The wait is finally over for south-west children as the Warrnambool Botanic Garden's nature-based play space opened on Wednesday.
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Friends of the Warrnambool Botanic Garden president Pat Varley said she felt a sense of triumph as an excited group of Beamish Street kindergarteners played throughout the nature space.
"It's been over two years since we were first approached by Warrnambool City Council to put in for Pick My Project," Mrs Varley said.
"We came in under our budget but we've had a huge contribution from the friends of the gardens with over 3000 volunteers hours.
"We certainly hope the kids will have a wonderful time."
Charlie Johnson, 5, was delighted to be one of the first children exploring the play area.
"It's awesome because I can climb on it and second of all, I get to play," he said.
"Playing on all of this is fun."
Curator John Sheely said the area was a great addition to the garden.
"It is a fantastic active zone which balances out our passive areas," he said.
"Now the gardens caters for different ages and I have to thank the community for their support and the friends of the gardens for their diligence."
Neil McLeod has been at the helm as project manager and was pleased to see the children enjoying the space.
"The gardens are 150-years-old and this play space is the next step of its life," he said.
"Many things, like the rotunda, have come into the gardens and I think this play space will be here for many generations and remembered."
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Beamish Street Kindergarten teacher Donna Lumb penned a picture story book about the process of the play space and all proceeds from the sale will go towards the area's upkeep.
"I really believe children need to be connected with nature and they need to understand the process of how things get done," she said.
"This is a historical record of the area and something people will be able to see what they visited when they were young."
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