Apollo Park
Apollo Park is also known as Butterfly Park. It has a space-themed playground, and gardens that help our native butterflies thrive.
Video: Palmy's Colville whānau introduce one of the city's hidden gems, Apollo Park.
Apollo Park is named after the Apollo space programme
Apollo Park lies in the heart of Milson. We planned and subdivided most of the suburb in the 1960s, when NASA's mission was to land astronauts on the moon.
Eleven of the streets around the park also reference the space race and our solar system. For example, Jupiter and Mercury Streets, and Gemini Ave.
The space theme continues into the park. The playground features a large rocket for children to climb on and spin around in.
The sign welcoming park visitors is exactly 110 metres to the butterfly area of the park. The distance is deliberate. It's the length of the Saturn V rocket – the spacecraft that carried the astronauts who walked on the moon.
It's often nicknamed Butterfly Park
In 2012, a huge community effort transformed part of the park into a sanctuary for our native butterflies.
Paul Vandenberg came up with the idea after seeing hundreds of Monarch butterflies in the park's willow trees. He discovered they hibernate there over winter before hatching in spring and summer.
We now choose plants to attract butterflies and provide food for caterpillars.
The best time to visit the park to see the butterflies is from December to April, in the early morning. You might be able to spot Monarchs, Red and Yellow Admirals, NZ Coppers and Little Blies.
The playground was upgraded in 2018.
Location
Apollo Park, 72 Apollo Parade, Milson 4414 View Map
-40.32800894494626, 175.6050779142428
Apollo Park, 72 Apollo Parade ,
Milson 4414
Apollo Park, 72 Apollo Parade ,
Milson 4414
Apollo Park