults can hold onto the bars at each end and spin around. On our visit, the older kids were having a ball spinning around on it - and many mums and dads got in on the fun!
Fun for adventurous kids - and big kids!
The main feature of the playground is a spongy hill which you can climb up using the rock climbing mounds on one side, or pull yourself up the yellow handles the other side. Down the centre are two very fast slides, which create a lot of happy squeals. If that's not all, the kids are then surprised to find a trampoline at the top!
Climbing up...
Jump on the trampoline and take in the view
Nearby is also a set of log stepping stones, a spinning stick to hang onto, a twirling triangle roundabout and a huge net swing. For a local park, this one really does have it all!
Stepping stones, spinning toys and...
...a net swing!
Smaller kids have their own area to themselves near the picnic tables with small yellow slide, speakers to talk to each other, a xylophone to hit and drums to bang. It is scenic spot to relax with lunch or a snack, under the colourful pole shelter and speckled shade. On the day of our visit, there was a refreshing cool breeze coming up from the water below, which cooled the kids down after a morning of trampoline jumping.
Toddler fun and views at Throsby Playground
Throsby Playground is a wonderful asset to the new families moving into one of Canberra's newest suburbs. Sometimes moving home can be unsettling for kids, however if there is a good playground down the road with fun things to try, it can make the process much easier - for everyone. Even if you don't live near Throsby, it is worth a short drive to track it down, as you are sure to stay there for awhile and try out every piece of equipment. After your visit, why not keep exploring the
playgrounds of Gungahlin and find more new playgrounds - our favourite is the huge
Moncrieff Community Recreation Park, just 10 minutes drive from Throsby Playground.
Although these new playgrounds are fun, it really doesn't matter where you go - as long as there's a slide (or two!), the kids will enjoy every minute...
You can't beat the classics!
