Caroline Bay Unveils CPlay : A Monumental Inclusive Playground Culmination
After a journey spanning over 5 years, the CPlay volunteers are thrilled to announce the opening of its transformative destination playground, Caroline Bay. Conceived by Owen Jackson (OJ), inspired by the Margaret Mahy playground in Christchurch, the project aims to provide an inclusive space for the entire community, fun, meaningful and challenging. Initially sparked by a desire to address the outdated facilities, particularly for children requiring wheelchair access, CPlay helped transform the old Caroline Bay Playground into one of the Southern Hemisphere's largest playgrounds at the time of opening (including the bike skills park, paddling pool, courts and skate park) boasting a unique blend of Māori and European story and heritage-inspired features.
Navigating challenges including the impact of Covid-19 and a funding shortfall, the dedicated team, largely comprised of passionate volunteers, collaborated with the Timaru District Council and key sponsors to bring the ambitious vision to life. The playground not only caters to diverse age groups but also tells the local story through its bespoke features, including a 14.5m long shipwreck, 10m high lighthouse, 50m tandem double flying fox, Whare, giant Ike Tuna “eel,” and more. Designed to reflect the region's environment, heritage, and culture, CPlay aims to be a vibrant hub for families and visitors alike, fostering community connection and learning through play. The grand opening on Sunday 10th December 2023 promises a unique celebration featuring a ceremony with volunteers and Deputy Mayor Scott Shannon, an obstacle course challenge between the Police and Fire & Emergency NZ, and a lolly scramble for children from noon to 2 pm.
CPlay Media Contact:
Owen Jackson (OJ)
Roselyn Fauth
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From Left athe back: Leanne Prendeville, Louise Haley, Roselyn Fauth, Chris Fauth, Brent Birchfield, Alice Brice Grant, and Vicki Gould. Front Row: Lynette Wilson, Owen Jackson (OJ), Francine Spencer, and Sarah Dumicich-Mills. Absent: Graham Ward and John Rushton.
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After more than 5 years since the idea was first born the new destination playground at Caroline Bay in Timaru will finally open.
Affectionately known as CPlay the project was created by Owen Jackson “OJ” who was inspired by the Margaret Mahy playground in Christchurch and has gone on to act as the projects chairperson.
“With having young children we spent a lot of time down at Caroline Bay but although the playground has served the community well over a long period of time I felt it was really no longer fit for purpose and certainly didn’t cater for children who required wheelchair access,” says Jackson. “It just took a few conversations and I could tell there was a real appetite to create an exciting new inclusive destination playground that would benefit the whole community”. It didn’t take long to get an equally passionate team of volunteers together and form a committee.
Owen says, “We are all just parents, grandparents and people who love our district and when we first began this journey none of us knew anything about how to build playgrounds, so we reached out to the council, who gave us their blessing and support, and then got to it”.
After meeting with various NZ playground providers the team settled on The Playground Centre to help them develop the playground and then got busy talking to the community.
CPlay volunteer, Chris Fauth, says “Talking to, and working alongside, diverse sectors of our community was a key feature of our project. Hearing what was important to potential users of all ages, interests and abilities drove our design decisions throughout, and many elements of the playground directly reflect input from community members.”
There were many challenges along the way including navigating through the turmoils of Covid while in the midst of fundraising.
Owen says that the sheer size of the playground area which makes it the largest in the Southern Hemisphere meant a large portion of the budget had to go into the surfacing areas and costs escalated dramatically during Covid. “There were absolutely a few sleepless nights for the fundraising team and then we found ourselves with a shortfall of nearly $800k from the initial $2.2m we thought it would take to complete the project. It took a tremendous amount of hard work to get back on track and secure the funding we needed but we got there which was hugely satisfying”.
The CPlay design team has come up with a playground that will be enjoyed for many generations to come.
CPlay volunteer, John Rushton said that the design brief was for the playground to be accessible and challenging for all which lead to a gradient of play activities. “The thing that I have loved most about being involved as the Lead Design with the CPlay Caroline Bay Playground was the opportunity for the equipment and landscaping design that honours, acknowledges and reflects the place and story of the people of our region.”
CPlay volunteer, Roselyn Fauth, says, “This was a unique opportunity to tell our local story through playground equipment, surfacing and reproductions of art on signage. I think art gives a unique way of sharing stories that people can connect to in their own way to inspire imaginative play and feelings of fun and cultural inclusivity.”
Roselyn worked alongside fellow CPlay volunteer, Francine Spencer, from Te Runanga O Arowhenua to help bring the European and Māori heritage stories to life. “The new playground has been inspired by the sea and some of the local creation stories. You’ll be able to learn and reflect on how Māori and European settlers made Te Tihi-o-Maru, Timaru, an important stop on their journey, and their home." says Francine. A special taniwha design was created by Spencer, and Creo digitised her drawing to incorporate into the playground surfacings. Spencer and Fauth also colaborated on tukutuku panels (a traditional latticework used to decorate meeting houses) to place inside the whare sharing stories and the values of the playground project.
The playground has a number of bespoke features that are a part of the Timaru district's story including a 14.5m long shipwreck, a 10m high lighthouse, a 50m tandem double flying fox, floor is lava obstical course, a Whare and a giant Ike Tuna “eel” amongst all the other things you’d expect to find in a playground including swings, slides, a mouse wheel, an obstacle course and so much more.
Roselyn says, “all these playful elements connect to our environment, heritage and culture". They can help us reflect and offer critical thinking and provide an interesting way to help our community and visitors learn and connect while they play. The bespoke play equipment, surfacing design and art all help to inspire imaginative play. The ultimate goal is to see kids leading the play with their imaginations and having the parents follow them in the fun, this we are told is one of the most meaningful types of play".
John says the playground provides so many layers for people to discover, “the formation of the land and its changing form over time is reflected in the pour and play surfacing, with the lava formation through to the fields of today. The paths and swales weave in and out of each other reflecting the braided rivers. This really is a playground by the people, for the people and of its people.”
As a destination playground it is hoped that as well as catering for the local community it will also attract visitors from outside the district who want a fun and free place to bring their families.
Nigel Davenport is the Chief Executive of Venture Timaru and he believes that CPlay with have fantastic spinoffs for local business. "As one of our district's biggest assets Caroline Bay is going to be enhanced significantly by the addition of a modern and locally themed playground which will not only be great for our wider community but will act as an awesome and unique visitor attraction."
And the Timaru District Mayor, Nigel Bowen is equally enthusiastic about the opening. “Caroline Bay is one of our district's best attractions and it’s been exciting to be backing the creation of a high quality new play space for residents and visitors. Timaru District has always been an incredibly family friendly place, and this great new asset will be enjoyed by kids for years to come.”
The project has continually evolved over its lifespan and many challenges have been overcome in the process but with the opening day for the public just a matter of days away it all feels like the hard work and dedication have been worth it.
Roselyn Fauth says that during the construction phase one of the biggest considerations was working with the high water table, and getting the mounds right. “We were surrounded by a great team of contractors who were great at collaborating to find solutions to make sure they were practical and strong. For me I found the solutions gave us big silver linings that ended up really enhancing what we set out to achieve.”
Another win on the project was the ability to recycle the 29 year old rubber surfacing from the old playground at Creo's Oamaru Recycling plant and re-used in the new playgrounds safety surfacing. CPlay was proud to be the first playground in the country to be able to do this, skip the landfill and re-use.
Some of the equipment was removed and re-sited back into the playground including the rope pyramid and the iconic yellow horse that dates back to the 1961. The old playground equipment went back to the Timaru District Council. They will determine which items they will refurbish and re-use in other playgrounds in the district.
For CPlay chairperson, Owen Jackson, it brings to the end an unforgettable journey of self discovery about what a community can achieve when everyone pulls together for a common goal. “None of our team had any experience in putting together a project of this magnitude and we couldn’t have done it without our project manager Graham Ward who guided us through the uncertainty and into the light on so many occasions”.
Owen says this project needed huge community support to get it over the line and the benefits to our well being are going to be immeasurable.
“Firstly CPlay would like to the Timaru District Council for allowing us to work in partnership with them and act as our primary sponsor, but we’d also like to thank our major platinum sponsors, Community Trust Mid & South Canterbury, Trust Aoraki, Pub Charities and Lotteries NZ. Our diamond sponsors, Hilton Haulage, Yili/Oceania Dairy, Rotary Club of Timaru, Timaru Civic Trust and also our key contractors Playground Centre, Creo and Rooney Earthmoving.
We had so much support from other businesses and families whose names you will see up in the playground and we are humbled and incredibly grateful that you believed in us and gave us your hard earned money and time to create an epic playspace where we can all learn, grow and connect.”
CPlay will open officially to the public on Sunday from Midday - 2pm with a short ceremony featuring the CPlay volunteers and Deputy Mayor Scott Shannon, followed by an obstacle course challenge between the Police and Fire & Emergency NZ and then a lolly scramble for the kids.
CPlay Media Contact:
Owen Jackson (OJ)
Roselyn Fauth
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Drone photo a few weeks before completion - Photo South Canterbury Drone Photography
Drone photo of the new Caroline Bay Playground in Timaru District - Jack Rushton
CPlay volunteer Chris Fauth tries out the slide with daughter Medinella Fauth (9) - Photo Geoff Cloake
CPlay volunteers children testing out the 1961 horse that was rennovated and resited back into the new playground - Photo Geoff Cloake
Annabelle Fauth (5 yrs) looks for her artwork in the community mural that was organised by the Aigantighe Art Gallery, over 240 tiles were painted by local kids and families to remember the old playground and celebrate the new. - Photo Roselyn Fauth
CPlay chair, Owen Jackson (OJ) infront of the 10m high lighthouse slide tower. - Photo Roselyn Fauth
CPlay Volunteer Francine Spencer with the taniwha design that she gifted to the playground - Photo Roselyn Fauth
Crown goes on the lighthouse by Curle Contracting for the Playground Centre - Photo Geoff Cloake
The bespoke 14.5m long shipwreck designed by The Playground Centre with the CPlay team - Photo Roselyn Fauth
Constructing the mound - Photo Roselyn Fauth
The mound under construction by Rooney Earthmoving, which provided a 1/12 gradient access up to the lighthouse and ship poop deck. - Photo Roselyn Fauth
Kids watch the shipwreck beign lowered into place - Photo Roselyn Fauth
Watching concrete paths being poured - Medinella Fauth (8yrs) - Photo Roselyn Fauth
CPlay project manager Graham Ward with Timaru District Council Parks Manager Bill Steans survey the earthworks progress - Photo Roselyn Fauth
CPlay project manager Graham Ward with CPlay Volunteer Chris Fauth and Rooney Earthmoving contractor, survey the earthworks progress - Photo Roselyn Fauth
CPlay Design Team , John Rushton, Graham Ward, Roselyn Fauth and Chris Fauth
Earthworks of the Floor is Lava and Rush to the Rescue areas - Photo Roselyn Fauth
Contractors devise the plan together for a meeting on site - Photo Roselyn Fauth
Some of the CPlay committee celebrate the start of the playground construction by helping to remove the old rubber surfacing
Fundraising over covid - Photo Roselyn Fauth
A render of the ligthouse slide tower and shipwreck - Playground Centre
CPlay volunteer Roselyn Fauth stands infront of the famous Timaru Blackett Lighthouse and holds the plans on her phone for the new slide tower that was inspired by it - Photo Keely Kroening
Team work on the design, John Rushton and Francine Spencer discuss the plans for the whare - Photo Roselyn Fauth
CPlay team and playground centre working together on the plans - Photo Roselyn Fauth
Committee planning the brief after lots of community consulation - Photo Roselyn Fauth
Standing on the old playground Owen Jackson with daughter Ruby - Photo Roselyn Fauth
Size of Timaru District Council's Caroline Bay Park
Fire and Emergency team ready to race Sunday 10th Playground Party - Photo Roselyn Fauth
Timaru's police team practice for the big race against the fire and emergency at Sunday's playground race. - Photo Roselyn Fauth
An amazing timelapse that has been photographed and compiled by Jack Rushton. It's amazing to see what has been acheived from April to December 2023