Coming from a bit of a background in Town Planning, I am always a fan of green space on a major…read moreroad....or I should say green space that has a purpose. Alec Johnston Park is one such park in Hahndorf the helps the Main street immensely. With all of the shopping, eating and drinking options along the Hahndorf main drag, you really find yourself drawn toward this park, which sits roughly in the middle of the shopping precinct. The big plus for me is the public toilets. Although I use needing to drain the snake as an excuse for refilling the tank at a pub, others may be struggling. Some times it is useful to take a load off and drop a load too! It is a pretty simple park, with a brook running down one side and some grass areas for staring at the clouds. I like to look for severed body parts and boobs, but if fluffy bunnies and kittens are more within your imagination zone.....boring, but ok.

This playground is in the lovely hills setting in the centre of Hahndorf, accessible from the Main…read moreStreet or from the dedicated off road parking area. The park like environment was very pretty with plenty of picnic seating, toilets and shelter. The actual play equipment was definitely tired and only suited to older children. The height of the platforms on the climbing equipment was of particular concern with no safety rails and no sense of the drop beyond in multiple directions. While the playground was fenced to maintain the safety of young children, the equipment was not suitable for their use. One of the two swings was also broken. It is disappointing that younger children are not catered for in this otherwise delightful setting.

What a fantastic little reserve. Hidden away in the quiet backstreets of Goodwood, and super close…read moreto the train & tram stops, this little park is a fabulous neighbour to the Unley Swimming pool, which shares the space. Old (out of date) reviews & pictures of the park mention the space is a little rundown, however this has all changed! The playground is only around 12 months old and is small but AWESOME! There are two trampolines built into the squishy soft-fall ground, along with a super-fun multi-person swing and a great rope climbing-frame. The slide is definitely more suited at younger children, but I come here with the 3-12 year-olds I work with and they all tend to find something to keep them entertained. In addition, the outdoor gym equipment has all been replaced in the last few months. I haven't used it, but it is all very new and looks like it offers more resistance and more of a work-out than the old stuff. As for the 'skate park', it's not huge, but should keep local teens (and the fully grown blokes I see on it often) entertained. Finally, older reviews also stated there was little shade. Again, this has changed. The shade is plentiful and is a mix of trees and sails/shade cloth. There are also two barbecues, one which is completely shaded. If you live in the area I highly recommend you check out this little beauty.

The park is cosied up between a train station, a tram line and a parking lot. You can't say it's…read morenot accessible..! There's a playground, skate park, basketball court, outdoor swimming centre, kiosk and a small selection of exercise machines. Needless to say the park accommodates a wide range of users. At the risk of sounding like a meathead (I'm not!) the exercise equipment is so easy it could only be useful for the elderly and frail. And it's located right beside the skate park... a slightly humorous combination! The bathroom, built into the swimming centre, is accessible from the outside. It's OK in an emergency. Dogs are permitted to run free, but only between 5pm and 10am. The setting is natural and full of native veg, but lacks shade. Depending on the season there will either be a lovely creek or a ditch running through the middle of the park. .

Cruickshank Reserve is a small park nestled amongst the suburban streets of Maylands, just accross…read morethe road from the Maylands pub. In the centre of the park is quite a nice ornate monument which is something of a feature. In addition to this there are a number of benches, a small playground and four tennis courts. Although small it is a really nice and peacable place, and considering the low level of traffic on the surrouding streets relatively safe for children.

There is a large oval and sporting club facing Hanson Road and this playground is around the back…read moreof the oval off Adele Street (easier for access too and less traffic than the other surrounding rouds). The playground is actually not too bad and has a couple of different things to most playgrounds, which tend to keep amused a longer if it is something they can't play on at every playground they go to. Plenty of shade over the area from the nearby tree's as well, at least there was in the afternoon when we visited this one. Not much else as far as water or toilets. And don't let that fence in the pic fool you - it is only about 20 metres long and only just in front of the playground. It is joined to nothing and would probably be more of a deterrent than a safety barrier of any sorts. But I guess it may buy you some extra time if one did try and run towards the road.

This is a delightful piece of paradise in a beautiful neighborhood. There are many ducks and birds…read moreto enjoy, and my family always likes to take a look. The new playground has a bird theme, but I think it might be a little too advanced for very young children. Kids aged 5 and older can use some parts of it, but certain areas can be quite high and hard to reach. Make sure to stroll along the outer path when you arrive, and get close to the water where the birds are. They waddle over to you, which is an amazing experience.

Thorndon Park Reservoir used to provide the water for the whole area, although is no longer used as…read morea water source these days. The surrounding recreation reserve is really well set out, with a long walk through carefully tended gardens going all round the reservoir set so picturesquely into the hillside. The grounds are huge, with excellent walking trails, and tons of space for family picnics and gatherings. Plenty of bbq's are available to support those gatherings, and there's a kiosk on weekends if you forget your picnic basket. There is a huge playground, all under shade cloth, with a steadily growing collection of equipment for the kids - including the Liberty Swing, a special swing for children in wheelchairs to ride, a nice touch although I'm yet to see it in use. There's a big spiders web on a stick for climbing, a number of swinging things that spin around (one with rather comfy chairs dangling from a frame shaped like two big bat wings - not that I'm a big kid at heart or anything), swings, see saws - there's hours of screaming and running around like a mad thing here, and then the kids can have fun on the playground too. :) There's fish in the water - mostly small minnows of some sort, but bigger fish can be spotted at times if you're feeding the ducks. Lots of trees provide shady areas for the picnic and bbq crowd - there's a few big structures and pavilions, too, if it's wet. BBQ's are electric and plentiful. Thorndon Park is used for a number of gatherings for the local community, including Campbelltown Proud Day, a celebration of all that there is in the local area, a big Christmas celebration starting with a parade and ending in fireworks and carols. This is one of my favourite spots for a stroll - many a time I stopped in on the way home from a hectic day in the office and had a wander right round the lake. Calm, peaceful and serene - a world apart from the kids playground on a busy weekend. Recommended.

Norman Street can't be beat! Well, actually it can...and it wouldn't be too hard. Considering the…read moreamount of space the playground takes up, the design could have been better to incorporate more activities. Nonetheless, this reserve has BBQ's and table/chair areas. Even though there is some tree shade there isn't any shelter. I didn't see a tap or drinking fountain in my travels while I was walking around the playground. *Dogs allowed* *BBQs* *Table/chairs*

The best thing about this reserve is if you go around the complete opposite side of the oval to…read morewhere the playground is there is a dirt BMX track! It's not massive but it's got a few mid range jumps and some good corners. We used to live down the road and the kids loved coming to this one. Ride their bikes down there, ride around the dirt track, then ride around the track around the oval and stop off at the playground for a bit, then back home. It provided for a great amount of varied exercise all in one outing. Plus gives it something a little different. Obviously the track would only be appropriate for children a little older and teens but even our youngest would ride down there and around the oval, just not on the dirt track.

Huge park located at the site of the Tea Tree Gully Council and library. Sferas function centre and…read morea cafe are also on the park. Civic park is a huge grassed area with a slight hill on 1 side, lots of trees, paths, a playground and events held throughout the year. The park is larger than most, so perfect for playing large games as an adult like soccer or footy. The playground is pretty cool, shady and always popular for Mums to meet at with their kids. The events here include carols by candlelight, old car meetings and a free moonlight cinema which is always full of deck chairs and beanbags. There is some parking on site, the obahn and unlicensed transport nearby and right across the road is Tea Tree Plaza, one of the largest shopping centers in the state.

Ol Civic park - that old chestnut! For people that live in the North East - mainly teenagers -…read moreknow this place for 'hanging out' and bless, I once had a teenage date there. Home to the 'Civic Park Spectacular' which is a firework and music show with names such as Vanessa Amarosi and Guy Sebastian gracing the stage, Civic park does have great events for families. During the day there are outdoor fitness classes like Step Into Life and tai chi keeping the park lively and people gather there to play soccer, football or look like angsty teens. Civic park has always been well maintained and houses a small carpark, a playground and toilets - like any park, just be careful around them at night time!

Yay! What a pleasant playground this is. The whole playground is fenced but there is a park (also…read morefenced to the road) where dogs can frollick during certain times of the day (See photos). This is quite a fun playground which would entertain quite a few age groups. There is a drinking fountain in the lawn park (where dogs are allowed). One of the biggest pluses for me is that the playground is under shade cloth sails!!!! Woohoo!! I love your work City of Unley!! *Dogs allowed in dog park, not in playground* *Drinking fountain in dog park*

This park is tucked out of the way, away from Greenhill Road, and is a bit of a secret find for…read moremany - even locals. I was a regular here with my kids for several years when we were living at Frewville, giving my wife a chance to study and giving the girls a run around in the fresh air, and we got a huge surprise when we returned not so long ago, just before Christmas, and found the fantastic renovations that had been done. McLeary Park always was a nice, safe, shady playground, with a quite elaborate climbing frame, almost a fort on stilts with a slide and netting to climb, and the spirit of that structure has been maintained with the more modern equipment in place now. There is still plentiful shade from the trees however the additional shade cloth is brilliant - I notice Unley and Burnside councils have made significant upgrades to a number of parks with shade and newer equipment. So, yet again, my kids had a ball here - three years older now, but just as enraptured. The only downside here is that there's no public convenience, so we had to pack up and head off to the nearby KFC for toilets. Other than that, beautiful place for a family picnic.