Children from three to ten were playing 'the ground is lava' on the structure as their parents or grandparents watched on from the grass this morning.

As the mother of six-year old boy Elvis, Tarren Woodhams said she was keeping an eye out for possible injuries but thoroughly enjoying the convenience of having a play structure opposite the Pop Rocket cafe.

"When we told him about the turtle he didn't really get it, but when he saw it first-hand he lit up and was pretty excited," she said.

"It's super convenient for us to have something like this here because it's a nice place for us to relax as well.

"There's other play structures in town but no where like this with a cafe and everything.

"It seems pretty safe, but we're all definitely a lot more comfortable about the older kids than the young ones.

"So we're just keeping a close eye on them," Ms Woodhams said.

Elvis himself was jumping on and off the structure and bouncing with excitement.

"I'd like to come a lot," he said when asked how often he would be coming down to the refurbished area.

Fellow reveller and three-year-old Kace was similarly enthralled.

"Everyone wants to play on it," he said before zooming off again over one of the turtle's legs.

Kace's Mother Jessica Dipasquale said she was comfortable with her child being on top of the structure with the other kids, and had observed a change in atmosphere for the area since the turtle was completed.

"It's definitely a lot busier down here now then it was as people come try it out," she said.

"It is unique in Katherine because there's a whole atmosphere here now.

"Parents can sit with their coffee under the shade, so it does free us up to socialise more ourselves while the kids play.

"Looking at all the kids now, they're clearly loving it so we'll be down here quite a bit I'd say," Ms Dipasquale said.

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