Australia's first inflatable waterpark opens

wibit_goldcoast — The Wibit 60+ installation at Aquasplash Fun Park, Gold Coast

Gold Coast City Council has opened what has been hailed as Australia's first “open water” inflatable waterpark.

Aquasplash Water Fun Park on the Broadwater at Southport features the Wibit 60+ inflatable plus two icebergs, a spinner and a rocker, creating the potential for hours of fun for many hundreds of kids throughout each day.

Supplied by Hydrocare Pools, this was such a large and complex installation that director Robert Savell had to spend four days at Wibit headquarters in Bocholt, Germany, learning the details of installing the product as well as its maintenance and repair.

This is the first Wibit 60+ installed in Australia, but Savell has four major installs planned over the next six months and more by the end of 2014. While this is the first park of its kind in Australia, there have been larger ones built in Europe by combining multiple installs of the Wibit 60+.

The park was opened on November 2 by Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate, joined by councillor Dawn Crichlow AOM, a big supporter of the Wibit installation. The Broadwater Park is a popular destination for both locals and tourists. The Park is operated by Aqua Splash and is the first of several planned installations.

WibitOpening — Excited kids champ at the bit as Mayor Tom Tate and Counsellor Dawn Critchelow open the park

“Gold Coast City council has really got behind it,” says Savell. “They’re one of the big push councils in Australia. They’re leading the trend and it’s a perfect example of how to do it the right way – even down to the way they promote it on their own website.”

The Aquasplash Water Fun Park at the Broadwater Parklands is open between 8am to 7pm and costs $15 per person for a 50 minute session, with discounts for families and kids five to 10 years old.