Mitchell Park in Durban, still a great place to take kids

Since moving to Jo’burg from Durban 14 years ago, some things in Durban have changed for the worse (oh my goodness, what has happened to East Coast Radio?), some for the better (The Bush Tavern in Umdloti) and many have stayed the same.  Remaining as special and dear to me as before.  Mitchell Park seems to have retained all the qualities which drew me there so long ago.

Almost 20 years ago, I watched my older children Domi & Heath playing in the Mitchell Park play ground.  Last week while visiting Durban their young siblings Fjord and Acacia discovered the joys of the same playground.  Cliff treated us to lunch with his 90-year-old aunt at Blue Zoo tea garden.  While they caught up on family news I took the children to the big play area.  Our friendly waiter emphasised that they should be watched there (maybe some things have changed).  It was good to see that the play area has a separate section for children who use wheel chairs, I have never seen that facility before.

Blue Zoo tea garden also has its own jungle gym and play area.  The food at Blue Zoo is very good and the children were delighted to find Slush Puppies on the menu.  The gardens are beautifully laid out in brilliant splashes of colour.  Adding ambiance and a touch of real class, a lady played piano in the background (on a Sunday)

We did not have time to walk through the little zoo which is home to interesting birds and monkeys, entry is reasonably priced, R10 for adults, R7 for children and R4 for pensioners.