Townsville Bulletin

Your chance to snaffle unbeatable backyard Fun park for sale at cool $2.5m

- SOPHIE FOSTER

WHILE many others were glued to their screens during social isolation, Brent Stevenson’s five children were having the time of their lives in their own theme park.

Home for them is a property 20 minutes from Townsville city centre, with a massive 10.44ha called Townsville’s Barra Fun Park.

There are not many homes that can claim to have the best backyard in Australia, but this one with its own theme park gives everyone else a run for their money – and it even helps pay for itself.

Speaking to the Townsville Bulletin just minutes after oiling his two younger boys’ bicycle chains so they could go off on afternoon adventures, Mr Stevenson said his brood – aged between seven and 19 – had loved being at home.

“We’ve been locked down in here,” he said. “They’ve had a ball being home from school – they’ve loved it.”

“Here” is just about the best backyard a fun-lover could want. There’s barramundi fishing, with family fishing dams and big fish dams, approval to grow and sell redclaw, as well as barramundi of all sizes.

The fun park is kitted out with a cable ski. There’s an inflatable water park with giant slides, tunnels, trampoline­s, catapults and more. There are zorb rollers and paddle boats, a 50m Slip N Slide, a giant jumping pillow, and it even has its own cafe, fully licensed bar and group barbecue facilities.

The property, which has seven bedrooms, six bathrooms and parking for 15 vehicles, has been listed for sale for $2.5 million on realestate .com.au.

“The park was started as a redclaw and barramundi farm over 20 years ago and has evolved over the years to include additional activities,” according to Mr Stevenson’s listing of the property.

It can pay its own way, with the family having operated it part-time on weekends from 10am to 4pm pre-lockdown while living on-site in the main residence.

“It has now grown to the stage where it should be open on a full-time basis for the entire year.”

Approvals were in place to operate seven days a week from 7am to 9pm or anytime in between, according to Mr Stevenson.

“We got closed down two weeks before Easter school holidays so we won’t be reopening until the first week in September.”

There are two large bores with unlimited water supply, a 15KVA solar system and more than 100 car parks for patrons.

Mr Stevenson said he put the property up for sale so that the new owner could take it to the next level.

“If I don’t sell it’s not the end of the world, I’ll keep going,” he said.

“I just thought it was time for a change for the park itself. Someone else would offer fresh energy and ideas.”

He said a 500 sqm house was on the site, “which I needed to fit all my children in”.

“We’ve been open to the public for 20 years. We have a good reputation around town.

“It needs someone new with fresh ideas to make it that little step better than what it is now.

“Someone with some energy and enthusiasm will make it unbelievab­le.”

The sale includes all machinery on a walk-in, walk-out basis, with Townsville’s Barra Fun Park at 505 Allambie Lane, Gumlow, on the market for $2.5 million.

 ??  ?? EVOLVING ATTRACTION: Brent Stevenson, owner of Townsville’s Barra Fun Park, is looking to sell the site for $2.5 million. It includes an inflatable water park, a seven-bedroom home, fishing dams and much more.
EVOLVING ATTRACTION: Brent Stevenson, owner of Townsville’s Barra Fun Park, is looking to sell the site for $2.5 million. It includes an inflatable water park, a seven-bedroom home, fishing dams and much more.
 ?? Picture: ZAK SIMMONDS ??
Picture: ZAK SIMMONDS

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