Use this map to find the parks or reserves near you.
Looking for playgrounds? Use the Recreation map
Saxton Field is a spectacular 65-hectare park with superb sporting, events, and recreation facilities. Located on the border of its joint owners, Nelson and Tasman District Councils, Saxton Field is the premier sports venue for the region.
Learn more about everything this world-class facility has to offer.
Unlike some areas such as Auckland and Wellington, we don't have a specific bylaw about fireworks on public land. However, we do have some areas that are covered in other policies and bylaws.
Under our Reserves Act, fireworks are not permitted to be let off in our parks and reserves – unless it is an organised event that has prior Council approval and follows certain rules.
Beaches are different and there are no rules that restrict the use of fireworks on our beaches. Under the Tasman Resource Management Plan, fireworks are allowed on Tasman beaches, as they are a permitted activity.
If you are planning to let off fireworks, it’s important to check FENZ rules to ensure there is no fire ban in place before you get started – you can do this here – https://www.checkitsalright.nz/
FENZ also have some helpful tips to ensure you do things safely – https://www.checkitsalright.nz/reduce-your-risk/fireworks.
Please stay safe and consider those around you.
Take a closer look to some of the great places to play around our District.
Exciting, shiny and new equipment has been installed at Coach Place Reserve in Brightwater.
It’s part of a rolling programme of enhancing play facilities to accommodate the recent growth in the Brightwater community and was funded by Reserves Financial Contributions and not from rates.
Reserves Financial Contributions are charges paid by development, like subdivisions and/or building, to cover costs associated with that development.
These charges help pay for roads, solid waste, sewerage, water supply, stormwater infrastructure, and in this case, reserves and community facilities.
In this upgrade, we installed a Kompan Rigel which is a large steel climbing and spinning frame, and a Wehopper mini for the younger playmates.
Golden Bay’s young people and those visiting from out of town are now enjoying new and improved playground equipment at the Pōhara Top Ten Holiday Park thanks to a joint effort.
The old play gear had seen better days and was ready for replacement, so we got together with the operators of the camp and hatched a plan to create an exciting new playground.
The bright shiny new equipment was installed in time for the busy summer period and has turned out to be a very popular place to play.
The Pōhara playground includes various swings, several slides and an array of climbing challenges, and best of all, because it’s a public playground it’s available to be used by the whole community.
The Genia Drive playground was officially opened in June 2023 by Moutere-Waimea Ward Councillor Christeen Mackenzie.
The area has been designed as a true adventure-type park and to fit in with the adjacent native bush.
We’ve created features like balance beams, stepping logs, a forest walkway, as well as seating, a picnic table, plus plenty of room to kick or throw a ball around.
The unique “You and Me” swing has proven to be a hit and has the younger community members buzzing.
The community book exchange fridge is back, and apart from a few more plantings, Genia Drive Park is open for hours of fun.
There’s a lot more to some of our parks and recreational areas than just playthings for the youngsters.
We have installed fitness equipment in various spots across Tasman.
For example, in the Berryfields and Meadows neighbourhoods, there are a couple of places where you can get your fitness fix in our parks.
In Central Park, we’ve installed four types of multi-functional fitness objects.
You can use the Endurance Wellness Stone for a wide variety of exercises, including intense sequences aimed at strengthening the chest and triceps muscles. Elastic bands with various resistance levels can be attached to the four hooks to perform strength and coordination exercises.
The high and low box jumps are workout tools that are extremely popular among fitness professionals. They allow an explosive movement, outstanding for strengthening glutes, quads and calves, while improving balance and agility.
The bi-level pull-ups are designed to increase mass and strength in the upper body. Two-level pull-up bars provide complete and multifunctional exercises for beginners and professional users.
Then you can use the converging p-bars to develop balance and strength in your triceps, shoulder muscles and chest. Although designed for the most demanding users, a wide range of workout exercises are possible.
We have fitness equipment in other parks and plan to install more in other places across Tasman.
Sabine Drive off Hart Road in Richmond, which has undergone considerable development over the past decade, was originally part of Fawsley Farm, owned by the Malcolm family and farmed by descendants for over 160 years.
The Malcolm family donated the area for the reserve.
In 1842 Andrew and Margaret Malcolm arrived in Nelson with their two-year-old son John, and a few years after their arrival, 57 hectares (140 acres) of land was bought in the Richmond South area.
Over the following decades, additional land was acquired in the general area of Wensley Road, Paton Road, Hart Road, Bateup Road and Hill Street. There are eight former Malcolm houses still standing on this land.
As the decades went by, the land was divided up between later generations. It was used for farming stock, town milk supply and fruit growing.
The Sabine Drive Reserve has been designed as a family-friendly area with picnic tables, a space net climbing structure, a large basket swing and plenty of space to kick a ball.
Central Park’s playground in the Meadows development in Richmond has grown.
In response to the growing number of children using the facility, the owners of the adjacent commercial buildings, the Vercoe family, have paid for an additional set of swings and a slide.
The new play equipment and soft rubber matting were installed by our reserves and facilities team and are designed specifically for under five-year-olds.
The playground in Central Park in The Meadows in Richmond West was completed at the end of 2022.
This playground is designed and built especially with the little ones in mind with the ground covered in special shock-absorbing composite matting.
Situated in the hospitality precinct of the neighbourhood, the playground is landscaped with low-growing plants which means parents can keep an eye on their youngsters from the nearby venues.
To complement the surrounding commercial buildings and houses, all the structures in the playground, like the climbing equipment, slide and swing have been built in matching styles and finished in similar colours.
... And the young users and their parents told us they love it!
