Newspaper Article – Fantasyland – a page from a storybook

Fantasyland – a page from a storybook

A must for the tourists

FANTASYLAND is to Hastings what Disneyland is to the United States. Though the children’s playground is on a less grand scale than its American counterpart, it is nonetheless, one of the country’s major holiday attractions.

“Fantasyland is a page from every youngster’s storybook brought to life in sunny Hastings” is how an advertising brochure describes the 6.5 hectare playground set among stately trees at Windsor Park.

“Fantasyland is a must for every visitor, young and old, to Hastings,” says the city’s public relations officer, Mr Murray Pinfold.

When Mr Pinfold arrived in the city in 1964, Fantasyland, at best, was only a dream. The site no more than an open field with a stream meandering through. The following year a local businessman suggested that a playground at the park could be a viable proposition.

The suggestion fell on receptive ears. Fantasyland was born. Its construction and on-going development has been administered by the Hastings City Council and backed by goods, services, cash and time by local organisations, companies and individuals.

Since its inception Fantasyland has grown like Topsy. Says Mr Pinfold: “It is now unrecognisable from its early days.”

Fantasyland got off the ground in 1965 when a Queen Carnival raised sufficient funds for initial work to proceed.

The carnival raised about $27,000 while a subsidy of $8000 from the Golden Kiwi paid for fencing, the railway bridge, boat shed, materials for the railway, edges to the lake and designers’ fees.

Without doubt, the heart of Fantasyland is the three-storey castle which was opened in 1968.

The castle, based on the Disneyland castle, cost $15,403 of which the Crest Birds-Eye Social Club raised $8000.

The other major attraction – the pirate ship – was designed and built by the parks and recreation staff, and was completed in 1978.

About $14,000 for the ship was raised by a gala organised by the mayor and mayoress of Hastings, Jim and Isla O’Connor.

But Fantasyland is now much more a castle and pirate ship. Other features include a train, an old woman’s shoe, a tree house, a putting green, a rocket, merry-go-round, scented garden and railway station.

There is also Noddytown straight out of the pages of Enid Blyton’s books which was organised by the Hastings Jaycees. It was opened in 1971. For the space-minded, there is “tomorrow land” with its space ship and delta-winged slide.

And for the past few years a 6.5 metre high replica of Father Christmas has been erected at Fantasyland. It was presented to the city by former hotelier Mr Bill Franssen, who used to erect it above his hotel during the festive season.

Photo captions –

FANTASYLAND’S new 13 metre high water slide. . .officially opened this week.

HASTINGS Mayor Jim O’Connor. . .reaped $14,000.

HASTINGS PRO Murray Pinfold. . .’Fantasyland’s a must for every visitor’.

THE heart of Fantasyland is the three-storey castle which opened in 1968. Based on the Disneyland design, the castle cost $15,403 of which the Crest Birds-Eye Social Club raised $8000.

A 6.5 metre high replica of Father Christmas stands supreme in the Windsor Park complex. It was donated by former hotelier Mr Bill Franssen.