Cairns Adventure Waters - 2016 opening. Construction begins.

[keadz]

 

Construction to start on Smithfield water park

CONSTRUCTION of a multi-million-dollar world-class water park at Smithfield is slated to start next week after years of ­setbacks.

The Cairns Post can exclusively reveal Mareeba builder Gregg Constructions has been awarded the tender to prepare the 7ha block earmarked for the Adventure Waters Water Park from June 29.

Civil works, including the installation of a vast network of underground infrastructure, are expected to commence soon after, with the attraction pegged to open in September 2016.

It’s been a bumpy ride for the $45 million project, which has faced a legal challenge, approval delays and cyclone activity in the six years since Cairns Regional Council gave it the green light.

Local businessman and Adventure Waters chief executive, Paul Freebody, said the park was being funded by an Australian investor with a development discount allowing construction to finally start.

“The council should be congratulated for being proactive and giving incentives to get projects off the ground,” he said.

“It’s a combination of many things falling into place at the right time.

“The tourism market is turning around, the Australian dollar and interest rates are low, and there’s confidence in Cairns, the regions, and Queensland for that ­matter.

“The benefits of the delays are that we are now going to see world-leading innovation at the park and there will be some surprises in regards to new attractions that are now being looked at for Adventure Waters.

“There are new ‘white-knuckle’ attractions available that were never even thought of going back seven years.”

The project will create about 340 jobs during the construction phase, estimated to last 12-14 months, and employ more than 200 people upon completion.

Guiding the process will be Warner Village Theme Parks’ former chief operating officer and water park consultant, Steve Peet, and Mark Mercer, who oversaw the construction of Dreamworld’s WhiteWater World.

Mr Freebody said he was committed to employing ­locals.

Adventure Waters’ design has been inspired by Waterbom Bali and it will be a “cashless” attraction, with visitors to wear a wristband loaded with credit.

It will feature a number of white-knuckle rides, an “action river”, wave rider, children’s play areas, function rooms, amenities and a restaurant precinct.

Cairns Mayor Bob Manning welcomed the news and said his staff would work with Mr Freebody to ensure the project went off without a hitch.

“It will certainly stimulate some activity in the town and what’s more encouraging is we have investors who are now looking at the tourism industry,” he said.

“I predict that we will see more investment, and we are on the edge of an exciting time.http://www.cairnspost.com.au/news/cairns/construction-to-start-on-smithfield-water-park/story-fnjpusyw-1227408657200

Good stuff Finally taking off after being announced 5 years ago.

Good luck to everyone involved. 

Old render:

Edited June 22, 2015 by keadz

[AUSTHEMEPARKS]

Looks like it's going to be a great water park. It's great to see a park pop up at tropical queensland as they don't really have anything besides sugarworld.

[razza1987]

Ugh. Another water park. Why is it always water parks being built and expanded on and theme parks and theme park rides get avoided like the black plague 

[Jobe]

Ugh. Another water park. Why is it always water parks being built and expanded on and theme parks and theme park rides get avoided like the black plague 

Its quite simple. Compared to Theme parks , water parks are relatively cheap to build and construct.

Also given the climate in Cairns is tropical, don't you think that a water park is the obvious choice? I am actually surprised  that it has taken this long for one to actually be built. This is great for Cairns and far North Queensland.

[iwerks]

Go AW! Wait a second...

[razza1987]

Its quite simple. Compared to Theme parks , water parks are relatively cheap to build and construct.

Also given the climate in Cairns is tropical, don't you think that a water park is the obvious choice? I am actually surprised  that it has taken this long for one to actually be built. This is great for Cairns and far North Queensland.

good point. It's just there are some people out there like me who absolutely hate waterparks with a passion and who are getting fed up of Australia focussing solely on water parks or water rides for expansion. It makes total sense for cairns though

[westical]

Is your hatred due in part to body image? I can understand it being intimidating, but they're actually lots of fun.

[razza1987]

Is your hatred due in part to body image? I can understand it being intimidating, but they're actually lots of fun.

my one and only visit to a water park was to Wet N wild on the gold coast. They allowed a father and his child to go down on a slide together and I ended up crashing into them. I was eleven at the time and my mother was coming down behind me and she ended up crashing there the back of me. My tailbone hurt for literally weeks. 

Then I thought I would try the wave pool and the life guard ended up having to help me out. 

I haven't been to a water park since

[AllegroCrab]

Water parks are fun and all, and a great place to go to cool off, but I definitely enjoy 'proper' rides more than water slides. Taller, faster, bigger forces, more comfortable seating, safer, longer, no standing wet and cold at the top of a windy tower.

I also prefer theme parks to water parks because they are just a nicer place to be. Themed attractions, shows, dark rides

Well that, and I'm a pale, skinny little bugger as well, unlike all the kids up in Queensland!

[Reanimated35]

I can't swim so I just avoid water parks all together

[Jobe]

I can't swim so I just avoid water parks all together

Serious mate?

[Gazza]

my one and only visit to a water park was to Wet N wild on the gold coast. They allowed a father and his child to go down on a slide together and I ended up crashing into them. I was eleven at the time and my mother was coming down behind me and she ended up crashing there the back of me. My tailbone hurt for literally weeks. 

Then I thought I would try the wave pool and the life guard ended up having to help me out. 

I haven't been to a water park since

With all due respect, why are you basing current decisions on something that happened when you were 11? I mean, when I was 11 I wouldn't even go on the corkscrew at SW.  Water parks probably didnt have the same safety standards back then either....

Go AW! Wait a second...

Yay for Aussie World! Or I mean Adventure World, or....

[Reanimated35]

Serious mate?

Yep. Nearly drowned 2 or 3 times as a kid and gave up on water.

 

I mean, when I was 11 I wouldn't even go on the corkscrew at SW.  

I'm pretty sure I was about 16/17 when my sister convinced me to go on Corkscrew. It was the first coaster I'd been on that did a loop. Pretty sure the only other one prior to that was the one at Tops in the Myer centre. Went on cs about 15 times that day. Loved coasters ever since. 

[Gazza]

Yep. Nearly drowned 2 or 3 times as a kid and gave up on water.

Could you not ride most of the stuff at WnW/WWW where you splash down into runout chutes that are like 30cm deep, or splashdown pools that are about 1m deep?

I mean, by all means avoid the wave pool if you can't swim, but for the rest.....

http://cdn2.parkz.com.au/cache/photo/individual_photo/general/2008/03/0312-1968_Blackhole_parkz 145.JPG

 

Edited June 22, 2015 by Gazza

[razza1987]

 

With all due respect, why are you basing current decisions on something that happened when you were 11? I mean, when I was 11 I wouldn't even go on the corkscrew at SW.  Water parks probably didnt have the same safety standards back then either....

Yay for Aussie World! Or I mean Adventure World, or....

let's see you have a crash on a waterslide and have to be rescued by a life guard and see if you go rushing back to a waterpark. Just because you like waterparks doesnt mean others have to

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

I got dumped by a massive wave at the beach once. Knocked my head into the sand and did minor damage to my cervical spine.

At another time i got caught in a rip and swept out. took me about 30 minutes to get back to shore.

I still go to the beach... i'm just more careful.

Waterparks these days won't let the next person onto a slide until the last person has cleared the splashdown zone...

I guess Gazza's point is you shouldn't let one isolated visit ruin things for you - especially with all the advances in technology and safety these days...

[Gazza]

let's see you have a crash on a waterslide and have to be rescued by a life guard and see if you go rushing back to a waterpark. Just because you like waterparks doesnt mean others have to

You're the one going on about how much you hate water parks in a forum full of water park lovers mate.

Can you not separate your own personal experiences with what is popular with the majority? Is it really that hard to understand why water parks keep getting built here? They're cheap to build and run compared to a dry mechanical ride park, and Australians on the whole enjoy water activities. 

[razza1987]

You're the one going on about how much you hate water parks in a forum full of water park lovers mate.

Can you not separate your own personal experiences with what is popular with the majority? Is it really that hard to understand why water parks keep getting built here? They're cheap to build and run compared to a dry mechanical ride park, and Australians on the whole enjoy water activities. 

I don't care what people "on the whole" enjoy or don't enjoy. I'm entitled to my own opinion 

[Gazza]

Why is it always water parks being built and expanded on and theme parks and theme park rides get avoided like the black plague? 

So why did you ask the question? 

[razza1987]

So why did you ask the question? 

because I didn't expect people to be rude and sarcastic in response 

[DisneyDoll]

I must admit that I am no fan of water parks. It's not a body issue thing, it's simply that in my instance, when you get to a certain age, running up stairs & ramps all day long loses it's lustre. I did W&W many times in the past as well as the Water Works at Mt Druitt, Manly Beach & Grundy's Gold Coast but I much prefer rides. I can exercise without having to pay a lot of money & line up for the privilege. So I say go for it all those who enjoy them :-)

 

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

Razza - you asked why they keep building Waterparks. Gazza has given a very obvious and simple answer. You've stated a personal dislike for them because of your own experiences. Gazza asked a follow up question - you've defended your view, and accepted that others like them, but you don't.

Gazza quite legitimately questions why you would ask why they keep building them, and you accuse him of being rude and sarcastic. I think he's been quite reasonable.

You're complaining about the construction of something you disagree with personally, whilst also stating you're entitled to your opinion, yet the vast majority of people here would be in favour of the construction - but they aren't entitled to theirs?

 

Waterparks are built because people like them.

Water parks are built because they are cheap to build.

Water parks are built because they are cheap to run.

[Wil_i_am_not]

There's a vast difference between fact and opinion

[grrofunger]

There's a vast difference between fact and opinion

...in your opinion...

[razza1987]

@Alex there's a difference between him having an opinion and trying to force his opinion onto me