Red Beach Park is set for a permanent pump track next year.

Just off William Bayes Road on the Hibiscus Coast, the park has become a regular meet-up for families, friends, birthday parties, and weekend kickabouts, with a playground that suits a range of ages plus sports fields used by local clubs.

Locals Tamara Eyre and Claire Torckler say the balance logs, playground frames, flying fox, and open grass keep their kids busy and help neighbours connect, with Tamara calling it “a fantastic space that encourages outdoor play” and Claire saying her family spent hours there when a temporary pump track visited last summer.

The park’s latest additions also lean into nature, with a balancing log trail installed earlier this year using large logs cut from a Norfolk pine donated by a homeowner in Ōrewa.

Play Portfolio Lead Jacquelyn Collins says play is not just about playgrounds, and that kids can have fun “climbing trees, balancing on logs, and exploring what nature puts in their path”.

Volunteers have also been planting native oioi, backed by local board funding, to help drainage and biodiversity, with Restore Hibiscus and Bays advisor Deborah Colson saying it builds pride by bringing people together.

The Hibiscus and Bays Local Board has confirmed $540,000 is set aside for the pump track, with a draft design to be shared after specialist input.

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