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.

This playground seems a little disjointed. There's a very small toddler playground near the tennis…read morecourts and a larger playground under shade cloth that is designed for older children. There's a rotunda area that you could set up with table and chairs although there is a table/chair in the sun just outside of the rotunda. There is also a BBQ in that same area. There is a lot of space here so if you brought bikes, they would definitely get some use, although the area is quite hilly so little ones might need to be supervised. The shaded playground is a great set up. There's a lot of different equipment for older children and would suit Primary School aged children. In my view, it's a shame the two playgrounds aren't closer together, at least on the same hill. There are toilets at the beginning of the park...not too far for little children to walk but it is right next to the car park. I'm not sure what Burnside Council has against putting in drinking fountains, but here's another playground without one. *Dogs allowed* *BBQ* *Rotunda* *Tennis Courts* *Shaded playground for older children* *Toilet block*

Meath Avenue Reserve is a spacious park in Athelstone - the kids playground is simply equipped, and…read morevery well shaded. My kids love to stop here to burn off some energy whenever they get the chance. No facilities for a BBQ but lots of picnic space. No toilets, either, unfortunately. The grounds are well kept, free of litter and junk. Good place for a gathering that's off the main roads.

I don't mind a bit of history from time to time, especially when it regarding the best Cricketer…read morethat has ever swung a bat! Thats right The Don! What does this have to do with Kensington Gradens Reserve? Well, The Don lived adjacent the reserve for much of his older life, and you can even check out the Bradman Trail, that tours around the area! The Don aside, Kensington Gardens Reserve is a really 'pretty' place, with numerous sporting ovals, Tennis courts and more trees than you would find lining the amazon! Also within the boundary of the reserve is a Kindergarton, Marching/Scottish Band headquarters and, of course, the Kensington Marryatville Bowling Club. You can really lose yourself for quite some time in the park, and it is well worthwhile doing so! There is also a playground and randomly scattered pockets of play equipment for the little tykes (of the biguns who may have indulged a bit too much at a picnic).

This review is solely for the playground. I have to admit, I was super excited to check this park…read moreout. I knew it had won awards and I knew there was a lot of effort put into making the adventure park, but I have to say, I didn't think it was all that spectacular. Perhaps the gazillion playgrounds I've visited since writing for Yelp has blurred my vision a bit. Don't get me wrong, this place is fun but in terms of equipment, there isn't as much here as other places. I do like the set up though. It's pretty. There's a mix of rubber and bark chip flooring and many of the play structures certainly are unlike anything I've seen at any of the other playgrounds I've reviewed for Yelp. There's plenty here to entertain the curious mind of children, but I thought there would be more physical/challenging/engaging equipment. Check it out and see what you think. *Dogs allowed (must be on leash)* *BBQ* *Table/chair areas under shade of trees* *Toilets near by*

Koster Reserve at Trinity Gardens is a beautiful public park with an interesting history. I have to…read moreclaim up front that I have a special affinity with this place because my Great Grandfather was Johann Carl Koster - aka the dude who built the big brick kiln sitting in the middle of the park. The appeal of this park is that its not on any main roads so it's a little on the 'safer' side for kids. Most of the park is unfenced but there is a kids play area with swings and climbing equipment that's completely fenced and gated. This area is actually on the site of the old Koster family house that once stood there. There's also a rather large brick toilet block on the same spot and there are BBQ facilities and a shaded seating area. So what about that big old kiln in the middle of the park? Where did it come from and why is it there? Its actually a leftover from an old pottery works known as Premier Pottery that was established on the site back in 1880. They used to make a variety of jars, jugs, bowls and flower pots and at one stage even made ceramic electric kettles. In 1912 old Johann died and the business was carried on by his sons but at some stage in the mid 1900's a so called 'wayward accountant' took off with the company's funds and Premier Pottery went bust. The land from the pottery works was donated to the Council and in 1985 they turned the site into a public park and that's how it remains today complete with one of the original bottlenose kilns resplendent in its National Trust status.

I've a friend whose last name is Koster, but whose first name is Josh, which is basically the John…read moreSmith of our generation. So we call him Koster. We found a park named after him and hosted a birthday bash for him there. We arrived and I was hit with a wave of nostalgia. This was MY park. I used to visit it ALL the time as a youngster. How did I recognise it? Was it the playground? No. (For all I know it's changed since I'd been there last.) Was it the smell of the grass? No. It was the tower. Don't chuckle. I call it a tower. Because when I was a kid, that's what it was. It was a mysterious tower whose door was always locked. We never knew what was inside it, but we let our memories run rampant. Parents, here's a Mario tip: if your kids come up asking you what the tower is, for the love of Pete! indulge them. I've never been too fond of having your kid believe in a jolly, round man who invades homes through chimneys, but if you're going to make the effort for THAT charade, make the effort for something cooler. Because that structure will remain, for the rest of my life, in the yonder of my memories, a mysterious tower.

Lovell Reserve is an excellent little park just off Gorge Road in Athelstone. It features popular…read moretennis courts (including the obligatory basketball hoops on the sides), a spacious, shaded childrens playground, barbecues, a drinking fountain and a small toilet block. There's lots of room to spread out, and you can easily drive in to the park to unload vehicles to save trips back and forth. My kids absolutely adore the playground here - it's not the biggest or the best around Adelaide, but it is nice and new, in very good condition, there's a good variety of equipment, it's so well shaded they can play there pretty much any time of day, it's a few minutes stroll from home, and it's never crowded but there's often company there to play with. All round, Lovell Reserve is a bit of a winner.