The new children’s play area at the Hawke’s Bay Airport.
In 2018, FPG started working with Hawke’s Bay Airport to design, build and install the café and wine wall as part of a wider project to expand the airport terminal1.
There was one area that needed to be completed. The kids’ play area, which was later appropriately named the Captains’ Corner. Anyone who has travelled with young children will appreciate the importance of keeping them occupied while waiting for flight calls or arriving passengers.
On the back of the earlier successful wine wall development, FPG was asked to produce a design for the play area. FPG’s focus is on food retail and food service. But sometimes we are requested to support local initiatives, and this project fell into that category.
Designed for children 10 and under, Captains’ Corner has a mini cockpit, complete with controls, and runway inspired floor with the same numbers as Hawke’s Bay Airport. The walls surrounding the cockpit tell aviation and local stories including the migration story of the Kuaka, aircraft that fly in and out of the airport, and the sea life that would have lived in Te Whanganui a Orotu (Hawke’s Bay marine environment) prior to the 1931 earthquake.

The mini cockpit, complete with controls in the new Captains’ Corner children’s play area.
Judi Godbold, Hawke’s Bay Airport Manager Marketing and Business Growth, says the new play area tells a story that’s unique to Hawke’s Bay Airport. “We are delighted to see our new Captains’ Corner kids’ play area become a reality, and invite our tamariki to explore it.
“We hope that visiting children will have their imaginations ignited by playing in the vibrant space where they can learn about the history of the airport and the environment that surrounds us.
“Our thanks to the Gold sponsor of the kids’ area, ASB Bank who have supported our vision and helped make this unique play area possible,” says Ms Godbold.
For this project FPG’s scope of work included:
- Ideation, overall site design and layout
- Messaging and signage design, in collaboration with Hawke’s Bay Airport stakeholders
- Compliance with the NZS5828:2015 playground safety standards
- Building works – FPG manufactured and installed the cavity wall housing the TV and the ramp
- Joinery fixtures – FPG designed, manufactured and installed the central console, window slides and game
- FPG contracted local company Jackson Commercial Flooring to complete the flooring.
Flight NZ 5020 to Auckland, you are cleared for take-off!


1Interested to find out more? Read the FPG case study.