Mataura Marks New Era Of Play With Splash Pad Opening

It’s time to make a splash in Mataura as stage two of the Tulloch Park redevelopment is celebrated at a grand opening on Saturday 5 April.

A new splash pad and Exeloo toilets have been added to the site, joining the full-sized basketball courts and pump track installed last year as part of stage one.
Related: Major Revamp For Te Anau Play Spaces

Gore District Council parks and recreation manager Keith McRobie said the splash pad and toilets are an exciting addition to the redevelopment.

The splash pad is an area fitted with a non-slip surface and various nozzles and features that can shower, spray, rain, mist and shoot streams of water.

Sometimes called a zero-depth pool, the play space includes a shower dome, water arc, splash buckets, a water helix and rocket streams, all designed for safe, inclusive water play, he said.

"The splash pad is a safe and fun way of enjoying water for all ages," McRobie said.

Water from the play area will be recycled and treated on-site, making water use sustainable.

With the addition of new fencing along the main road, families will be able to enjoy the space without worrying about children wandering off, he said.

The splash pad and toilets have been built in Mataura following the closure of the swimming pool in 2017. Funding from the Better Off Funding scheme, the Tourism Infrastructure Fund and the Lotteries Community Facilities Fund have helped create what McRobie describes as a “gold-standard” water play area.

“We’ve been extremely fortunate with the support this project has received from outside agencies. What we’re getting is Rolls Royce. The splash pad is gold standard, the toilets are gold standard and the basketball courts are gold standard.”

“The Mataura Community Board have been working on this for almost a decade and we’re pleased that everyone’s hard work has paid off.”

The splash pad will be opened on Saturday 5 April with a family fun day from 1:00pm to 4:00pm.

A barbecue and activity trailers from Active Southland and the YMCA will be on-site, along with the Eastern Southland Basketball Tournament taking place on the courts.