Leiden Reserve Playground

A View That Stops You in Your Tracks

I'll happily admit it: the Totara Vale area has quite a few really decent playgrounds. Rewi Alley Reserve Playground, right nearby, is one of them, and if you go a little further, Sunnynook Park Playground is genuinely fantastic too. This playground isn’t as well known and maybe gets fewer visitors than those two, but there’s something really peaceful and special about this place.

Some playgrounds are all about the equipment, others are about the overall experience, and a few manage to be both. Leiden Reserve sits firmly in that latter category. Set high on a hill in the Totara Vale area, it serves up a panoramic view that’s genuinely something special. We've been to a lot of parks across the North Shore, but this one has a setting that's hard to match. If you can time your visit for late afternoon, do it.

The whole space is open and elevated, which also gives it an immediate sense of safety — you can see everything from anywhere, and the wide sky above makes the whole reserve feel light and easy.

Come around sunset if you can. The sunset views from up here are absolutely gorgeous, and seeing the kids running around against that backdrop is one of those rare moments that makes you pause and appreciate life.

Design That Actually Delights

Leiden Reserve has clearly been recently renovated, and it shows. The design language is warm and natural — wooden tones throughout, lifted by orange accents that give it a fresh, modern feel without being loud about it. The large curved rope climbing frame is a standout piece: boat-shaped and generous in size, it works for a wide age range and was the first thing our kids made a beeline for. For the younger ones, there's a sweet little wooden playhouse that my toddler was completely charmed by. A bowl spinner, balance beams, and stepping blocks round out the equipment — nothing excessive, but everything well-chosen.

What really got us, though, were the small details. On the ground, stepping stones are arranged in a winding path — including one shaped like a bird, which the kids absolutely loved and kept going back to. It's a tiny thing, but it's the kind of thoughtful touch that tells you someone put genuine care into this space. The picnic shelter is another example: the pillars are padded with orange foam, quietly preventing the inevitable bumped head without making the space feel institutional. And unlike most playgrounds where "shade" means a sail that flaps in the wind and does nothing in drizzle, the picnic area here has a proper roof. Actual shelter. We noticed it immediately.

Know Before You Go

A paved path runs through the centre of the playground, making the whole space easy to navigate with a pram — no hunting for a flat route around the equipment. Next to the play area is a spacious grassy reserve, genuinely large enough for a game of football or a proper run-around, which is a nice bonus when the kids need more room to stretch out.

There's no dedicated car park, but street parking along the surrounding streets is plentiful and relaxed — we had no trouble at all finding a spot. The neighbourhood is quiet and residential, so the whole visit feels low-stress from arrival to departure.

Our recommendation

Pack a proper lunch and aim for late afternoon. The roofed picnic shelter means you're not at the mercy of the weather, and with that sunset view as your backdrop, it's one of the nicest family meal spots we've found in the area.