Balloons, face painting and sporting demonstrations on and off the water will all be on offer at Kulim Park in Ōtūmoetai from 1pm-4pm on Saturday May 7 to help celebrate the completion of the park upgrade.

It will also be an opportunity for those who haven't checked out the new playground, basketball court and shared pathways to come along and give it a go.

The family fun day will be hosted by Tauranga City Council, which has been working with mana whenua and the Ōtūmoetai community over the past 10 years to come up with a design that caters for all ages and abilities.

'The final park design approved by Council is referred to as the ‘residents' design'. Some people in the community have literally put in 100 hours of their own time – unpaid - to contribute to the finished park that we've got now - that's something you've really got to take your hat off to,” says Tauranga City Council Spaces and Places Planning and Design Manager Doug Spittle.

Kulim Park playground. Photo: Tauranga City Council.

Cultural design features are woven into the park, including the patterns on the playground surface and 3x3 basketball court. New signage will also be installed telling the cultural stories of the area.

Ōtūmoetai is of high significance to mana whenua as a traditional fishing location and favoured landing place for waka. The flat land in the area was used extensively for gardens. Ōtūmoetai land was confiscated after the battles of Gate Pā and Te Ranga in 1878 and sold to private ownership.

Kulim Park was first established in 1950 when Bureta Farm was subdivided for residential housing. The owners of the farm, Walter Rushton and brothers George and John Sickling, gifted about one hectare at the north-west corner of the farm 'for children's recreation.”

Kulim Park playground. Photo: Tauranga City Council.

The park was formally blessed by a representative from Ngāi Tamarāwaho in December 2021 to mark the opening of the playground.

As well as a new playground and basketball court, the upgrade includes accessible picnic tables and bike stands, safety improvements to the car park, new planting, and new shared pathways for pedestrians and cyclists. Some of the features from the existing park have remained, including the original green slide, the petanque court and the active aging gym.

The park upgrade is part of Council's plan to create a more accessible and connected city with a network of shared pathways for cyclists and pedestrians, as well as providing a special place for whānau to come and enjoy.

Kulim Park's original green slide has been included in the new design, working in with new cultural design features on the playground and basketball court surfaces.. Photo: John Borren.

'This will be a valuable connection which will allow for better movement around this part of the city. It also provides an opportunity for locals, Tauranga residents and visitors to our city to picnic, paddle and play while taking in the stunning views across the harbour to Rangiwaea, Matakana Island and Mauao,” says Doug.

As well as balloons, face painting and sporting demonstrations there will be ice cream and coffee carts and a sausage sizzle available on the day. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own reusable coffee cups to reduce the amount of waste going to landfill.

Doug Spittle, John Little and Clinton Bowyer at Kulim Park. Photo: John Borren.

'With our fantastic new shared pathways also completed, we'd love for people to walk or cycle to the event if they can rather than bringing their cars, which will also help to reduce congestion in the carpark and surrounding streets,” says Doug.

For more detailed information on the upgrade, including the design, visit www.tauranga.govt.nz/kulimpark

What: Family fun day, Kulim Park, Ōtūmoetai hosted by Tauranga City Council

When: 1pm-4pm, Saturday May 7 (rain day Saturday May 14)