After going through an upgrade, Putarri Avenue Reserve was reopened in December 2020 and is ready for play! With a great kids’ play area, exercise equipment, a bike track and room for picnics galore, you’ll find something for every member of the family.
Wondering what’s waiting for you at Putarri Avenue Reserve in St Ives? I took my three kids, Cassie (6), Vivi (4) and Elliot (2) for a drive to check it out. Here’s what we found!
Getting to Putarri Reserve
Getting to Putarri Reserve is a nice and easy drive. It’s just down the road from St Ives Shopping Village, so you can stop in on your way home and pick up some lunch for the whole family.
Parking is plentiful on both Rosedale Road and Putarri Avenue. There’s also a gate into the playground on both streets, so you can easily get the kids in and out without too much walking next to the road with all the bikes (yes, there’s a bike track to make use of!).
Elliot and Cassie riding into the park
Setting up a picnic
There’s a huge grassed area in the middle of the playground, which is the perfect spot to set up a picnic (exactly what we did). Around this grassed area is the looped bike track, so it’s nice and accessible and easy to keep an eye on the kids while they cycle/ride around.
So much space for a picnic
All the kid’s play equipment is on the other side of this bike track, set out in almost a loop around the outside. Once again, it makes it so easy to see where the kids are at all time and keep an eye on them while you sit back and enjoy a picnic with friends.
We met another family at the park with their two-year-old son and had a lovely afternoon together. There were plenty of groups around us, getting out and enjoying the sun just like us.
Bike & Scooter track around Putarri Reserve
This has to be a highlight of the park. Vivi (4) has just learnt how to ride without training wheels. So far, she has really only been on our street, so this was a big adventure for her. The loop track is so nice and easy for kids and very forgiving as well.
Vivi was still getting used to navigating corners and quite frequently found herself on the grass and making her way back onto the track. She was able to do this all on her own as we sat back and watched (helping her out with a couple of falls throughout the afternoon).
Vivi riding around the picnic spot
She honestly barely got off the track. Even when it got a bit busier in the later afternoon, there was still plenty of space for kids to ride off-track to avoid collisions, while also missing all the picnics taking place in the middle.
All the kids had a blast, jumping on scooters, bikes and trikes throughout the afternoon, breaking up the playground play.
Play area for kids
The play area wraps around the bike track and is broken up into two seating areas. Both of these are undercover.
Undercover seating area
Coming from Putarri Avenue, you walk in and on the left there are two swing sets. One of them has a big circle netted swing and two older kid swings, then the second set has two toddler swings. Something for everyone! These are nice and spread out and there is plenty of space.
Swings
You then come around to the tables undercover, before it wraps around to a large snail statue. A clear highlight for all the kids, who had great fun taking it in turns to sit on top.
Taking turns on the snail statue
There’s also some great nature play with a pile of logs for kids to climb over, under and balance on top of.
Nature play fun!
The spinning wheel was another favourite (my kids always love these).
Spinning around with friends
At the other end, there is a climbing set complete with a rock-climbing wall, two slides, a bridge and more.
Cassie on the rock climbing wall
Big climbing set
Elliot on the slide
Exercise area
Here’s the best part, there’s even an exercise area for those keen parents who want to work out while their kids play!
Cassie testing out the exercise area
Of course, the kids wanted to climb all over this as well. But that’s what being a parent is all about.
Essential Details: Putarri Reserve
- Where: 30 Putarri Ave, St Ives NSW 2075
- Toilets: No
- Sunshade: There are some tables undercover & a shade cloth over part of the playground
- Enclosed: Yes!
- Seats: Two sets of benches undercover, plus plenty of picnic space
- Nearby Refreshments: St Ives Shopping Centre is nearby
