Nature-based playground at Point Lookout, North Stradbroke Island
At Natureworks, we love turning kids onto the magic of nature, so we were thrilled to create sculptures for a marine themed playground. This nature based play space is at Headland Park in Point Lookout (Mulumba) at North Stradbroke Island (Minjerribah), fondly known as Straddie.
The playground was part of an upgrade at Headland Park that included car parks, picnic facilities and new marine themed playground equipment. Natureworks created a number of play features that reflect the local environment, including a shell cubby house, sea urchin seats, pipi shell steppers and a loggerhead turtle sculpture.
Art inspired by nature
When creating sculptures of animals, plants, rocks, shells or other natural objects, we start with inspiration from nature – naturally!
For this marine themed playground project, our artists used real shells as inspiration to create beautiful sculptures for the playground. The gallery below shows examples of objects and images that informed the designs.
Photo gallery – Natural inspiration sources for marine themed playground
Photo gallery – Creating the shell cubby house
After confirming what was needed, we applied a mix of creative and technical skills, natural history knowledge and experience of playground safety requirements to build the shell cubby and other sculptures. You can follow the creative process of creating the shell cubby in the photo gallery below, from initial inspiration and modelling to construction, sculpting and finishing.
Photo gallery – Sculpting sea urchin seats
The sea urchins were made by casting segments in heavy-duty fibreglass and joining them to form the completed sculptures. We finished them with a natural look that blends with the marine environment.
Photo gallery – Making the pipi shells
These beautiful pipi shell sculptures reflect the playground’s marine theme and act as steppers or small seats. A pipi is a small bivalve mollusc common around Straddie and found at other sandy beaches in Australia (read more about pipis).
These photographs show the pipi shells at various stages of production, from fibreglass mould and casting through to finishing.
Photo gallery – Realistic loggerhead turtle sculpture
Our play sculpture of a loggerhead turtle was a natural choice for this marine themed playground. The oceans around North Stradbroke Island contain 6 of the world’s 7 species of sea turtles. Loggerhead turtles, an endangered species, nest annually on beaches not far from the playground. Learn about Straddie’s native marine turtles here.
The heavy-duty fibreglass turtle sculpture is easily climbable by young children. Its presence in the playground reminds young and old to preserve our wonderful natural ecosystems.
Project details
| Client | Landscape Solutions, for Redland City Council |
| Project | Marine themed playground sculptures for Headland Park |
| Audience | Families with children, local residents and tourists |
| Location | Headland Park, Point Lookout, North Stradbroke Island, QLD 4813 (see map) |
| Date | 2022 |
| Related products | Marine life, Loggerhead Turtle, Playground theming |
| Related catalogues | Child’s Play, Marine & Sea Life |
| Similar projects | Gold Coast marine play sculptures, Dreamtime themed nature playground, Water playground in WA, Caterpillar playground sculpture |
Nature based play spaces connect kids to nature
Creative play sculptures inspired by Mother Nature help to turn children onto the wonders of the natural world, especially when set in a beautiful environment such as North Stradbroke Island.
If you want to create a unique, nature-inspired play space or visitor attraction, ask us for ideas! We can provide a custom playground and water park design service, or advise on products that will work with your design in the most cost-effective way.
Contact Natureworks to discuss your vision for a playground, childcare centre, leisure facility, educational display or tourist attraction.
