Latest news with #Worimi
NZ Herald
02-08-2025
- NZ Herald
What to do in Sydney and New South Wales as a first-time visitor
While the intensive care units and rehabilitation yards aren't open to the public, there is a large window into the clinical services area where visitors can observe non-invasive treatments (if any are scheduled). The Port Stephens Koala Sanctuary has eight permanent residents. The sanctuary also has eight permanent residents who cannot return to the wild: one, for example, is blind, and another has a leg deformity. Visitors can see them while walking along a 225-metre-long elevated pathway that winds through the forest, but given their climbing abilities and love of long naps, it can feel like a tough game of Where's Wally? Despite being solitary creatures, two of the resident koalas get along well and can sometimes be found in the same tree. During my visit, they were not only close to each other but close to the pathway as they munched on eucalyptus. For some, a few hours will be enough, but if you want to extend your stay, there are cosy glamping tents and rooms, as well as a pool and barbecue area. There is no need to set an alarm for morning: you will wake up to the chatter of kookaburras and rainbow lorikeets. Cute koalas aren't the only creatures to visit in Port Stephens. The azure waters are also home to humpback whales and dolphins. They are, obviously, best visited via a boat tour, for example, through Moonshadow-TQC Cruises (although you can sometimes see them from the land, I've been told). Port Stephens is also known for its marine life, including humpback whales. They offer separate whale and dolphin experiences (and snorkelling trips), but during the Whale Watch Express tour, we were lucky to see both species, as well as seals and a range of seabirds. Our fun, knowledgeable guides said they had also seen hammerhead sharks. The wider Port Stephens area is known for the Stockton Bight Sand Dunes in the Worimi Conservation Lands, the largest moving dunes in the Southern Hemisphere. Sand Dune Adventures, owned by Worimi Local Aboriginal Land Council, runs quad bike and sandboarding tours of the dunes, which are equally fun as they are informative. As a motorbike enthusiast, this was right up my alley, although I was among the slower part of the tour group: it took a bit of time getting used to going down steep slopes on four wheels. The view from the Worimi Sand Dunes. Photo / Danielle Zollickhofer We stopped a few times and turned off the quads, allowing us to appreciate further the magnificence of the dunes, which felt reminiscent of a desert, vast and serene. In other places, they provide a mesmerising vantage point of the ocean, where we spotted whales breaching in the distance. The dunes aren't just beautiful, our guide explained, they are also a culturally significant site for the Worimi people and contain historic camp and burial sites, as well as ancient middens with shell deposits and tool-making artefacts. Next stop, Sydney If someone who hasn't been to Sydney asked me to describe it, I'd say it's something between New York and Auckland. The hustle and bustle that comes with being home to more than 5 million people (let that figure sink in for a second - New Zealand's entire population fits into Sydney) can be felt even from the comfort of a taxi. The Sydney Opera House surrounded by Sydney Harbour, the Royal Botanic Garden and Sydney CBD. Photo / Destination NSW Beautiful historic buildings, some of them very colourful, sit next to modern multi-storey apartments with panorama windows and the more the CBD approaches, the higher the buildings seem to get. There are lots of things to do, and you could easily spend a few days in the city alone. It's well-connected, with a metro and bus network (and Ubers), so even though I believe there is no better way to get a feel for a city than by exploring it as a pedestrian, there are plenty of opportunities to give your feet a break. As I was in the city for a good time, not a long time, I made a beeline for Sydney's icons, the harbourfront with the Opera House and Harbour Bridge. They are real stunners, especially around sunset (even in winter), but that's also why it is touristy. In the grand scheme of metropolis travel, it's not that bad, though, and there are plenty of spots to snap a selfie with the Harbour Bridge without being photobombed by strangers. Where to stay The Adina Apartment Hotel Sydney Town Hall features 144 apartment-style rooms, plus a pool and gym. You can do your own cooking, which can be quite handy if you want to stay in after a big day of exploring. It's right in the centre of the action and only a short walk from the metro station. The Dining Room in Sydney. Photo / Steven Woodburn If you want to treat yourself, the Sofitel Sydney Wentworth makes you feel like a celebrity. No wonder: opened in 1966, it is Australia's first international hotel and has hosted Princess Diana, the Queen and Elton John, among others. A short walk from the Opera House and Harbour Bridge, the perfectly located spot also has two restaurants and two bars. Where to eat Both Sydney and Port Stephens are full of amazing food and dining experiences. In Sydney, The Tailor Room is an intimate cocktail bar with an innovative menu, inspired by fabric. Instead of selecting a drink based on your alcohol of choice, you are inspired to try something new, as the main menu only describes the character of the cocktail (fresh, bright and fizzy, for example) and doesn't list the ingredients (although these are mentioned in the back of the menu). An excerpt of the Tailor Room Menu. Photo / Danielle Zollickhofer The adjacent Dining Room, a fine-dining restaurant, boasts an original menu that showcases seasonal produce. I don't usually opt for meat or seafood but, based on the recommendations of the staff, I gave the caviar tartlets and the beef fillet a try - and I'm so glad I did. Another standout is Midden by Mark Olive, by the Opera House. The stunning views of the Harbour Bridge pair well with the menu celebrating indigenous Australian cuisine. View from Midden by Mark Olive in Sydney. Photo / Danielle Zollickhofer In Port Stephens, Little Beach Boathouse and Rick Stein at Bannisters both focus on the region's seafood, but there are other options on the menu. If you come for dinner at the Little Beach Boathouse, you might be lucky enough to see the local dolphin pod swimming by, staff told me. Light Years Newcastle is also well worth a visit. The menu features modern Asian share-style dishes and signature cocktails (their wild truffled mushroom dumplings are a true highlight). The wild truffled mushroom dumplings at Light Years Newcastle. Checklist Sydney, New South Wales, Australia GETTING THERE Fly direct from Hamilton to Sydney with Jetstar. DETAILS Visit New Zealand Herald travelled courtesy of Jetstar and Destination New South Wales.
The Guardian
11-07-2025
- The Guardian
Booming bars and seriously good coffee: a local's guide to Newcastle
Newcastle is on Awabakal and Worimi country. It has changed dramatically since I moved back here from Sydney in 2008. The cityscape is full of cranes with lots of new apartment blocks and hotels. The light rail is a newish, if controversial, addition and great coffee is everywhere. The Guardian's journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more. A lot more tourists come here now. In her memoir The Taste of Memory, the late, great writer Marion Halligan described Newcastle as 'that well-kept secret of a place'. Well, the secret's out! It's such an easy place to live; everything is a 15-minute drive away. In October, an international terminal is opening at Newcastle airport with a direct flight to Bali up first. Everyone's hoping for a bigger Asian destination next, so we can link up with Europe. That will be a game-changer for Newcastle. My top pick is the French-inspired Bistro Penny. It opened in 2024 in a heritage building in the inner city and it has ambience galore. It's quite expensive but the classic Cafe de Paris steak is hard to beat. Book in advance for a weekend table. Humbug makes its own pasta and has a super interesting wine list. In summer, I love to stroll up from Newcastle beach and eat outdoors. From snacks to mains, it's all good. Nagisa is a Japanese restaurant in Honeysuckle, right on the harbour. The sashimi, wagyu beef and dumplings are excellent and the banquets are perfect for a group. I salivate just thinking about Arno Deli's paninis. The warm porchetta is my favourite – wintry and earthy with eggplant. It does cold salami or prosciutto paninis, too, and the cannoli is great. It's in the CBD; expect a queue on weekends. Equium Social in Mayfield is serious about coffee but does excellent hot chocolate, loose-leaf native ingredient tea, housemade sodas and smoothies too. Cakeboi in Hamilton is owned by Reece Hignell, a baker who was on MasterChef. It has Newcastle's best hot chocolate and good chai but you go for the cakes. My favourites are raspberry coconut cake, devil's food cake, lemon tart and cinnamon scrolls. Sunnyboy Kiosk at Dixon Park beach is super local. Everyone raves about the coffee but I get a smoothie or a fresh juice. You pull up a plastic stool in front of the surf club among Newcastle Knights rugby players and a young beachy crew in gym wear. The historic Newcastle ocean baths are free, spectacular, close to a light rail stop and wheelchair-accessible. The concrete bleachers are painted a shade of teal that just screams art deco. You get everyone from boisterous teenagers to Newcastle's top barristers. Some days the tide smashes over the wall and you see cormorants, osprey, sea eagles or whales. On hot nights people come to sit around or swim, and there's lighting for evening dips. Bathers Way is a popular 6km walk from Merewether ocean baths in the south to Nobbys beach in the north. Keep walking around the harbour and you'll pass the waterfront precinct Honeysuckle and reach Throsby Creek in Wickham. It was once heavily polluted but now there's silvery fish leaping about, birdlife, mangroves and Newcastle Rowing Club uses it for their annual regatta. It's a rewilding success story that proves community can fight for a space and make it something special. Hickson Street lookout in Merewether has a stunning view. Young people hang out here, eating takeaway. You can walk down to Burwood beach (beware, it's unpatrolled) or challenge yourself with a hike or a bike through the Glenrock state conservation area. Stockton Bight sand dunes, in Worimi conservation lands, are famous. Murrook Adventures runs an all-terrain vehicle sand dune tour packed with cultural and ecological insights. It's so good, I've done it twice. Newcastle's live music scene has gone backwards over the decades. There aren't many venues left, but The Lass pub has long been a live music hotspot and the Stag & Hunter hotel gets some amazing Australian and international acts. Mad Poet in Newcastle West is newer and has a great wine list, hotdogs and tacos, and a small stage for live acts on Wednesday nights. Like most places, it's the small bars and breweries that are booming these days. Bar Mellow on Hunter Street is in a beautiful ex-bank. It has cool booths and a nice vibe; I'd go for a negroni or a good glass of wine. Method Brewing in Islington is close to heaps of great restaurants on Beaumont Street and you can BYO food to the brewery. Romberg's is my pick for a sophisticated cocktail with a view. It's on the top floor of Crystalbrook Kingsley but it's open to all. The Lock-Up contemporary gallery in Newcastle's historical precinct runs exhibitions, performances and classes. It's in an 1800s police station and there's still a padded cell inside. A lot of the art is site specific and responds to Australia's colonial history. The curation is top-notch and recent artists have included Khaled Sabsabi and Locust Jones. Murrook culture centre is an amazing newish First Nations-run space in Port Stephens (20 minutes north). It leans heavily into interactive digital media and video; it's quite unique. You can pick up some local Gathang language phrases in the cafe, which serves yapay djagil (house food) close to a peaceful billabong fringed by paperbark trees. The lighthouse at Whibayganba/Nobbys Head is an iconic symbol of Newcastle. There's a beautiful walk along the breakwall there. It's currently managed as Lighthouse Arts by Hunters Writers' Centre and it has exhibitions on the weekend. The 360-degree view from the top is spectacular. Newcastle Art Gallery in Cooks Hill is reopening in late September in tandem with New Annual arts festival. The exhibition space will be doubled plus it'll have a new cafe and shop. Eclectic Newcastle East is my favourite place. You've got million-dollar ocean view apartments as well as housing commission units right there on the water. There's ocean baths, cafes, parklands, cool restaurants and lots of heritage buildings. It's next to the CBD but is about 300m from Newcastle beach – that's pretty rare! Newcastle beach is the last light rail stop. From there, I recommend heading to Grain Store, in a former warehouse, for one of its many boutique beers. Or getting takeaway oysters or fish and chips from Scottie's and eating them on the grass. Islington and Wickham are pretty gentrified suburbs but maintain an egalitarian, low-key feel. Slingtown in Carrington roasts its own coffee, while Yard Sale in Islington is an ethically minded store with both wardrobe and pantry staples. I buy all my presents at High Swan Dive. It's like a nursery for millennials with indoor plants, nice pots and gardening tools. Islington park has a skate bowl, a playground and access to Throsby Creek. Darby Street in Cooks Hill is Newcastle's best-known eat street. It has inner-Sydney vibes, terrace housing and the Delaney hotel. Goldbergs coffee house has been operating since 1995 and is the only spot open for coffee after 3pm. It's a no-frills institution. I'm one of the regulars who has been coming for 25 years. The newest kid on the block is Little National hotel (from $180) in Newcastle West. It's closest to the Newcastle Interchange light rail stop if you're on the train from Sydney. The rooms are tight but people rave about the beds. Rydges Newcastle (from $200) is a bit old-school but the rooms are spacious and it's right on the harbour. The bulk carrier ships glide past your window blowing that distinctive horn, and the path to the start of Bathers Way is right out the front. Crystalbrook Kingsley (from $234 per night) is in a mushroom-shaped building that's very architecturally arresting. It has Romberg's rooftop bar, a great restaurant called Roundhouse and a casual bar downstairs called Ms Marys. It's close to the Darby Street precinct. It's a five-minute ferry to Stockton Beach holiday park (from $38 for an unpowered tent site and $214 for a villa) or a good swimmer could make their own way. It's alongside Stockton Bight sand dunes. Rosemarie Milsom is the founding director of Newcastle writers' festival
The Advertiser
01-07-2025
- Business
- The Advertiser
Ready to start: builders primed for Newcastle's biggest playground
The City of Newcastle is ready to start building the "centrepiece" of its Harbour Foreshore Masterplan - a large-scale accessible play space and water play area at Foreshore Park. When completed, it will represent the largest amount of money the council has spent on play facilities in the city and eclipses other projects at South Stockton, Wallsend Active Hub and Gregson Park by millions. A council spokesman said, weather permitting, site establishment works and fencing would begin in the park this week. Regal Innovations has designed the playground and will lead its build after winning the tender in March. Construction is expected to be finished by late summer 2026, the council said. The cost of the playground, estimated in March at close to $24 million, has more than quadrupled since the concept was first unveiled. It more than doubled in 18 months in 2022 from $5.5 million to $12 million, and then doubled again in figures reported by the Newcastle Herald in March this year. Details in the confidential item to councillors said the $19.8 million project included the proposed contract amount and allowances for project management, engineering, architecture, and contingency. The $19.8 million does not include the amenities building, which GIPA documents show was estimated to cost $2.2 million in 2022. A tender for the amenities building was awarded at $4.1 million. The $12.7 million estimate given for the Resources for Regions Fund grant originally included the amenities block. The Newcastle East Residents Group has, meanwhile, raised concerns about the ballooning costs of the facility. Its spokeswoman Christine Everingham, who looks after the nearby community garden and stood on lord mayor Ross Kerridge's election ticket, told the Herald in March that she was "astonished" at the price hike. The playground's plans include four separate zones, with dedicated space for juniors and toddlers, as well as water and nature-based play areas, quiet spaces, bespoke playground equipment and a central whale-themed swing set and picnic area paying tribute to the city's Worimi and Awabakal heritage. An accessible slide, sandpit, carousel and sensory pathway are among the other key features of the designs. The water-play area will be linked to Newcastle's maritime history and coastal ecologies, while an elevated "nuts and bolts" play structure will symbolise Newcastle's strong industrial ties and include an accessible ramp to the first level of the tower, the council said this week. City of Newcastle said feedback on the designs was received from the Guraki Aboriginal Standing Committee, an accessibility working group established by City of Newcastle for the project, and the Touched by Olivia Foundation, a charity dedicated to the creation of inclusive play spaces across Australia, and in whose name the Foreshore Park project has been dubbed "Livvi's Place". The charity's website says the Livvi's Place playgrounds that have opened around Australia have "shone a light on the importance of play, as not only a fundamental building block in a child's development, but as a medium by which people of all ages can connect". Justine Perkins, the charity's founder and mother of Olivia, who died at eight months old in 2006 of lymphatic malformation, said the Newcastle project was "truly inclusive". "This Livvi's Place design is truly inclusive and intergenerational and has a wonderful connection to place," she said. "This play space is a testament to their understanding that we all want to and need to get outdoors and play together, with others, in our community to ensure we live happier, healthier lives." The council's community and recreation boss, Lynn Duffy, said the inclusive play areas represented the flagship undertaking of the Foreshore Park upgrade. She said it would offer "valuable opportunities for intergenerational community building, positively supporting the physical and mental wellbeing of residents and visitors". Building is due to start this week on the western end of Foreshore Park. That will add to a fully accessible amenities building and kiosk already under construction. The block will include unisex ambulant toilets, a parent's change room, and a Changing Places facility, the council said. The City of Newcastle is ready to start building the "centrepiece" of its Harbour Foreshore Masterplan - a large-scale accessible play space and water play area at Foreshore Park. When completed, it will represent the largest amount of money the council has spent on play facilities in the city and eclipses other projects at South Stockton, Wallsend Active Hub and Gregson Park by millions. A council spokesman said, weather permitting, site establishment works and fencing would begin in the park this week. Regal Innovations has designed the playground and will lead its build after winning the tender in March. Construction is expected to be finished by late summer 2026, the council said. The cost of the playground, estimated in March at close to $24 million, has more than quadrupled since the concept was first unveiled. It more than doubled in 18 months in 2022 from $5.5 million to $12 million, and then doubled again in figures reported by the Newcastle Herald in March this year. Details in the confidential item to councillors said the $19.8 million project included the proposed contract amount and allowances for project management, engineering, architecture, and contingency. The $19.8 million does not include the amenities building, which GIPA documents show was estimated to cost $2.2 million in 2022. A tender for the amenities building was awarded at $4.1 million. The $12.7 million estimate given for the Resources for Regions Fund grant originally included the amenities block. The Newcastle East Residents Group has, meanwhile, raised concerns about the ballooning costs of the facility. Its spokeswoman Christine Everingham, who looks after the nearby community garden and stood on lord mayor Ross Kerridge's election ticket, told the Herald in March that she was "astonished" at the price hike. The playground's plans include four separate zones, with dedicated space for juniors and toddlers, as well as water and nature-based play areas, quiet spaces, bespoke playground equipment and a central whale-themed swing set and picnic area paying tribute to the city's Worimi and Awabakal heritage. An accessible slide, sandpit, carousel and sensory pathway are among the other key features of the designs. The water-play area will be linked to Newcastle's maritime history and coastal ecologies, while an elevated "nuts and bolts" play structure will symbolise Newcastle's strong industrial ties and include an accessible ramp to the first level of the tower, the council said this week. City of Newcastle said feedback on the designs was received from the Guraki Aboriginal Standing Committee, an accessibility working group established by City of Newcastle for the project, and the Touched by Olivia Foundation, a charity dedicated to the creation of inclusive play spaces across Australia, and in whose name the Foreshore Park project has been dubbed "Livvi's Place". The charity's website says the Livvi's Place playgrounds that have opened around Australia have "shone a light on the importance of play, as not only a fundamental building block in a child's development, but as a medium by which people of all ages can connect". Justine Perkins, the charity's founder and mother of Olivia, who died at eight months old in 2006 of lymphatic malformation, said the Newcastle project was "truly inclusive". "This Livvi's Place design is truly inclusive and intergenerational and has a wonderful connection to place," she said. "This play space is a testament to their understanding that we all want to and need to get outdoors and play together, with others, in our community to ensure we live happier, healthier lives." The council's community and recreation boss, Lynn Duffy, said the inclusive play areas represented the flagship undertaking of the Foreshore Park upgrade. She said it would offer "valuable opportunities for intergenerational community building, positively supporting the physical and mental wellbeing of residents and visitors". Building is due to start this week on the western end of Foreshore Park. That will add to a fully accessible amenities building and kiosk already under construction. The block will include unisex ambulant toilets, a parent's change room, and a Changing Places facility, the council said. The City of Newcastle is ready to start building the "centrepiece" of its Harbour Foreshore Masterplan - a large-scale accessible play space and water play area at Foreshore Park. When completed, it will represent the largest amount of money the council has spent on play facilities in the city and eclipses other projects at South Stockton, Wallsend Active Hub and Gregson Park by millions. A council spokesman said, weather permitting, site establishment works and fencing would begin in the park this week. Regal Innovations has designed the playground and will lead its build after winning the tender in March. Construction is expected to be finished by late summer 2026, the council said. The cost of the playground, estimated in March at close to $24 million, has more than quadrupled since the concept was first unveiled. It more than doubled in 18 months in 2022 from $5.5 million to $12 million, and then doubled again in figures reported by the Newcastle Herald in March this year. Details in the confidential item to councillors said the $19.8 million project included the proposed contract amount and allowances for project management, engineering, architecture, and contingency. The $19.8 million does not include the amenities building, which GIPA documents show was estimated to cost $2.2 million in 2022. A tender for the amenities building was awarded at $4.1 million. The $12.7 million estimate given for the Resources for Regions Fund grant originally included the amenities block. The Newcastle East Residents Group has, meanwhile, raised concerns about the ballooning costs of the facility. Its spokeswoman Christine Everingham, who looks after the nearby community garden and stood on lord mayor Ross Kerridge's election ticket, told the Herald in March that she was "astonished" at the price hike. The playground's plans include four separate zones, with dedicated space for juniors and toddlers, as well as water and nature-based play areas, quiet spaces, bespoke playground equipment and a central whale-themed swing set and picnic area paying tribute to the city's Worimi and Awabakal heritage. An accessible slide, sandpit, carousel and sensory pathway are among the other key features of the designs. The water-play area will be linked to Newcastle's maritime history and coastal ecologies, while an elevated "nuts and bolts" play structure will symbolise Newcastle's strong industrial ties and include an accessible ramp to the first level of the tower, the council said this week. City of Newcastle said feedback on the designs was received from the Guraki Aboriginal Standing Committee, an accessibility working group established by City of Newcastle for the project, and the Touched by Olivia Foundation, a charity dedicated to the creation of inclusive play spaces across Australia, and in whose name the Foreshore Park project has been dubbed "Livvi's Place". The charity's website says the Livvi's Place playgrounds that have opened around Australia have "shone a light on the importance of play, as not only a fundamental building block in a child's development, but as a medium by which people of all ages can connect". Justine Perkins, the charity's founder and mother of Olivia, who died at eight months old in 2006 of lymphatic malformation, said the Newcastle project was "truly inclusive". "This Livvi's Place design is truly inclusive and intergenerational and has a wonderful connection to place," she said. "This play space is a testament to their understanding that we all want to and need to get outdoors and play together, with others, in our community to ensure we live happier, healthier lives." The council's community and recreation boss, Lynn Duffy, said the inclusive play areas represented the flagship undertaking of the Foreshore Park upgrade. She said it would offer "valuable opportunities for intergenerational community building, positively supporting the physical and mental wellbeing of residents and visitors". Building is due to start this week on the western end of Foreshore Park. That will add to a fully accessible amenities building and kiosk already under construction. The block will include unisex ambulant toilets, a parent's change room, and a Changing Places facility, the council said. The City of Newcastle is ready to start building the "centrepiece" of its Harbour Foreshore Masterplan - a large-scale accessible play space and water play area at Foreshore Park. When completed, it will represent the largest amount of money the council has spent on play facilities in the city and eclipses other projects at South Stockton, Wallsend Active Hub and Gregson Park by millions. A council spokesman said, weather permitting, site establishment works and fencing would begin in the park this week. Regal Innovations has designed the playground and will lead its build after winning the tender in March. Construction is expected to be finished by late summer 2026, the council said. The cost of the playground, estimated in March at close to $24 million, has more than quadrupled since the concept was first unveiled. It more than doubled in 18 months in 2022 from $5.5 million to $12 million, and then doubled again in figures reported by the Newcastle Herald in March this year. Details in the confidential item to councillors said the $19.8 million project included the proposed contract amount and allowances for project management, engineering, architecture, and contingency. The $19.8 million does not include the amenities building, which GIPA documents show was estimated to cost $2.2 million in 2022. A tender for the amenities building was awarded at $4.1 million. The $12.7 million estimate given for the Resources for Regions Fund grant originally included the amenities block. The Newcastle East Residents Group has, meanwhile, raised concerns about the ballooning costs of the facility. Its spokeswoman Christine Everingham, who looks after the nearby community garden and stood on lord mayor Ross Kerridge's election ticket, told the Herald in March that she was "astonished" at the price hike. The playground's plans include four separate zones, with dedicated space for juniors and toddlers, as well as water and nature-based play areas, quiet spaces, bespoke playground equipment and a central whale-themed swing set and picnic area paying tribute to the city's Worimi and Awabakal heritage. An accessible slide, sandpit, carousel and sensory pathway are among the other key features of the designs. The water-play area will be linked to Newcastle's maritime history and coastal ecologies, while an elevated "nuts and bolts" play structure will symbolise Newcastle's strong industrial ties and include an accessible ramp to the first level of the tower, the council said this week. City of Newcastle said feedback on the designs was received from the Guraki Aboriginal Standing Committee, an accessibility working group established by City of Newcastle for the project, and the Touched by Olivia Foundation, a charity dedicated to the creation of inclusive play spaces across Australia, and in whose name the Foreshore Park project has been dubbed "Livvi's Place". The charity's website says the Livvi's Place playgrounds that have opened around Australia have "shone a light on the importance of play, as not only a fundamental building block in a child's development, but as a medium by which people of all ages can connect". Justine Perkins, the charity's founder and mother of Olivia, who died at eight months old in 2006 of lymphatic malformation, said the Newcastle project was "truly inclusive". "This Livvi's Place design is truly inclusive and intergenerational and has a wonderful connection to place," she said. "This play space is a testament to their understanding that we all want to and need to get outdoors and play together, with others, in our community to ensure we live happier, healthier lives." The council's community and recreation boss, Lynn Duffy, said the inclusive play areas represented the flagship undertaking of the Foreshore Park upgrade. She said it would offer "valuable opportunities for intergenerational community building, positively supporting the physical and mental wellbeing of residents and visitors". Building is due to start this week on the western end of Foreshore Park. That will add to a fully accessible amenities building and kiosk already under construction. The block will include unisex ambulant toilets, a parent's change room, and a Changing Places facility, the council said.
