Wilderness parks failing to attract the young

Whatipu. Photo / Supplied

Fewer families are using Auckland regional parks, and rangers are scratching their heads over how to make the wilderness parks more appealing to children.

"It appears that nature is not enough for kids," said Auckland Council regional parks adviser Neil Olsen, after a survey of who is using the network's 26 parks.

Digging for pipi in the mudflats or a game of beach cricket are always on at low tide at Tapapakanga coastal park, 38km northeast of Papakura.

But these cannot compete with the sort of attractions that keep children interested while their parents relax.

With 40,000ha of wilderness to roam, the council chose to guide families to one of the top three most popular regional parks, Long Bay, on the fringe of urban North Shore.

It has a playground and a beach. It is also designed for children with limited mobility and is being upgraded.

Mr Olsen said interpretive "playscapes" might interest children.

A Maori-themed playscape - rock sculptures embedded in the ground for children to play on - would be tried in Omana, near Maraetai.

"We are not looking to put plastic fantastics [playground equipment] into all regional parks but are looking at ways of adapting the landscape in order to create play opportunities."

Visitor counts showed a drop in use by families with young children.

This concerned parks staff, because use of the network as a whole was keeping abreast of Auckland's growing population, with a total of 5.2 million visitors a year.

Anxious to gauge customer satisfaction, they commissioned a survey of the network's farm parks.

"This was because we often get comments from people saying they are scared of animals, they are not sure what to do in a farm park. But the parks scored 90 per cent. People still express enthusiasm to visit a farm park and enjoy the animals."

The council offers suggestions for children among its website list of 101 "must-dos" in its parks.

Regional parks were set up to provide a place to get away from the pressure of urban life as Auckland sprawled into the countryside.

Council parks, recreation and heritage forum chairwoman Sandra Coney said reasons for the drop in family use could be a lack of awareness that the parks were available, rising travel costs and travelling time.

"The forum is concerned that young children are less confident about being in the outdoors and that their parents are not particularly skilled to pass on the fundamental skills that other generations of Kiwi kids had.

"We have asked for a report to address this question.

"But the answer is not to start creating playgrounds. That is what you do in urban areas to replace that fact that some children can't get to the outdoors."

But Massey University senior lecturer in physical education Dennis Slade says wilderness parks are losing out to video games.

"Increasingly youngsters are passive receivers of entertainment or activity.

"The games are exciting but I'm concerned they are passive from the point of getting up and doing something.

"Parks are needed for kids to let off steam, run around and be active and release stress and get tired and exercise their muscles.

"But when kids go to these parks they are not stimulated to be as creative as they could be."

Mr Slade said a few suggestions from parents to fuel the imagination would let a child see the park not as an empty space but as a place of discovery.

LARKS IN THE PARK

* Play "tiggy" at Long Bay.
* Orienteering with map at Duder's.
* Watch a cow being milked at Ambury.
* Explore a large cave at Whatipu.
* Go on "ugly bug" safari at Atiu Creek Farm.
* Super-spy adventure at Botanic Gardens.
* Fish off Cornwallis Wharf.