The Canberra Aqua Park opens on Friday for its third season with a wet weekend unlikely to deter diehard fans who will be able to enjoy new inflatables and stand-up paddle boards for the first time as part of the Lake Burley Griffin attraction.
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The popular inflatable obstacle is back in its usual position off the Black Mountain Peninsula.
Owner Will Yeap said he was glad to be back, making use of the lake.
"We'll open until the end of February, at this stage," he said.
"It's open every day, except for Christmas Day, from 10am to 8pm. It has 100 people per hour but a group booking allows for 125 people.
"Last year we could have only 75 people per hour because of COVID but this year we are allowed more.
"I think the place [on the lake] is really nice, it's just a matter of giving people extra activities to do."
Mr Yeap says the aqua park would be a feature of summer on the lake for at least the next decade.
"I will think we will be there until people are bored of us," he said.
"I think this kind of park usually has a life of 10, 15 years, so we are here for a while."
Mr Yeap said there were three new inflatables this year - and for the first time 12 stand-up paddle boards to be used in the lake next to the aqua park.
"It's always our plan to refresh the look of the park," he said. "One of the new one is 3.7m-high jumping platform with two slides and a climbing wall. But the jumping pillow is still there, because people like that. And the spinning log is still there."
The highest recorded height for someone being bounced off the jumping pillow last season was 5.6m, proved by a photograph. Ardent users will be out to break that record this summer.
The aqua park is open regardless of the weather, including rain.
"If there's a storm or something wrong with the inflatables, they are the only reasons we don't open," he said.
The aqua park even survived the great hail storm of January 2020.
"We thought the inflatables were going to be in trouble but the hail just bounced off the inflatables," Mr Yeap said.
The cost of the aqua park is $20 for one hour or $35 for two hours. A group of four costs $70 and a group of 10 $180.
Participants at the aqua park must be aged five or above. Children aged between five and 10 require an adult supervisor. Anyone aged under 18 also needs the waiver form signed by a parent.
More details and bookings at canberraaquapark.com/
Megan Doherty
I like telling local stories and celebrating Canberra. Email: megan.doherty@canberratimes.com.au
I like telling local stories and celebrating Canberra. Email: megan.doherty@canberratimes.com.au
