STUDENTS were full of excitement as they climbed up, through and around the brand new rock climbing structure that opened this week at Quarry Hill Primary School.
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The fibreglass boulder, known as a 'Canyonz Bouldering Slide', includes a slide through the middle and brightly coloured handholds for rock climbing.
It was the most popular choice when students were surveyed to decide where to spend funds raised at the school's fair last September.
The Parents and Friends Association's vice-president Leanne Lockwood believed the school was one of the first schools in Australia to install such a structure.
"In the past we have raised enough money for books and iPads and things, so we thought we'd look at something different," she said.
"It's just so much fun and they get to use their whole bodies through the rock climbing."
The structure is situated at the rear of the school with some shade from the surrounding gum trees.
Principal Andrew Schaeche said students from the school had been looking forward to being able to play on the boulder.
"When we did the bushland space down the back there was always a plan to do some sort of rock climbing space down there," he said.
Mr Schaeche said the design would help students develop upper body strength and co-ordination.
"It's an alternative play structure - we don't have anything like this."
It's so much fun - they get to use their whole bodies through the rock climbing.
- Leanne Lockwood
Grade three student Rory Shaw said he was happy with the new play equipment.
"Well, you can go up and you can slide down it, then go up again," he said.
"It looked cooler than all the other choices and it was packed this morning."
Grade one student Xanthe Thorpe was also pleased with the new addition to the school yard.
"You can do all sorts of stuff on it - you can hop on the top, or you can jump down," she said.
The structure cost $17,000 and was shipped from the US, where play equipment based on natural shapes that encourage imagination are becoming more popular.
Despite being ordered months ago, the wait for the boulder to arrive has been long, making its arrival even more special.
Looking to the future, president of the parents group Kasslea Shaw said next time they would consider some of the other options, such as building a giant slide.