King Edward Park, Hawera

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This park is brilliant. It is spacious with something for everyone to enjoy, regardless of their age.

The easiest way to enter the park is by turning off Waihi Road into High Street. You can enter it from Waihi Road but it is a busy main route through Hawera so it is better to make your way to the main entrance which you will be able to park right outside.

Why is this park so great and so popular? The main reason has to be the kids' playground. I used to play there as a child and although it has been developed over the decades, some of the original features are still there. The best advice I can give you it to NOT let your kids get on the rocking metal horse. This horse has a very nasty habit of rocking back as you rock forwards and many children have lost a tooth or two as their face has connected with the horse's head. Yes, I speak from experience!

My grandkids love the playground. There are seats where you can sit, have a picnic and keep an eye on the kids (in case they head for the horse). Clean public toilets are right there too.

If you visited the park many many years ago, you may remember the swimming pool that was just inside the main entrance. It is no longer there but the lake is, complete with the usual large number of 'hungry' ducks. If you are lucky you may find someone having fun with a model boat.

Take time to stroll through the rest of the park. Late in the year the rose garden is fabulous. Again, if you remember what the park was like years ago, you may be disappointed to find you cannot enter the Japanese Garden any longer. This garden had the water feature and the little bridge. But you can still peer at it through the padlocked gates.

So, if you are travelling to or through Hawera, make sure to allow an hour or two to really make the most of the park. And give it a good review on Trip Advisor.

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