Last updated October 2026
Across Centennial Marine Drive from the beach, the Adventure Playground is Gisborne’s big family park, a grassy reserve bounded by Awapuni Road and Stanley Road. Rather than one equipment cluster, it spreads play across several separate spaces: a lakeside playground, a toddler area, a swings zone, spinners, a net area, a rocktopus and an adult playground.
A man-made lake sits in one corner with ducks on the water. Next door, the Lions Junior Cycle Park gives young riders their own sealed road layout with traffic lights and a roundabout. Picnic tables are dotted under the trees, and there are public toilets in the park.
Practical Information
- Location
- Centennial Marine Drive, between Awapuni Road and Stanley Road
- Area
- Awapuni, Gisborne, opposite the beach
- Play areas
- Council maps eight: Lakeside, Adult, Roctopus, Toddler, Swings, Net, Spinners and Stanley Road Corner
- Features
- Swings with an infant swing, wooden fort with slide, multi-play structures, rocktopus, small carousel, see-saws, spinners, flying fox, obstacle courses
- Nearby
- Lions Junior Cycle Park (mini road system) beside the playground; duck lake in the park
- Toilets
- Public toilets in the park
- Seating
- Picnic tables, some under a shade sail
- Parking
- On Centennial Marine Drive
- Cost
- Free
- Managed by
- Gisborne District Council
About Adventure Playground
The ground under the swings has an unusual past. According to the council’s management plan for the reserve, the land was part of Gisborne’s refuse tip until the late 1950s and was reclaimed during the 1960s.
The Gisborne Jaycees put a project plan to the old Gisborne City Council in 1974, and the playground opened as “Adventureland” on 11 December 1976.
Over the following years the park picked up the features that still define it. Ducks were donated to the lake in 1978, the Lions Club repaired the miniature train and got it running in 1981, and bumper boats arrived in 1983.
Gisborne District Council administers the reserve. When the 1999 plan was written, the land was held for public health purposes and was being classified as a recreation reserve.
Today the council’s parks data records eight separate playground areas inside the reserve, which is why the place feels more like a series of rooms than a single playground.
The University of Otago’s national playground audit counted 13 pieces of play equipment here, including a rocktopus, a wooden fort with a slide, a small carousel, bowl rockers, see-saws and a learn-to-cycle track.
Shade is patchy. The audit found little shade over the equipment itself, with a shade sail over some picnic tables and established trees around the park. A hat and sunscreen are worth packing on a summer afternoon.
What’s in the Park
Play areas
The family guide Kids On Board describes a circle of swings alongside regular and pre-schooler swings, a seesaw, several kinds of roundabout and the rocktopus. The pre-school area has mini slides, a wobbly bridge and ladders.
Older children get two obstacle courses: one with a ladder monkey bar, chain rope ladders and a flying fox, the other with high rock climbing posts, a metal chain bridge, a spinning four-ring monkey bar and a hand cycle bar.
Lions Junior Cycle Park
Beside the playground on the corner of Stanley Road and Centennial Marine Drive, the junior cycle park has a three-metre-wide sealed roadway with traffic lights, street signs and roundabouts for bikes and scooters. Kids On Board notes a gated inner area for pre-schoolers under 4, with a shade sail, and seating and picnic tables around the edge.
The lake
The lake sits in the north-west corner of the park and is not fenced, so keep a close eye on small children who like to wander towards the water. The ducks are a big part of the appeal for little ones.
Before You Go
Seating is limited compared with the size of the park, so a picnic blanket or folding chairs help on a long visit. Tourism listings mention the Lions Train running on fine summer weekends, but no current timetable was found, so ask locally if a train ride is the plan. For any changes to the reserve, check with Gisborne District Council.
Where to Learn More
Gisborne District Council: Adventure Playground Management Plan: the reserve’s history, boundaries and how it is managed.
Kids On Board: Adventure Playground and Mini Road System, Gisborne: a parent’s walk-through of each play area and the mini road park.
Whiti Ora Tairāwhiti: Play Space | Wāhi Tākaro: a directory of Gisborne play spaces, including the Adventure Playground and the Lions Junior Cycle Park.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the Adventure Playground in Gisborne?
On Centennial Marine Drive opposite the beach, in the block bounded by Awapuni Road and Stanley Road.
Is it free?
Yes. It is a council reserve with no entry charge.
What play equipment is there?
Swings including an infant swing, a rocktopus, a wooden fort with a slide, multi-play structures, a small carousel, see-saws, spinners, a flying fox and two obstacle courses, spread over eight play areas.
Is there somewhere for kids to ride bikes?
Yes. The Lions Junior Cycle Park next door has a sealed roadway with traffic lights and roundabouts, plus a gated area for pre-schoolers under 4.
Are there toilets?
Yes, there are public toilets in the park.
Is the lake fenced?
No. The lake in the north-west corner is unfenced, so watch toddlers near the water.
Is there shade?
Only some. Trees shade parts of the park and a shade sail covers some picnic tables, but the play equipment gets little shade.
Where do I park?
Parking is on Centennial Marine Drive.
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