Campbell Bay Reserve Playground

Campbell Bay Reserve Playground is a sandpit-based playground right on Campbell Bay, with a bonus scavenger hunt that our kids absolutely did not see coming. Sand underfoot, the beach ten steps away, and a small adventure tucked along the walkway when the slides start to lose their pull — that is the afternoon in a sentence.

A Sandpit Playground

Campbell Bay Playground sits right alongside beautiful Campbell Bay beach, and the setting alone goes a long way. But what makes this playground stand out — particularly for younger kids — is not only the view. It is the floor. The entire play area is surfaced with real sand, proper deep sandpit-style sand, which is increasingly rare at modern playgrounds that have moved almost universally to wood chips or rubber matting. For toddlers who love to dig, pour, and build, this is an instant hit.

The equipment itself leans traditional and a little older in design — nobody is going to mistake this for a freshly renovated showcase playground. There is a slide, a small climbing wall, and a sand conveyor belt mechanism that younger kids find endlessly fascinating. For older or more adventurous kids the range is limited, but for the toddler-and-under crowd the combination of sand underfoot and simple equipment at the right scale works really well.

There are also two monkey bars of sorts — one full-sized and one smaller version that younger kids can manage — and New Zealand kids, in our experience, have a particular affinity for monkey bars. Our daughter was on them the entire visit.

One practical detail that makes a genuine difference here: a public bathroom is right next to the playground with handwashing facilities immediately accessible. When you have got a child wrist-deep in wet sand every five minutes, this is not a small thing. It is exactly where it needs to be.

Sand on the floor, a bathroom right next door, and a beach ten steps away. For a toddler, this is pretty much the ideal afternoon.

When the Playground Gets Old — Find the Penguins

Here is the part of the visit we were not expecting, and honestly the part that made it memorable. Once the kids had their fill of the playground and were starting to drift, we wandered slightly off to the side of the play area and noticed a small sign. It told the story of penguins that had been swimming in the low-tide pools at Campbell Bay since the 1970s, and of two local women — Sylvia Durrant and Annwyne Standish — who spent years helping stranded, sick, and injured penguins recover and return to the sea.

In their honour, six small penguin statues have been placed along the walkway beside the playground — tucked into the landscape, partially hidden, waiting to be found. The sign asks: can you find all six? We tried. It took longer than expected, the kids were completely invested, and it transformed what might have been a standard end-of-visit wind-down into an actual small adventure. If you visit and skip the penguin hunt, you are leaving the best bit on the table.

Practicalities

The surrounding lawn is generous — once our kids had exhausted the playground itself, we moved straight onto the grass for frisbee, which turned into its own extended session. The green space wrapping the playground on all sides means the visit naturally extends beyond the equipment without anyone needing to go anywhere. Campbell Bay itself is right there too, adding another layer to the outing for families who want to make a full afternoon of it.

Parking is in a dedicated car park that was noticeably relaxed even on a weekend visit — no circling, no stress. A straightforward arrival, which sets the tone well for the rest of the outing. The playground sits at 10 Huntly Road, Campbells Bay, Auckland 0630.

If you are coastal-hopping on the East Coast Bays, Castor Bay Beach is an easy nearby stop for another compact beachside play session.

Overall thoughts

Campbell Bay Reserve Playground delivers sand, sea, and simple gear that suits younger children better than thrill-seeking older ones — plus toilets in exactly the right place and a waterfront walk that is unusually beautiful even by North Shore standards. The six hidden penguins turn a good playground visit into a small adventure. Pack sunscreen, bring a frisbee, and do not skip the hunt.