Kawakawa Playground

If you’re passing through Kawakawa and need somewhere to stop with kids in tow, this one’s worth knowing about. The shade sail over the play area is genuinely useful — it makes a real difference on a hot Northland day. There’s open grass for older kids to burn off energy while the littles do their thing in the play area, and the picnic tables mean you can actually sit down and eat like a human being. Clean toilets too, which, if you’ve travelled with kids, you know is not something to take for granted. It’s right in town, so grabbing a coffee or popping into a shop before or after is easy enough.