Kelly Harbott and Paul Beaurepaire of PB Sculpt create an above-ground reef experience for the Destinatin Play playground in New Plymouth. Photo: RNZ / Robin Martin
A $7 million playground emerging on the New Plymouth coastline promises something for everyone - young or old.
Destination Play will cover two hectares when complete and include a dozen zones, featuring a BMX pump track and a water-play area, and everything in between.
The Taranaki Foundation is driving the Destination Play project in conjuction with the New Plymouth District Council and Ngāti Te Whiti hapū and New Plymouth Partners.
Chief executive Josh Hickford said it had been four years in the making.
"The idea got thrown in the petri dish around a place that wasn't just for kids that was for all ages, where the design was quite unique one-of-a-kind and then through that process it came out 'where are we going to do this?'.
"And New Plymouth does have some good locations, but Kāwaroa Park quite quickly rose to the top."
Taranaki Foundation chief executive Josh Hickford says people will be struck by the sheer scale of Destination Play. Photo: RNZ / Robin Martin
He said visitors would be struck by Destination Play's sheer scale.
"If you look at the Kāwaroa reef, the vista, the space pushes all the way to Kāwaroa Close and Belt Road Motor Camp.
"There's essentially 12 or 13 themed zones and we've tried with the design team to create areas for different ages, so grandparents and parents can play on these pieces as well, or you could just sit under the pohutukawa on the big deck read a book, have a coffee and just be."
Destination Play would feature agility and fitness equipment, slides, learning hotspots, climbing platforms and upgraded public facilities.
Kelly Harbott from PB Sculpt was creating one of its unique sensory elements - an above ground version of Kāwaroa reef.
"It's a climbing structure and a bit of a tunnel and it will be an experience for the kids. They'll come through and find fossils and they'll be little barnacle climbing holds and things like that.
"We see the structure in our head and we draw it out of steel and once we've put it together we do a little bit of a backing and use some shot-crete and top it with plaster and texture and then we replica what we see around us."
The above-ground reef would allow people not able to go down onto Kāwaroa reef an opportunity to experience what it was like.
Gideon Washer, left, and Earl Pennington of Build Skills Construction were putting together the Pohutukawa Net Climber. Photo: RNZ / Robin Martin
Earl Pennington of Build Skills Construction was putting together the Pohutukawa Net Climber.
"Our team is we're doing the hill play area. So we're doing some half-tube slides, some logs, a big net climber and a big stack of logs all along the side of this hill on the coast."
He was an old hand at this.
"So, I've done probably a couple of hundred playgrounds now and this one is probably just a bit more challenging. Things are a bit bigger, they're a bit heavier and they're on a 30 degree slope, so lots of challenges."
Pennington thought the end product would be worth a visit.
"I think it's going to be awesome. Just the whole site, it's pretty exciting for the kids."
Clelands Construction site manager Justin Taylor has promised his boys Destination Play will be ready in time for Christmas. Photo: RNZ / Robin Martin
Kāwaroa Park had long been the location of a playground and site manager for Clelands Construction, Justin Taylor, was first to admit he'd never built one before.
His boys had already put him on notice.
"Just before we started the project I brought them here because they love going down on the reef and checking out all the rock pools and the first thing they said was 'dad, where's the playground gone?'
"And I said 'don't worry boys I'll be bringing something bigger and better just in time for Christmas'."
Phase one of Destination Play was on schedule to open for the holiday season.