Northwood Reserve Playground

How We Found This Place

This one came to us through Reddit. I posted asking for playground recommendations, and someone mentioned Northwood Reserve — not really for the playground itself, but because there are eels in the stream behind it. Our kids love eels, so we decided to check it out. The playground was a bonus.

It's a small, quiet local playground in a residential neighbourhood — nothing fancy, but clean and well set up for a relaxed visit. There are two picnic tables next to the play area and a BBQ grill (we didn't test whether it was working, so worth checking when you arrive). Parking is at the end of the road, with space for about five or six cars — we visited on a weekend and had no problem finding a spot.

The Playground

The equipment is on the older side, but it's in reasonable condition. There's a small slide for younger kids, and for older children there are monkey bars — the nice thing here is that they're not in a straight line, they zigzag, which our kids found much more fun than a standard set. The floor is wood chips throughout.

One thing to note: the shade sails have been removed. The poles are still there, but the fabric is gone. On a sunny day there's no shade over the play area, so bring sunscreen.

Behind the playground is a very large open grass field — giving the kids plenty of space to run around. A nice extra for families who want more space after the equipment.

The Reserve — What We Actually Came For

Northwood Reserve is behind the playground, and it's well worth a visit! Streams, tall trees, bird calls — it feels very natural and peaceful.

Our kids are six years old and managed the walk fine, but some sections are steep and there are quite a few steps, so it may be difficult for anyone with mobility issues.

One important thing to know: the reserve is much bigger than it looks. We entered from the Northwood Avenue side (the main entrance) and after about 20–30 minutes of walking, we felt like we'd only covered a small portion of the loop. At some point we weren't sure how to get back out — it was a bit worrying. We eventually followed the stream and found a path out that way. If you walk about 20 minutes from the Northwood Avenue entrance, look for a path on your left — that goes toward the Brookfield Park exit.

As for the eels — we didn't see any on our visit. The water was quite still and murky that day, which probably didn't help. There are several streams in the reserve where eels have been spotted, so it's worth trying. Just be aware that timing and water conditions make a difference.

We went in looking for eels and came out having done an unexpected 30-minute bush walk. No eels that day, but the reserve itself was worth the visit.

Overall thoughts

The playground itself is an ordinary local one — nothing fancy. What makes it worth visiting is the setting: a quiet residential neighbourhood with nature right at the edge, a wide open field wrapping around the play area, and Northwood Reserve just behind. That combination alone was reason enough for us to visit!

The playground is located at 42 Northwood Avenue, Albany, Auckland 0632.