The Canalside Playground

Right beside the canal in Ballina, this little playground punches above its weight for the under-8 crowd. The zipline is the main draw — kids will queue for it — but there’s also a solid set of swings and slides to keep everyone busy. After they’ve worn themselves out, the path along the canal is genuinely lovely for a stroll, and the bike track nearby makes it easy to turn the whole thing into a proper afternoon out. Parking is handy, which always helps when you’ve got small ones in tow.