Jamberoo Action Park reveal ~$7 Million 'Grand Gorge Falls' & 'Koala Kove'!

[Jamberoo Fan]

Kiama Municipal Council has put on exhibition an around $7 million plan of Jamberoo Action Park to demolish the Splash Out area which consisted of 2 body slides, 1 slow & 1 fast, both the 3rd oldest body waterslides in Australia (built 1981) & a couple of pools (also built 1981) which were upgraded in the past decade to add a rolling log & an octopus slide set.

The bodyslides are to be replaced them with GRAND GORGE FALLS!...

...the pool set with KOALA KOVE!

Of note, this is a slight drift from their Kangaroo Island masterplan, which was to happen completely in the surroundings of Funnel Web.

The Illawarra Mercury today also reported:

Quote

General manager Matt George said despite a new application before council for the Grand Gorge Falls and Koala Kove, the next 10 years would see more and more additions.

"In part of that [previous] development application we've still got further waterslides, a larger rapid river, and a water roller-coaster" Mr George told the Mercury.

"It's important in our industry, it's a capital intensive industry, we're going to continue to update the experience guests get in the park."

The park has experienced a decline in visitor numbers in recent years but owners are working to boost that for the short term, and achieve sustained visitor numbers in the long term, according to the current DA.

Mr George said past ride additions have boosted visitor numbers by 15 to 20 per cent, and anticipated the new adrenaline ride and family waterplay zone to do the same.

Although Splash Out was set for the scrap heap and may disappoint some fans, he was sure the new attractions would be suited to all water enthusiasts.

"We're conscious we want to look after all demographics who come the park, that's why as part of the DA we put in the higher adrenaline ride with the two sky drops" Mr George said.

"But you've also got the aqua play structure ... and plenty of shade and shelter around the area it will be a great precinct for families."

Mr George hoped construction on the new Grand Gorge Falls and Koala Kove would begin as soon as possible for completion by summer of 2020/21, "but there's nothing set in concrete as of yet". "We appreciate the support we've got thus far by Kiama Council and hopefully this will do wonders for the region's tourism as well," he said.

I know Surf Hill is right next to Grand Gorge Falls. The future of Surf Hill now will be interesting.

I must say Jamberoo outstands me with their commitment to theming.

Here is the queue & shade shelters design:

Unlike The Perfect Storm, which received zero media attention during the DA process, this one has so hopefully the local residents have no issues with it. Otherwise, expect delays. The local residents biggest concern has always been the colour blending into the natural surroundings.

Stay tuned to this and further posts for more new developments.

Edited July 9, 2019 by Jamberoo Fan

[Jamberoo Fan]

Here is the landscape plan (colour version):

Grand Gorge Falls' 8-Lane Octokraken Racer:

• "With an overall ride length of approximately 160 metres and an elevational drop of 21.59 metres, this combination racer will be the largest of its type installed to date"(assuming that is still the case in summer 2020)
• "approximately five metres below the natural ground level"

The general Grand Gorge Falls area is themed to gorges "such as Kings Canyon, Katherine Gorge and Finke Gorge / Palm Valley".

Grand Gorge Falls' SkyBox Multi-Bump Speed Slides:

• "only one and three metres above natural ground level"

Koala Kove:

• "This waterplay zone provides a wet deck approximately 25 metres long and 15 metres wide"

It is anticipated, according to the DA, that Jamberoo Action Park "...will experience a slight increase in numbers in the short term, but in the medium to long term the owners aim to achieve sustained visitor numbers in line with current attendance rates"

Some other interesting quotes from the DA:

Quote

With respect to key planning considerations, the following is noted:

- The general height of the development ranges between 5.5m above natural ground surface to 9.5m. The roof height of the ‘take-off’ towers are approx. 11m above natural ground surface.

- The new Koala Cove is proposed to be located about 125m from the Jamberoo Road boundary with the take off towers for the new waterslides being located about 220m from the Jamberoo Road Boundary.

The proposal includes only minor clearing of trees, all of which were planted by the owners of the property in recent years.

It is proposed to landscape the finished development with endemic and ecologically appropriate plant species with low irrigation and maintenance requirements.

Quote

Justification for the proposal is provided as follows:

5. The proposal being for the replacement of existing / aging facilities is not an expansion of the park and the proposal will not itself increase the capacity of the park with respect to the potential number of daily visitors / attendees.

Quote

Visual Impacts

The part of the site affected by the proposal is central to the existing theme park and within a section of the site that is already developed. The rides will not be more visible from public vantage points external to the site compared to existing development. It must be recognised that the theme park is in existence and any impacts on the surrounding rural landscape have already taken place. This proposal is not expected to impact upon the visual amenity of the area.

The DA mentions these new replacements as part of "Master Plan 2016". This very likely refers to Jamberoo Action Park's hints to a newly proposed $6.5 million large major custom-designed hybrid world-first ride back in 2017. 

Clearly, Jamberoo Action Park defines 'hybrid' differently.

So what does everything think?

Edited July 9, 2019 by Jamberoo Fan

[themagician]

Well if the Grand Gorge Falls turn out how they are shown in that concept art I will be very impressed. GC water parks really need to pick up their game 

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

Jamberoo never disappoint, do they? If only Village could have learned from what they're doing when they put WNWS together?

I must admit, I have fond memories of running up that long footpath to slide down those body slides that are  sunken into the surrounding earth. Simple fun, and a great way to burn off kids energy. Looks like the long path to get to these new slides will be just as arduous, but probably a little nicer to look at!

I was only showing my wife some Jamberoo attractions on youtube the other day, and these slides did come up in one of the videos. I must admit i'm a little sad to see them go, but excited for the next step in Jamberoo's development.

It is an interesting point about Surf Hill - which will probably become redundant as a result of the octo racer - but this is probably part of the master plan - creating a new multi slide racer elsewhere, clearing the way for surf hill to be removed and another attraction to take its place.

I haven't been to Jamberoo in a long time, and it's probably going to be a little longer before i get down there - but I am looking forward to it!

I guess at this point, one has to assume The Rock's days are numbered.

[Jobe]

These  plans are fantastic!! They highlight a huge commitment on the park to delivering excellent themed attractions for what is essentially a regional water park.  More power to them!

Couple this with the proposed Alpine Toboggan ride ( a ride which I have campaigned for Jamberoo attaining for a number of years now) and Jamberoo is set to take a huge leap in attractions and offerings.

My initial thoughts;

• The concept art is absolutely stunning. This has to be a contender for the best themed water slide attraction in Australia.
• Its great to see that the Park still has as part of its future plans a large action river, a water coaster and other slides as has been previously released in plan form
• I must admit that I find the selection of ride and timing a little odd, however. My opinion is that it would have been more effective  ride lineup to forge ahead with their previous plans first.  Jamberoo has been accused in the past of doubling up on attractions and essentially the same experience (see Funnel Web and Perfect Storm) and installing an Octo racer slide alongside the existing Surf hill will probably do nothing to dispel these perceptions. As as been stated, obviously there must be plans afoot for the future of Surf Hill. It must also be said that racer slides are great crowd soaker attractions , and having both for the small to medium term wont hurt in terms of throughput.
• I would like to see the proposed Alpine Toboggan built first as I think this attraction would be a great precursor to the new slide area. Australia has needed one of these Alpine  toboggans for quite a while and this will be a unique and first attraction for the Australian public. Hopefully this comes to fruition.
• Whilst it is definitely a shame to see these 2 slides disappear, they were certainly "getting on in years" and very ripe for redevelopment. This is a great replacement for them, and hopefully  down the track, Surf Hill can be replaced with an updated similar body slide attraction in its memory.

• 6 hours ago, AlexB said:

  I guess at this point, one has to assume The Rock's days are numbered.

  Looking at the plans, the Rock precinct seems to be untouched and still remains. I certainly hope this is retained as this is a fairly unique attraction for a water park and it is still massively popular with park patrons. Hopefully it will be around for a few more years .

• In the wake of the WNW Sydney rebrand and rename to Raging Waters and its announcement of its new water slide Whirlwind, this is the perfect response by Jamberoo. Isnt it funny how investment and competition is a direct driver of more investment? This is great for NSW, as we can definitely support these 2 parks easily. 

• The attention to detail on this looks really on point and if it comes to fruition as planned, must be the benchmark for Australian water parks. WNW Gold Coast, Funfields, Adventure Park and Raging Waters please take note!

• We visit Jamberoo every year in February with about 8-10 families. This will be a welcome expansion and my kids are already excited at the prospect of it. Bring it on!!

[StingRay]

This is great. Jamberoo really does pull off the theming aspect really well for a water park. This just sends it to the next level. Those that have ridden the perfect storm will understand. It will be sad to see the outdated original body slides leave but they actually do cause injuries in their old age.

Surf hill. Oh, how I won't miss you. I am slightly heavy meaning I haul ass along this slide and by the time I get to the second "drop" I am flying through the air and usually crashing back into the lane feeling pretty winded even tho I am laughing uncontrollably. I will say tho with this slide being removed it also means a tunnel aspect to the lazy river will be lost. So I see them shutting down surf hill after this season if that's the case.

An alpine coaster would suit Jamberoo perfectly. Those that haven't ever had the chance to visit just don't understand how steep this mountain is. The toboggans are great, but they are in need of some TLC and well after crashing many many times over the years one does not like to try his luck on these anymore. The alpine coaster would be a great addition and a real "feather in the cap" for Jamberoo.

I really hope they keep the rock. This is one of those old school water park attractions that you just don't find anywhere else in Aus.

[Alyssa]

honustly im disappointed because as a child I loved going on  the splash out with my family never and it was one of many of the first rides there my antsy remembers when she first went there and the newest thing was the slide and she said she loved it and she still dose to this day she is going to be so sad to find out this news. When I found out I actually cried because it's am awsome ride in my opinion I state we should leave it how it is we all hate wating ik long lines for things true ?? Everyone can agree with me on that and building something like this will just attract more people and it's damaging our environment more than all the chlorine that's already in that ground area. And not to meantion it's a wage of money like what is it 7 MILLION dollars we would get more ppl coming to us and coining to our grounds if we out the money to good use such as helping the poor or the ones in need. The people who are loosing loved ones. Overall I think it's a bad idea. 

[StingRay]

I know people get upset about attractions going. I was upset then the go-karts got taken away. Heck, when the speed boats went that was bad. But they did replace those attractions with better attractions. So we all have fond memories.

But the park pulls its weight when it comes to making its own money. Yes, some things have been state and local government funded but it does bring tourism to the region and generates jobs within the Albion park / Kiama region. Youll find the park complies with environmental regulations so I wouldn't be terribly worried about the chlorine etc. The one thing this park do is they don't try to change the topography of the land and that's a massive plus. I suppose they can't help it because it is built on the side of two mountains and stuck in a gully.

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

18 hours ago, Jobe said:

I certainly hope this is retained as this is a fairly unique attraction for a water park

For Australia, maybe, but i've seen several 'the rock' style attractions at international water parks - although they are quite old now, obviously. Honestly i'm surprised it has survived this long with all the other modern attractions that have sprung up around it.

10 hours ago, StingRay said:

I am flying through the air and usually crashing back into the lane feeling pretty winded even tho I am laughing uncontrollably.

#MeToo

9 hours ago, Alyssa said:

Everyone can agree with me on that

Probably the only thing we'll agree with you on.

9 hours ago, StingRay said:

I know people get upset about attractions going.

I know right? get rid of the wave pool and bring back the lattice maze!

[StingRay]

 

 

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3 minutes ago, AlexB said:

I know right? get rid of the wave pool and bring back the lattice maze!

Let us hope for this!.

[Jdude95]

If it looks anything like what you quoted... let's not

[StingRay]

31 minutes ago, Jdude95 said:

If it looks anything like what you quoted... let's not

Yes, we must bring it back now.

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

54 minutes ago, Jdude95 said:

If it looks anything like what you quoted... let's not

Yeah - looks like a site \ code glitch - seems like a spoiler tag has gotten mixed up with it...

@Richard?

[Jamberoo Fan]

23 hours ago, AlexB said:

I guess at this point, one has to assume The Rock's days are numbered.

16 hours ago, Jobe said:

I must admit that I find the selection of ride and timing a little odd, however. My opinion is that it would have been more effective  ride lineup to forge ahead with their previous plans first. 

On 09/07/2019 at 8:07 PM, Jamberoo Fan said:

It is anticipated, according to the DA, that Jamberoo Action Park "...will experience a slight increase in numbers in the short term, but in the medium to long term the owners aim to achieve sustained visitor numbers in line with current attendance rates"

This is my theory:

As Jamberoo has stated, their attendance is declining & they do not expect this new investment to significantly increase attendance permanently. I'd say this is due to the 'water park' model reaching market saturation hence the lack of investment at major water parks in recent years. Water parks are not as in demand as before as they are too many of them. Kangaroo Island was proposed about a decade ago to handle additional capacity and this recent announcement is not about adding additional capacity. This recent announcement is about a shift from an 'expansion' strategy to a 'rejuvenation' strategy. They are replacing their current attractions with more modern versions of them (see dot points below). They are moving with the times. The Alpine Coaster though could also be a reaction to the 'water park' saturation by shifting back to regular dry ride/attraction investment.

• Bobsled > Alpine Coaster
• Splash Out body slides > 2 SkyBox Multi-Bump Speed Slides
• Surf Hill > 8-Lane Octokraken Racer
• Splash Out pools > Koala Kove

Koala Kove also features mushrooms (though not as large as the ones at The Rock). It may be that Koala Kove is also a replacement for the mushroom pool area of The Rock. This could indicate The Rock may be up for redevelopment but The Rock area is a pretty unique part of Jamberoo (probably either it's most or 2nd most well known attraction even if it is not just as popular as the Bobsleds) and it fits in with the soon to be added gorge theming in it's neighbouring site so I doubt they would remove it completely - maybe an upgrade involving a reduction down to only the jump area soon & maybe that will also be the final water ride upgrade of Jamberoo? Upgrades for the rest of the water rides (apart from the ones mentioned below) are either too soon, too costly or not needed.

If my 'rejuvenate instead of expansion' theory is correct, this could mean Billabong Beach can be made redundant by the already operating Banjo's Billabong and/or the future Koala Kove while Rapid River can be made redundant with the proposed Platypus River, which should be the next ride built after Grand Gorge Falls/Koala Kove. Platypus River is featured (but not mentioned) on the plans above so they are still thinking about implementing it. Platypus River was initially just to accompany Rapid River in the park but to service the Kangaroo Island area with it's additional capacity. Clearly, that role is currently not needed as the attendance is not high enough.

With water park market saturation & with Surf Hill's future now in question, this makes the whole Rapid River/Billabong Beach/Surf Hill area most likely redundant with replacements built elsewhere in the park possibly by summer 2021. Maybe Jamberoo are planning to remove this area in the future then?

However, upgrading rides alone won't increase attendance - a point of difference does. Grand Gorge Falls, whilst having some similarity to Surf Hill, I think does this with it's grand scale & theming. If completed in summer 2020, it will be Jamberoo's most significant investment to date regardless of price tag/ride type. I mean, look how large it is! Look how well themed it is! If you know the size of Splash Out, well you know how large this is going to be. It will be larger than what it seems to look in the artist impressions (most accurate to give you a sense of it's size is probably the 'View From South' impression). It will be towering. I feel Jamberoo may underestimate how great this investment will be. It may increase attendance on the theming alone. And that will send a big message if that happened! Kangaroo Island's theming hasn't come to full fruition yet (though I expect it will mostly when Platypus River is built) but Grand Gorge Falls' theming, if approved & built on time, will be and I'm confident it will be one of the most aesthetic water park rides in Australia (though they are not many to choose from). Theming wins big here.

This is the opposite of the problem with The Perfect Storm, which, whilst having unique & brilliant narratives/theming, had it's colour scheme nearly identical to Funnel Web, which is located right next to it. Worse than that, it was the next major attraction after Funnel Web to open. They looked too alike & too soon. Grand Gorge Falls & Surf Hill won't get mixed up with their contrasting theming & near 20 year gap between opening dates and we all know which of the two will capture the public's imagination from now on.

Remember, this is only a theory. It may be completely incorrect.

9 hours ago, StingRay said:

I will say tho with this slide being removed it also means a tunnel aspect to the lazy river will be lost.

I think the tunnel will remain - it just will not have a slide on it if Surf Hill is removed. You can see in this photo that Surf Hill & the tunnel are separate particularly since they need piping for the tunnel's waterfall. However, as stated above, maybe they plan to remove Rapid River too and shift it to the proposed Platypus River?

[Jamberoo Fan]

19 hours ago, Alyssa said:

And not to meantion it's a wage of money like what is it 7 MILLION dollars we would get more ppl coming to us and coining to our grounds if we out the money to good use such as helping the poor or the ones in need. The people who are loosing loved ones.

I didn't mention this on the Parkz Forums a few months ago but Jamberoo Action Park recently hosted a 1 day charity concert called Take Action:

They raised money for farmers but I doubt it provided a long term attendance boost for the park. Probably just a boost for the 1 day. It was the first concert hosted at the park in a long time (maybe 2 decades?) and was promoted locally.

Good corporate social responsibility.

Edited July 11, 2019 by Jamberoo Fan

[Jamberoo Fan]

The public exhibition period for Grand Gorge Falls & Koala Kove finished recently so the plans are no longer accessible via Kiama Municipal Council's website.

[Jamberoo Fan]

As we wait to find out if these plans have been approved or not by Kiama Municipal Council, Jamberoo has announced this season's Dive-In Movies:

• 21/12/2019 - Home Alone
• 28/12/2019 - Trolls
• 04/01/2020 - Aquaman
• 11/01/2020 - Moana
• 18/01/2020 - Bumblebee
• 25/01/2020 - The Incredibles 2

All are on Saturday nights at 6pm at Outback Bay.

[Jamberoo Fan]

On the 17th of December, Grand Gorge Falls & Koala Kove were approved by Kiama Municipal Council:

Quote

Decision

Application Status: Determined
Determination Date: 17/12/2019
Determination Type: Approved by Council

Back on the 9th of July, Jamberoo's General Manager, Matt George told The Illawarra Mercury that he hoped construction on the new Grand Gorge Falls and Koala Kove would begin as soon as possible for completion by summer of 2020/21, "but there's nothing set in concrete as of yet".

But we guess it is highly likely that the Splash Out area will close permanently on Sunday 26 April 2020 & Grand Gorge Falls and Koala Kove's tentative opening date would be by Sunday 1 December 2020.

Edited December 22, 2019 by Jamberoo Fan

[Jobe]

On 23/12/2019 at 1:47 AM, Jamberoo Fan said:

On the 17th of December, Grand Gorge Falls & Koala Kove were approved by Kiama Municipal Council:

Back on the 9th of July, Jamberoo's General Manager, Matt George told The Illawarra Mercury that he hoped construction on the new Grand Gorge Falls and Koala Kove would begin as soon as possible for completion by summer of 2020/21, "but there's nothing set in concrete as of yet".

But we guess it is highly likely that the Splash Out area will close permanently on Sunday 26 April 2020 & Grand Gorge Falls and Koala Kove's tentative opening date would be by Sunday 1 December 2020.

Great news Jamberoo fan- lets hope that now this has been approved that work commences quickly and that we see the new Grand Gorge Falls meet that surmised opening date of 1st December 2020. I suspect that this will be pretty close to the mark , although I feel that either Boxing Day or earlier in January might be closer to the mark. Exciting times though!!!

[Jamberoo Fan]

From The Illawarra Mercury (6th of June):

Quote

...the last six months has been the hardest. The devastating summer of fires prompted calls for Sydneysiders to stay at home and not head down the coast at the busiest time of the year. And that was followed by COVID-19.

Mr Eddy describes it as the biggest challenge he has faced in the park's 40 year history. But it is not going to stop his plans to keep investing in the park.

The $7million investment in a high adrenaline" dual waterslide called Grand Gorge Falls and a new family water play area called Koala Kove has been pushed back a year or two but will proceed and be followed by more new rides.

Artist impression of Grand Gorge Falls which will be the next major attraction built within a couple of years.

An artists impression of Koala Kove being built soon at Jamberoo Action Park.

"We had actually moved forward with our plans and were going to do the new ride this year but then the virus hit and closed us down. We have put construction of the ride off which I think is a good decision until we get a clear picture of what the recovery post COVID-19 is going to look like.

"We have a development application which is still current that will take us through at least the next 10 to 15 years. The rides in that DA are already state-of-the-art and the designs are continually being improved.

"If we get a stable environment to operate in with no more fires or coronavirus we should be okay. I think we dropped about $1.2 million in sales early this year. We were up in December. It was going very well and we thought the season was going to be a good one. But then the bushfires and COVID-19 happened".

Mr Eddy described the start of 2020 as diabolical. But he expects many seasons of fun.

Edited June 6, 2020 by Jamberoo Fan

[LunaParkFan]

Honestly think it's a bad idea to get rid of the Splash Out slides, they're a key part of the park and extremely popular, were pretty much the first part of Jamberoo becoming the water-park it is today and the ride is suitable for all ages. It would be much better to relocate this to a different part of the park, the area around the Funnel Web slides could use something like this, the plans do look really brilliant.

[rappa]

It’s always interesting to see a park like this come up with designs (and probably build them) far more imaginative and immersive than our major parks can manage for a water park. 

[Jamberoo Fan]

From WIN News Illawarra:

Quote

Jamberoo Action Park has revealed plans for a $2 million thrill ride.

The park's owners say the freefall slide could be ready by Summer next year...if it can secure much-needed State Government funding.

 

Edited October 29, 2020 by Jamberoo Fan

[Jobe]

Awesome!! This appears to be only half of the original Grand Gorge Falls project however?

[Ranger]

Great news!!! Jamberoo is the closet park to me. However, the design the of the trapdoor slide WIN describes is different to the one on the DA. Should be smooth sailing tough because the DA has already been approved. The community also loves the park. Great to see a regional park ( TBH not very reigonal but not as big as LPS and Raging ) expand at such a rapid rate. Also, I think the masterplan map you can see in the park has been deviated from but I really am loving to see Jamberoo being unafraid to deviate. I would argue that in the next decade, Jamberoo could overtake Raging Waters Sydney.