Yatton Park is a perfect spot for aspiring traceurs practicing the art of parkour. Parkour, also known as free-running, is a sort of street gymnastics where participants manoeuvre creatively over, around, and through obstacles.  Parkour can be practiced at parks, playgrounds, in forests, and urban areas, indoors or outdoors. Here's a video of nature parkour to give you the idea. Here's another video of an child doing parkour in his neighbourhood.

Dan loved the idea of parkour so much that he's started taking parkour classes. These are often offered at your local gymnastics club or trampoline park. Parkour class includes many of the same skills as gymnastics, such as tumbling, bars, vault, and trampoline, but practitioners also learn to run up walls and do tricks from the tramp into the foam pit. Classes are not required - you can practice parkour anywhere! 

If vaulting, scaling verticals, and backflips aren't your thing, you'll love Yatton Park anyway!  Located in Greerton, the park has lots of history. Te Tutarawananga a Tamatea-arikinui is the original name of the former Pa site, turned farmland, then park.  As you stroll along the walking track, you are surrounded by an arboretum of mature trees above the Waimapu River.  The trail at Yatton Park is especially good for toddlers looking for some tramping experience.

As you're walking along the track, check the trees for flashes of colour. You might spot some painted rocks. Better yet, you could paint some to hide yourself.  

You'll find many dogs at the park and even a handy poop bag dispenser by the toilets. Bring a picnic blanket and find a spot under a tree where you can relax by the water feature and take in the gardens. Sadly, the water is not for swimming.

Yatton Park has something for everyone!  If you're not local to Tauranga, head to a park in your area.  There is sure to be a perfect place for trying out parkour!  

Yatton Park 
Time: <1 hour of walking time if you're walking a steady pace.  Much longer if you're doing parkour. 
Difficulty: Easy
Buggies: Yes. 
Toilets: Yes. 
Dogs: Yes. Doggy poop bag dispenser by the toilets.