Harvard Adventure Park is an airplane-themed playground at 30 Main Street in Pahiatua, in the Tararua district, rated 4.5 from 51 Google reviews. A good town playground earns its repeat visits on small things: equipment that suits a spread of ages, a surface that softens a tumble, and sightlines that let a parent keep watch from one seat. Plane-shaped structures are perennially popular because they invite pretend play as much as climbing — loading passengers, taking off, landing again. Regulars know that bark softens falls but holds water, so the morning after rain can be a gumboots affair. A main-street location is handy for travellers too, combining the run-around with whatever the neighbouring shops offer. For families driving through Tararua, this little park is the sort of stop children ask to make again.