Auckland: Get your feet wet

There's a lovely community feel at Potters Park in Balmoral. Photo / Auckland Council

Holly Jean Brooker cools down with the kids at Balmoral's new Splashpad.

Decked out in togs and hats, layered with sunscreen and smiles, the kids were ready to face the barrage of water ahead. Drenched but happy children were generating shrill screams of excitement and surprise at the Potters Park Splashpad. Bombarded with water flowing freely from all directions, bursting up and over, out and under, stopping and starting without any warning - this was the best way to spend a hot afternoon.

My husband and I were eager - no, make that desperate - for a fun outing close to home that would provide a chance for our toddler to burn off some pent-up energy.

Auckland's first public Splashpad which opened last summer at Potters Park, Balmoral, is just a few blocks away from us, and we hustled up a couple of mates who are new to our area to come along and join the fun.

After a short time observing the chaotic scene ahead, our two-year-old, Hudson, and three-year-old, Izzy, needed a bit of convincing before being let loose on the Splashpad. One insisted they wanted their face dry and raced off to the swings nearby to escape any risk of contact. The other stood on the sidelines eagerly watching, but holding tightly to Daddy's hand before deciding that, yes, he wanted in, and off he went (dragging Daddy along for the ride). Within 10 minutes both toddlers were running around the Splashpad willing the sporadic sprinklers and tip buckets to splash them and squealing in delight at every successful attack.

The Splashpad has been created on a large flat site next to the playground. With no standing or stored water, it is safe for kids of all ages, helping them develop necessary confidence around water.

The Potters Park Splashpad is safe for kids of all ages. Photo / Auckland Council

A quirky selection of artistic water play features combine various water movements, such as flowing, misting and jetting. Primary coloured posts are dotted with funnels, containers and tipping shapes with a constant flow of water. Ground-level vents offer gentle explosions of water from below when least expected.

Children of all ages were gathered around a small mushroom-shaped fountain bursting out refreshing spurts of water, or huddled under tip buckets that slowly filled up, the kids nervously anticipating the big moment when it would randomly pour a bucket of water on to their hot little heads.

With no need for the usual playground "taking turns" on individual equipment the Splashpad creates a lovely atmosphere of connected play, with groups of kids laughing and enjoying the water areas together, regardless of whether they know each other or not.

For the really young ones, simply touching the water with hands and feet at the quieter spots provided a relaxing sensory experience. For the braver littlies, trying to block the vents in the ground with their feet was a major buzz.

Some of the neighbourhood kids had brought their own buckets and watering cans to fill and tip out, and there were a couple of water guns around that you had to watch out for.

Our toddlers happily played on the waterpark for a good 40 minutes until we lured them to the shade of the trees with treats.

The band rotunda and some shady trees behind the playground offer an escape from the sun. As we had packed a small picnic, we chose to sit on the lush expanse of grass surrounding the park, a bit of a novelty for us city slickers. Nestling in alongside a bunch of like-minded local couples and families provided a great way to make chit chat, adding to the lovely community feel of the park as well.

And for the night owls among us, a fantastic extra feature is the Vortex LED illumination system, which transforms the Splashpad into a spectacular art piece, magically glowing with multicoloured illuminated visual effects.

NEED TO KNOW

Where: Potters Park, 173 Balmoral Rd, Balmoral.

Cost: Free.

Facilities: Toilets and water fountain available at the park.

Eating: If you forget to pack a picnic or just need a little icecream treat to finish off the outing, there are plenty of eating spots nearby on Dominion Rd, with popular fast food joints right opposite the park and a range of small eateries just a short walk away.

Parking: Directly outside park on Balmoral Rd and Dominion Rd, or on surrounding streets. There is a bus stop directly out front.