Five water park inspired road trips to do this summer
If it’s a hot day and the kids are grumbling you know what to do.Pack everyone into the car, head off to a water-based theme park, enjoy the rides and cool down a bit. Don’t forget the cossie!
Adventure Park, Geelong, Victoria
Maybe a trip down to Geelong from Melbourne isn’t exactly thrill a minute, but Adventure Park certainly is. Victoria’s biggest water theme park has had a recent expansion with an amazing new addition: The Tornado is 24 metres high and four people on their inflatable craft will plunge seven storeys into the eye of its storm. Book a cabana, compete on the Aqua Racer or try some less strenuous paddling for the very little ones. The park is also on the way to Queenscliff or the Mornington Peninsula ferry.
Jamberoo Action Park, New South Wales
Leave Sydney for the 60 minute drive south to Jamberoo and you’d think any nasty spiders would be left far behind. Think again. This Funnel Web water ride twists and turns into the lair of the giant spider: a fairly scary prospect. Even more thrilling is The Perfect Storm which combines three giant watery vortexes into which you and three hapless friends will plunge – sometimes in total darkness – before seeing the light again.
Wet’n’Wild, Gold Coast, Queensland
This is the Big Daddy of Australian water parks, not surprisingly because Wet’n’Wild is located in the sunshine of Queensland’s vibrant Gold Coast. Only an hour’s drive from Brisbane or a worthwhile road trip from other states, it has at least 15 different rides ranging in hair-raisingness from the apocalyptic Tornado and Super 8 Aqua Racer to the milder giant wave pool or Calypso Beach. Better still, it’s handily close to other theme parks with combined ticket options.
Kulin Aquatic Centre, Western Australia
There might be bigger water parks closer to Perth but the giant water slide at Kulin, about three hours further east has a great story behind it. Back in 2001 the wheatbelt town needed a tourist attraction and so gathered all able bodies and a few trucks, bought a giant waterslide from Queensland and erected it at the local pool. The slide is simply massive: some 182 meters of speedy spirals and the best bit is, kids can use it all day for only two dollars! So take the trip, support the bush and have a tonne of fun into the bargain.
Splash Town, Moonta Bay, South Australia
This is a good one for those heading off across the Nullarbor or just want to strike out two hours from Adelaide for a bit of country fun. Moonta is on the west side of the Yorke Peninsula and it’s a very pleasant place with a beach, boat ramp and a great gelateria. Splash Town, next to the caravan park is small but very kid-friendly with a number of water slides to play on that aren’t too big or scary. Best of all, it’s free to use so you can budget on plenty of ice cream afterwards.
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