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A Train and a Tram at Both Ends of the Park
We went to Deepdene Park Playground in Melbourne’s east. It is only about 2 minutes from Balwyn.
The train and the tram can talk to each other across the playground, from one end to the other. I think that is a clever design.
The Train
The train is a tall climbing structure, built as a row of four carriages with a number on each one, from 1 to 4. The carriages are timber and dark metal, with wooden wheel panels on the sides.
They are joined by stairs and rope bridges, and a big climbing wall at carriage 4. At the front end sits a green steam locomotive. Two green slides come down from the carriages.
A large cream shade sail stretches over the top, which keeps the sun off the climbing frames. The ground is wood chip, and the edges are lined with big rocks.
The Tram
On the other side is the tram, a green carriage with a yellow roof and open sides, with benches inside and a rack of rings on the back wall. Next to it is a little wooden ticket booth with an arched sign that says Deepdene Express.
The Swings and the Spinner
The swing has a big arc, and our child loved it. There is also a spinner, a green wheel on top of a blue pole, and swings behind it, with the car park right beside the play area.
Why We Liked It
The park is fairly new, and there are not many people there on a normal day. We didn’t have to fight for a turn to “drive” the tram.
If our child still wanted more trams and trains, Wattle Park in Surrey Hills is about 10 minutes away. It is popular, and busier on weekends. For somewhere quiet and comfortable with fewer people, I would choose Deepdene Park.
Address: Deepdene Park Playground, Whitehorse Road, Deepdene (Balwyn area)
We also wrote about Hazelwood Park in Aintree, another Melbourne playground. More ideas are in our things-to-do directory.
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