A beautiful nature playground for the local community
Natureworks were commissioned by landscape architects at RPS Group to provide nature play products for a new community park. Located at the Huntington Rise estate in the Gold Coast hinterland, the playground is called Gibirrngaan Park, which means ‘Black Snake Park’. If you see the giant sculpture of a red-bellied black snake you’ll see how the park got its name!
Bringing nature to life
The nature playground is inspired by the rocky creek lines and leafy timbered surrounds of the residential estate. It is designed to encourage children to engage in nature play.
Catering for children of all ages, the park includes contemporary dreamtime totems, play sculptures, shelters, picnic benches, scooter and bike tracks and balance columns.
There are also dinosaur eggs to explore and a fossil dig to delight young archaeologists or palaeontologists!
Photos of the nature playground
Encouraging children to explore
As well as sculpting the giant snake, Natureworks provided artificial basalt columns for children to climb on and practice their balancing skills. Simple features like these encourage different sorts of active play.
To reflect the prehistoric Dreamtime theme, Natureworks supplied dinosaur eggs to play on and a fossil dig to delight young archaeologists or palaeontologists! Fossil digs are an excellent way of engaging children in quiet, creative play as a balance to more energetic activities. The fossil of a dinosaur is mounted under the sand, waiting to be discovered through careful digging by little hands. The sandpit doubles as a great general play area.
Project scope
For this project, Natureworks supplied the following:
- Giant Red-Bellied Black Snake
- Set of 3 Dinosaur Eggs
- Fossil Dig
- Artificial Timber Poles
- Columnar Stepping Stone Rocks
Project details
| Client | RPS Group |
| Project | Gibirrngaan Park (Black Snake Park) |
| Target audience | Local residents and visitors with children of all ages |
| Location | Green Court, Maudsland, QLD 4210 (see map) |
| Date | 2020 |
| Related products | Giant Red-bellied Black Snake, Dinosaur Eggs, Fossil Dig, Basalt Stepping Stone Columns |
| Related catalogues | Child’s Play, Prehistoric Fossil Digs, Prehistoric Fossils, Bones & Eggs; Big Things |
| Similar projects | National Zoo Adventureland, Jungle Adventure Play, Gumbuya Wildlife Park Critter Cave, Aboriginal warrior statues at Murrook Culture Centre |
Project case study
"We are thrilled with the result. I have been looking forward to taking my daughter and she had a great time – she loved the red-bellied black snake!"
Nature playground design and play equipment
Nature-based play is a great way for children to learn about the world around them. As the earth’s habitats are increasingly under threat, we want to encourage future generations to engage with nature. To support this aim, Natureworks produces a range of child-friendly animal art, climb-on play equipment and nature-themed furniture. We have a number of Australian playground certified products, but many others can be provided to meet those specifications where needed. We ensure products that will be climbed on are strong enough for the purpose and can advise on other safety or practical considerations.
The Natureworks team loves working with landscape architects, developers, project managers, councils, childcare centres, schools or others who want to create sustainable, engaging play spaces. We provide a custom playground design service if you need it, and our years of experience give us a deep understanding of playground safety.
For ideas on creating nature playgrounds, or quotes for specific sculptures and playground products, call Natureworks on 07 3289 7555 or email us at [email protected].
