October 5, 2025 • 5 mins
Dr Bronwen McNoe is a research fellow at Otago Uni. Along with the Cancer Society and Lotteries NZ she has created this awesome "Playground Explorer" app. Luke caught up with Bronwen to find out how it works.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Conditions also not favorable for exploring local playgrounds on the weekends,
but didn't let that deter me. I'll tell you what
the real hold up was. It was the kids. I
was revd to go, so tried to sneak out on
Saturday morning, and then Amber asked where I was going,
so had to admit that I was off to Mayfield's
to swing on some monkey bars and slide down slides.
(00:22):
And then Alice overheard that, so she goes, I want
to come, and I can't ave been having to load
them into the car. And we drive out there and
we get a couple ticked off, so then the pressure
was on to do a few more. Yesterday, Alice catches
wind again. Then she says, oh, can we take my
friend Evie from down the road. So then have to
load Evie into the car and we got to nine,
which I don't think was too bad considering all the
(00:44):
elements at play. A few of them were new playgrounds,
so that's always fun discovering something new. And to help
with that, here's something to keep your mind into the
longer days, the summary days ahead. There's this really cool
web based app called NZI Playground Explorer. It's been crafted.
(01:04):
There's a joint venture between the Lotteries Cancer Society and
University of Otago. Doctor Bromwin mcnow mourning, Good morning. Tell
us about the Playground Explorer. What have you built here?
Speaker 2 (01:16):
Sure, I'll tell you where. You've got twenty three playgrounds
to go, just as the point of reference did here
in mccabery. Yeah, just in the edge that Asberton Council
was responsible for you. So you got thirty two in total. Oheah,
You've got lots and lots and lots of options.
Speaker 1 (01:31):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
So yeah, let me tell you about Playground Explorer. So
I'm a researcher in skin cancer and so I'm really
interested in whether playgrounds have got shade or not. So
the whole purpose of this project was really an academic
one to have a look at what shade is available
in playground. So to do that, I had to identify
where all the playgrounds were and what was in them
and so forth, and so I did that. Nationwise, it
(01:52):
is about three and a half thousand playgrounds in New Zealand.
And then I thought, I've got all this information, really
rich information which is not available anywhere. I really should
especially since it can't side in lottery health, I should
really make this public. So that's why I put to
you the Playground Explorer app. So that does have information
about Shade, but it has information about everything else as well.
(02:13):
So what's on the which is all fulterable information. So
if you've got a child that absolutely loves Hemp wheels,
you can go to the Playground Explorer and you can
filter on hemps the wheels and I'll tell you which
playgrounds have got those and.
Speaker 1 (02:24):
Them, can you Yeah, it'll bring up the mouse house
at the domain, which has been a bit of t LC.
Last time I was here it was running rough, but
obviously Neil mccannon's team have gone and greased up the
bearings or something, because yeah, it gave me a topple
on the weekend flying yes, yeah, right. So is this
(02:50):
dynamic in the sense that you click on a playground
and I love it brings up all these different features
that it's got, and then some some photos that you
can look at too. Can we submit to that like
for instances.
Speaker 2 (03:05):
Absolutely, there's a link on there or you can just
email me directly on playground at a Targo dot ac.
And I also keep an eye on what the councilors
are doing so I do try and update them, but
obviously I'm stretched out and playgrounds is a lot to
keep an eye on. And I know, I mean there's
a couple of the expersion I know that have been
updated and I do have a son that loves an exbersion,
(03:27):
so that's quite handy for there, but for the wider
New Zealand areas it is quite challenging keeping them up
to date. BLOOD do try so.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
The ones in the Ashburton district have the advantage, is
what you're saying. Yeah, the one at lake Hood we've
found has been given a bit of a touch up too.
Speaker 2 (03:44):
I don't know about the one at that has also
been photos there, but I don't keep them up to
date as best I can.
Speaker 1 (03:53):
Are there plans to add any more features or expand
your database?
Speaker 2 (03:58):
Well, you're looking at the playground one. I've also got
an app for swimming pool outdoor swimming pools and yes,
so I'll send you the length.
Speaker 1 (04:06):
Hope you've removed the Timil pool as sad as that.
Speaker 2 (04:09):
Is, Ah, it could still be on their if it's recent.
Speaker 1 (04:14):
I could go and plant something there there. No, No,
that's that's a little too political, what's okay? What's the
idea of a playground to you? You reckon Bromwin to
sort of end on a bit of a fluffy.
Speaker 2 (04:24):
So the ideal playground for me is probably different than
for a child. I obviously want to see a playground
that's got a good shade options for both the children
and for spectators, somewhere to know the famness, sit and
have a picnic. It's a nice shade tree with picnic
tables and things. That's really nice to protect them from
those harmful UV rays when when the summer is out.
(04:46):
But also having different options for different ages, having some
at least some accessibility optionable. Always nice to have public
toilets available. You know obviously that you can't do that
with all playgrounds, but.
Speaker 1 (05:01):
I think we do pretty well at ticking most of
those boxes here in Ashburton, right, Yeah.
Speaker 2 (05:05):
Well you do certain a lot. A lot of your
playgrounds have got good leafy trees, certainly for spectators here
in Neat.
Speaker 1 (05:12):
Well, thank you so much for pulling this together. We'll
go and share it on our hawknewy ashburt And Facebook page.
A little later today, the Playground Explorer
Conditions also not favorable for exploring local playgrounds on the weekends,
but didn't let that deter me. I'll tell you what
the real hold up was. It was the kids. I
was revd to go, so tried to sneak out on
Saturday morning, and then Amber asked where I was going,
so had to admit that I was off to Mayfield's
to swing on some monkey bars and slide down slides.
(00:22):
And then Alice overheard that, so she goes, I want
to come, and I can't ave been having to load
them into the car. And we drive out there and
we get a couple ticked off, so then the pressure
was on to do a few more. Yesterday, Alice catches
wind again. Then she says, oh, can we take my
friend Evie from down the road. So then have to
load Evie into the car and we got to nine,
which I don't think was too bad considering all the
(00:44):
elements at play. A few of them were new playgrounds,
so that's always fun discovering something new. And to help
with that, here's something to keep your mind into the
longer days, the summary days ahead. There's this really cool
web based app called NZI Playground Explorer. It's been crafted.
(01:04):
There's a joint venture between the Lotteries Cancer Society and
University of Otago. Doctor Bromwin mcnow mourning, Good morning. Tell
us about the Playground Explorer. What have you built here?
Speaker 2 (01:16):
Sure, I'll tell you where. You've got twenty three playgrounds
to go, just as the point of reference did here
in mccabery. Yeah, just in the edge that Asberton Council
was responsible for you. So you got thirty two in total. Oheah,
You've got lots and lots and lots of options.
Speaker 1 (01:31):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
So yeah, let me tell you about Playground Explorer. So
I'm a researcher in skin cancer and so I'm really
interested in whether playgrounds have got shade or not. So
the whole purpose of this project was really an academic
one to have a look at what shade is available
in playground. So to do that, I had to identify
where all the playgrounds were and what was in them
and so forth, and so I did that. Nationwise, it
(01:52):
is about three and a half thousand playgrounds in New Zealand.
And then I thought, I've got all this information, really
rich information which is not available anywhere. I really should
especially since it can't side in lottery health, I should
really make this public. So that's why I put to
you the Playground Explorer app. So that does have information
about Shade, but it has information about everything else as well.
(02:13):
So what's on the which is all fulterable information. So
if you've got a child that absolutely loves Hemp wheels,
you can go to the Playground Explorer and you can
filter on hemps the wheels and I'll tell you which
playgrounds have got those and.
Speaker 1 (02:24):
Them, can you Yeah, it'll bring up the mouse house
at the domain, which has been a bit of t LC.
Last time I was here it was running rough, but
obviously Neil mccannon's team have gone and greased up the
bearings or something, because yeah, it gave me a topple
on the weekend flying yes, yeah, right. So is this
(02:50):
dynamic in the sense that you click on a playground
and I love it brings up all these different features
that it's got, and then some some photos that you
can look at too. Can we submit to that like
for instances.
Speaker 2 (03:05):
Absolutely, there's a link on there or you can just
email me directly on playground at a Targo dot ac.
And I also keep an eye on what the councilors
are doing so I do try and update them, but
obviously I'm stretched out and playgrounds is a lot to
keep an eye on. And I know, I mean there's
a couple of the expersion I know that have been
updated and I do have a son that loves an exbersion,
(03:27):
so that's quite handy for there, but for the wider
New Zealand areas it is quite challenging keeping them up
to date. BLOOD do try so.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
The ones in the Ashburton district have the advantage, is
what you're saying. Yeah, the one at lake Hood we've
found has been given a bit of a touch up too.
Speaker 2 (03:44):
I don't know about the one at that has also
been photos there, but I don't keep them up to
date as best I can.
Speaker 1 (03:53):
Are there plans to add any more features or expand
your database?
Speaker 2 (03:58):
Well, you're looking at the playground one. I've also got
an app for swimming pool outdoor swimming pools and yes,
so I'll send you the length.
Speaker 1 (04:06):
Hope you've removed the Timil pool as sad as that.
Speaker 2 (04:09):
Is, Ah, it could still be on their if it's recent.
Speaker 1 (04:14):
I could go and plant something there there. No, No,
that's that's a little too political, what's okay? What's the
idea of a playground to you? You reckon Bromwin to
sort of end on a bit of a fluffy.
Speaker 2 (04:24):
So the ideal playground for me is probably different than
for a child. I obviously want to see a playground
that's got a good shade options for both the children
and for spectators, somewhere to know the famness, sit and
have a picnic. It's a nice shade tree with picnic
tables and things. That's really nice to protect them from
those harmful UV rays when when the summer is out.
(04:46):
But also having different options for different ages, having some
at least some accessibility optionable. Always nice to have public
toilets available. You know obviously that you can't do that
with all playgrounds, but.
Speaker 1 (05:01):
I think we do pretty well at ticking most of
those boxes here in Ashburton, right, Yeah.
Speaker 2 (05:05):
Well you do certain a lot. A lot of your
playgrounds have got good leafy trees, certainly for spectators here
in Neat.
Speaker 1 (05:12):
Well, thank you so much for pulling this together. We'll
go and share it on our hawknewy ashburt And Facebook page.
A little later today, the Playground Explorer
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