Friendly Bay in Oamaru is to get friendlier still, as community members of all ages combine to convert a fishing boat into the first installation of a steampunk-themed playground.
Pupils of Pembroke Primary School this week liaised with council representatives, members of the community and local artists in the early stages of the design process.
The boat Moana, which belonged to the late Paul Tangney, will supply the children with the framework from which to design the playground's first piece.
Former teacher Gloria Hurst said obtaining the boat had been a sensitive project, which had hauled up "seven years of grief" for Mr Tangney's family.
He was presumed drowned while fishing off the coast off Oamaru in January 2004, and the boat sank.
She became involved in the project after being "blown away by the vision, wisdom and frustration" of Oamaru children she had allowed to play on her property in Papakaio. The idea was to create an open area "that was all about play", Mrs Hurst said.
"Kids are like plants - they need space to grow."
The project would involve elderly people, keen to pass on their skills, and was part ofan "authentic regeneration ofthe community", she said.
"We have waited all our lifetimes for this point in time. It's very exciting."
Pembroke Primary School pupil Zac Wealleans, whose design featured dual crow's nests, a slide and swings, port holes, a steering wheel, a rope net and a motor-powered glass tube filled with water to give the impression the boat was moving, said the playground would be a safe environment for children to have fun.
"It will be better because it will be an alcohol and drug-free environment," he said.
"Kids won't hurt themselves by standing on broken glass."
Pembroke Primary School principal Brent Godfrey said the initiative was "all about community ownership and having people involved."
People tended to take greater care of things they had a hand in making, he said.
A youth forum in August last year, attended by 60 pupils from each of Oamaru's secondary schools and including community groups, identified that children wanted more space to play and greater involvement in governance of that space.
Artist Damien McNamara had drawn up initial plans and was excited about "letting the kids have a say in what the playground will look like".
