National Arboretum playground getting some national attention

astrojax said :

methinks dungfungus was riffing on your non-specific ‘ride’.

d-f is entirely strange and oblique: i immediately assumed it was a camel myself…

I was picturing a rocket.

dungfungus said :

Dilandach said :

dungfungus said :

The National Arboretum is turning into everything but an arboretum.
Why not let the kids loose in the forest rather than have them fantasize on architecturally acclaimed faux faunal playground equipment?
What next? A creche for the offspring of the elite?

What forest? Its basically a dustbowl with seedlings.

There is some mature remnant pine plantation that the 2001 (not 2003) bushfire didn’t consume and the cork plantation which has been draggoned into the development but the other exotic trees are years away from reaching even juvenile stage.
The White Cockatoos will soon descend and ravish the tasty treats. The Government will probably respond with a “Cocky Cull”.

AS IF Canberra will let anything be culled

I took some visitors from Melbourne there last week, the first time I’d been. Gods, I wish I was going to be around in 50 or 100 years time – it’s going to be wonderful. The cafe complex is brilliant and the playground looked fabulous. What a superb gift to future generations.

rosscoact said :

Dungers likes to find a black lining for any silver cloud. It’s a gift

Except when it comes to climate change, at which point he becomes an ardent pollyanna.

KB1971 said :

dungfungus said :

KB1971 said :

I have to say, the Arboretum is surprisingly popular. I ride dairy farmers hill at lunch time quite a bit & the place is usually pretty busy, even this time of year.

The car park it always at least 1/2 full. I was originally skeptical about it and thought the money could be better spent elsewhere but when you see it being so popular it changes your view a bit.

I wasn’t aware that one could ride horses there. I concede that would be enjoyable.

Horses?

methinks dungfungus was riffing on your non-specific ‘ride’.

d-f is entirely strange and oblique: i immediatley assumed it was a camel myself…

Jim Jones said :

That’s straight out of the Andrew Bolt, Piers Ackerman, Gerard Henderson playbook!

Always include a spray about the ‘liberal elite’ (preferably including some disparaging remarks about beverages – ‘latte sipping’, ‘chardonnay swilling’, etc.) and position yourself as a ‘real Australian’ in comparison (ignoring any, you know, facts).

Any thoughts on the arboretum Jim? 🙂

dungfungus said :

KB1971 said :

I have to say, the Arboretum is surprisingly popular. I ride dairy farmers hill at lunch time quite a bit & the place is usually pretty busy, even this time of year.

The car park it always at least 1/2 full. I was originally skeptical about it and thought the money could be better spent elsewhere but when you see it being so popular it changes your view a bit.

I wasn’t aware that one could ride horses there. I concede that would be enjoyable.

Horses?

Mothy said :

dungfungus said :

My kids have grown up. So, what’s your point?

That its the same as the Discovery Playground at Tidbinbilla – you can get the kids enthusiasm up for going to these places by promising the park. They associate the place with the fun they had there. You can build on that to then include walks, sightseeing, etc.

You don’t just walk into the forest with a 2 year old and say “hey shit, how fuckin’ magnificent are trees eh?” – they’ll think you’re bonkers.

Scaffold the learning. Start SOMEWHERE. At least the hundreds of kids that were there at the weekend weren’t at home on the couch, zoning out to the ABC2 babysitting service.

You seem determined to talk the place down, and I was a skeptic myself, but now I’ve been there I am enjoying the idea of regular visits (particularly when the weather is better) to watch it grow as my munchkins do.

Why you feel the need to specify “the elite” I’ll never know, as it is open to all!

Dungers likes to find a black lining for any silver cloud. It’s a gift

Jim Jones said :

Mothy said :

Why you feel the need to specify “the elite” I’ll never know, as it is open to all!

That’s straight out of the Andrew Bolt, Piers Ackerman, Gerard Henderson playbook!

Always include a spray about the ‘liberal elite’ (preferably including some disparaging remarks about beverages – ‘latte sipping’, ‘chardonnay swilling’, etc.) and position yourself as a ‘real Australian’ in comparison (ignoring any, you know, facts).

Don’t forget the sheer bloody-mindedness it takes to assume the standpoint of “Well I have no use for it, so it shouldn’t be there.”

Mothy said :

Why you feel the need to specify “the elite” I’ll never know, as it is open to all!

That’s straight out of the Andrew Bolt, Piers Ackerman, Gerard Henderson playbook!

Always include a spray about the ‘liberal elite’ (preferably including some disparaging remarks about beverages – ‘latte sipping’, ‘chardonnay swilling’, etc.) and position yourself as a ‘real Australian’ in comparison (ignoring any, you know, facts).

Dilandach said :

dungfungus said :

The National Arboretum is turning into everything but an arboretum.
Why not let the kids loose in the forest rather than have them fantasize on architecturally acclaimed faux faunal playground equipment?
What next? A creche for the offspring of the elite?

What forest? Its basically a dustbowl with seedlings.

Spent some time up there have you?

dungfungus said :

My kids have grown up. So, what’s your point?

That its the same as the Discovery Playground at Tidbinbilla – you can get the kids enthusiasm up for going to these places by promising the park. They associate the place with the fun they had there. You can build on that to then include walks, sightseeing, etc.

You don’t just walk into the forest with a 2 year old and say “hey shit, how fuckin’ magnificent are trees eh?” – they’ll think you’re bonkers. Scaffold the learning. Start SOMEWHERE. At least the hundreds of kids that were there at the weekend weren’t at home on the couch, zoning out to the ABC2 babysitting service.

You seem determined to talk the place down, and I was a skeptic myself, but now I’ve been there I am enjoying the idea of regular visits (particularly when the weather is better) to watch it grow as my munchkins do.

Why you feel the need to specify “the elite” I’ll never know, as it is open to all!

Mothy said :

dungfungus said :

The National Arboretum is turning into everything but an arboretum.
Why not let the kids loose in the forest rather than have them fantasize on architecturally acclaimed faux faunal playground equipment?
What next? A creche for the offspring of the elite?

So, don’t have kids huh?

Went out there with the brood to see what all the fuss was about on Sunday morning when the sun was out. I agree that the playground looked awesome, and yes, the thongaphone and the drums got a working over by Miss 2.5.

But at the moment, with a number of people doing as we were and taking a stickybeak, the sheer crowd that was there was a bit intimidating for the youngster and prohibitive of really getting in and enjoying the playground.

After a quick walk through the main building and a look at the amphitheater, we headed back to the car, drove around Dairy Farmer’s hill (being mindful of the cyclists on the way up, there were A FEW!) and ended up at Weston Park for the morning energy-expender runabout for the little one.

They going to put in a walking track between Dairy Farmer’s hill? As stated on the In the Taratory blog post about the Arboretum (actually what prompted us to head out and take a look) it could do with a path.

My kids have grown up. So, what’s your point?

dungfungus said :

The National Arboretum is turning into everything but an arboretum.
Why not let the kids loose in the forest rather than have them fantasize on architecturally acclaimed faux faunal playground equipment?
What next? A creche for the offspring of the elite?

So, don’t have kids huh?

Went out there with the brood to see what all the fuss was about on Sunday morning when the sun was out. I agree that the playground looked awesome, and yes, the thongaphone and the drums got a working over by Miss 2.5.

But at the moment, with a number of people doing as we were and taking a stickybeak, the sheer crowd that was there was a bit intimidating for the youngster and prohibitive of really getting in and enjoying the playground.

After a quick walk through the main building and a look at the amphitheater, we headed back to the car, drove around Dairy Farmer’s hill (being mindful of the cyclists on the way up, there were A FEW!) and ended up at Weston Park for the morning energy-expender runabout for the little one.

They going to put in a walking track between Dairy Farmer’s hill? As stated on the In the Taratory blog post about the Arboretum (actually what prompted us to head out and take a look) it could do with a path.

KB1971 said :

I have to say, the Arboretum is surprisingly popular. I ride dairy farmers hill at lunch time quite a bit & the place is usually pretty busy, even this time of year.

The car park it always at least 1/2 full. I was originally skeptical about it and thought the money could be better spent elsewhere but when you see it being so popular it changes your view a bit.

I wasn’t aware that one could ride horses there. I concede that would be enjoyable.

Dilandach said :

dungfungus said :

The National Arboretum is turning into everything but an arboretum.
Why not let the kids loose in the forest rather than have them fantasize on architecturally acclaimed faux faunal playground equipment?
What next? A creche for the offspring of the elite?

What forest? Its basically a dustbowl with seedlings.

There is some mature remnant pine plantation that the 2001 (not 2003) bushfire didn’t consume and the cork plantation which has been draggoned into the development but the other exotic trees are years away from reaching even juvenile stage.
The White Cockatoos will soon descend and ravish the tasty treats. The Government will probably respond with a “Cocky Cull”.

I have to say, the Arboretum is surprisingly popular. I ride dairy farmers hill at lunch time quite a bit & the place is usually pretty busy, even this time of year.

The car park it always at least 1/2 full. I was originally skeptical about it and thought the money could be better spent elsewhere but when you see it being so popular it changes your view a bit.

dungfungus said :

The National Arboretum is turning into everything but an arboretum.
Why not let the kids loose in the forest rather than have them fantasize on architecturally acclaimed faux faunal playground equipment?
What next? A creche for the offspring of the elite?

The trouble is an arboretum takes a bloody long time to get properly established, and ruling parties need results NOW!

dungfungus said :

The National Arboretum is turning into everything but an arboretum.
Why not let the kids loose in the forest rather than have them fantasize on architecturally acclaimed faux faunal playground equipment?
What next? A creche for the offspring of the elite?

What forest? Its basically a dustbowl with seedlings.

The National Arboretum is turning into everything but an arboretum.
Why not let the kids loose in the forest rather than have them fantasize on architecturally acclaimed faux faunal playground equipment?
What next? A creche for the offspring of the elite?

My daughter rated it “AWESOME”
The thongaphone is kinda funky.