With more than 120 parks in the Ōrākei Local Board area, it can be difficult to choose where to go! We’ve been catching up with local board members to share their favourite spots.
Margaret Voyce has been on the board for five years, and is a passionate advocate for our environment and green spaces.
She tells us why Churchill Park on Riddell Road, Glendowie is one of the local gems.
Margaret Voyce doing conservation work in Churchill Park.
What do you like about it?
The history of the park is interesting, it was a golf course in the 1940’s, and one of the Treaty of Waitangi signings was nearby in Karaka Bay.
The size of the park (around 110 acres) is impressive, and the park is diverse – home to an Enviro School and an urban pastural farm where cattle can be seen grazing.
The views from different ridges of the park are spectacular. The lookout boasts stunning 360 views spanning right out to the Hauraki Gulf, over to Half Moon Bay and beyond (to the Coromandel), up and over Glendowie and St Heliers, and finally to the Sky Tower and the Waitakere Ranges.
Who would you recommend it to?
Parents with school age children, dog walkers (there’s a large off leash area), those interested in sports (due to the established tennis club and bowling club), enviro individuals and groups, and people who like to ‘roam’ for its fantastic expansive areas.
What amenities does it have?
The park has many different entries and pathways, as well as a large grassy area beside the school which is almost like an amphitheatre. It is home to a bowling club, tennis club, Scout hall, kindergarten, school, and a city farm with stock yards.
Tell us a memory you have from this park?
Planting trees there and helping the local environment. It was also a favourite place of mine to take a walk during Covid.
Interesting activity?
Great for a family walk along the ‘pink pathway’ to view the native tuna (eels).
What would you recommend visitors to the park take with them?
There are no shops nearby, so it’s a good idea to take a snack and water bottle. Sturdy footwear is also recommended as there are a mixture of different pathways, ranging from smooth to rugged.
Accessibility notes:
Churchill Park is more suited to those who are capable/efficient walkers.
Stay up to date
Sign up for the Ōrākei Local Board e-newsletter and get the monthly update straight to your inbox, or follow us on Facebook.
