Timona Park and Oroua River Walk, Feilding

By Erin Evis

Feilding has a number of fantastic childfriendly attractions, and Timona Park is definitely one of them. Expansive sports fields surround an excellent children’s playground, featuring a multi-tiered series of tunnel slides built down a hill - perfect for bigger kids - and plenty of swings, roundabouts, and see-saws for the younger ones. Our children absolutely love visiting, although they do find the slides a little intimidating, so perhaps leave those for the older ones or be prepared to slide too!!

Timona Park is situated alongside the beautiful Oroua River, and in Summer, when the water is safe and clear and warm, you are able to swim in the shallow, stony waters. There is ample room for picnicking under the trees, making it a great place for a day out. It’s also a lovely starting point for a walk along the river through Feilding, with the pathways mostly sealed, and easily navigable with a buggy. The walkway is flat, though some parts follow the road through the wider Timona Park sports fields, so you need to watch out for cars. Some areas are quite stony, but a large section behind the industrial estate has been recently revamped with soft, smooth sand. You can go as far as you like, eventually ending up at the rail bridge and then the eastern part of Waughs Rd/SH54.

The river is very peaceful and soothing to meander along, with plenty of trees and plants for children to explore and perfect places for a summer or winter picnic, away from the bustling crowds

- you feel like you’re somewhere in the countryside, yet only a few minutes’ walk from town and a main highway. Our kids loved looking at the different plants (helps that Mum is a herbalist!), wildlife, playing hide and seek along the path, and trying to figure out what the various factories were that we could see. When we finally made it to the railway bridge, our eldest was awestruck looking up through the sleepers, hoping desperately that a train would go overhead! Our youngest, on the other hand, wasn’t quite so impressed, having nodded off in the carrier for a very unusual day nap, lulled by the peaceful surroundings.

This is a really lovely walk and a fantastic park for families to spend a day exploring.