Screaming, happy children have taken over what was once a much-loved destination for adults in Belmont.
The former Belmont Bowling Club on High Street is now home to the region's first Chipmunks Playland and Cafe, which officially opens on Friday.
Read more: Belmont Bowling Club sale fetches $4.8 million
Chipmunks caters for children aged up to 11, with state-of-the-art indoor playgrounds where they can run, jump, slide and climb while parents watch on with coffee in hand from the on-site Charlie's Cafe.
There are three age-appropriate zones (a baby zone for the under-twos, a toddler zone for under-fives, and a main zone for ages five to 11) with plenty of seating for supervising adults, as well as large party rooms with windows and lake views.
The entire site, in fact, boasts enviable views of Lake Macquarie which centre manager Alex Madigan says he enjoys daily. The former mining manager and soon-to-be psychology graduate was searching for a career change and found it at Chipmunks.
"It's been a hectic few months, but that's just part of developing a new business - building staff skills," he said.
"It's been going really well and now it's just a matter of keeping that momentum going."
And building on it. Mr Madigan has plans to host children's discos at Chipmunks and introduce a dinner menu on Friday and Saturday nights.
"It's a big space. There's been so much investment in the equipment and the engineering design," he said.
"A playground like this is good for the kids. By interacting with other kids they're developing their emotional regulation and problem-solving skills.
"And the lake view is amazing. It's almost wasted on the kids, they don't care about things like that, but the parents do. This place is as much about the kids having fun and burning energy as it is about giving the parents a break."
Belmont Bowling Club sold the High Street premises for $4.8 million in 2017, paving the way for a merger with Belmont Golf Club. Two undercover synthetic bowling greens have since been installed at the club on the Pacific Highway at Marks Point, which is now called Belmont Golf & Bowls.
All are welcome to Friday's grand opening at Chipmunks Belmont. There will be an official ribbon cutting at 10am followed by cake, face painting and raffles. Entry is just $12.90 on the day which gives children the opportunity to play all day long (the venue will be open until 8pm for the occasion).
