Victoria’s wild water adventure

Summer means water slides. Get your aquatic thrills at Adventure Park, where there’s something for everyone, from bubs to parents.

Adventure Park is Victoria’s biggest water theme park, located just over an hour’s drive from Melbourne on the beautiful Bellarine Peninsula, near Geelong and the start of the Great Ocean Road.

The park’s huge line-up of rides and attractions makes it the ultimate destination for families in summer. Thrill-seekers will be making a beeline for the epic, new Tornado water slide, the biggest and only one of its kind in the state.

The Tornado is a heart-stopping, adrenaline-pumping thrill ride, suitable for children over 120 centimetres tall, that got everyone talking when it opened to the public last year. Up to four riders on a tube twist and turn their way down a pipeline before plunging a huge seven storeys down into the eye of the storm, getting nearly vertical on the

funnel walls and weightless with zero gravity. The tube gets swished around and out the funnel, banking up the sides of the pipe wall as it spins around a second 360-degree corkscrew. It’s 35 seconds of pure exhilaration.

High and/or dry

There are more thrills and spills to be had on water rides like the speed-racing Aqua Racer, Gold Rush Rapids and Wild West Canyon water slides, and there’s plenty of space for kids to run free in the many splash and play zones. Water cannons, tipping buckets, slides, spray jets and fountains provide endless interactive fun for little ones from 12 months old and up. When you’re ready for a break, you can’t go past a relaxing cruise on the

Lazy River for some quality family time.

Take a moment to enjoy the views from the 27-metre-high classic Ferris wheel and challenge the kids to a few rounds on two mini-golf courses. In the Kids’ Town precinct, you’ll find other ‘dry’ rides to delight smaller children, including a magical Grand Carousel, a dizzying Crazy Coaster, a high-flying Red Baron plane ride and a Little Buggy Speedway that lets the kids jump into the driver’s seat.

Pack a picnic

Adventure Park is one of the only family theme parks that allows guests to bring their own picnic and encourages use of the free on-site barbecues. However, for those who like to pack light, there’s a big selection of food, beverages and treats available in the many dining outlets. The park is also full of free sun loungers and shaded areas for picnic blankets, but for a VIP touch and cruisier way to spend the day, you can book a range of private Cabanas and Sunbeds that offer TVS, fridges and comfy daybeds, perfect as a home away from home.

Starlight splashing

Adventure Park is open seasonally from October to April, and this year the park invites you to splash under the stars. The new Summer Nights events aim to make the most of the warm nights in December and January.

Further development and planning is underway for what will be the construction of another new world-class water ride to the stellar line-up. Stay tuned.