New $600k Victor Harbor waterslide joins growing list of adventure experiences in South Australia

Adelaide has a variety of attractions to help keep families entertained. The latest to join the list is a $600,000 waterslide on its way to Victor Harbor.

When it comes to family fun, South Australia is spoiled for choice.

And the list of spots to play is about to get longer, with a $600,000 water slide making its way to Victor Harbor.

The Hurricane Vortex water slide will be built at the Victor Harbor Holiday and Cabin Park. It will include a huge double tipping bucket water play area.

It is part of a $1m upgrade of the park, that is being part-funded by a $300,000 State Government Tourism Industry Development Fund grant.

The grants aim to support and stimulate the tourism industry.

Victor Harbor Holiday and Cabin Park managing director Andrew Chapman said he expected the Hurricane Vortex would be opened by the September school holidays.

“It was really about doing something different,” Mr Chapman said.

Artist impression of the Hurricane Vortex slide and double bucket water play, equipment that is on its way to Victor Harbor Holiday and Cabin Park. Image: Supplied

“You have to keep reinventing yourself to be a bit better than the next park.”

He said reaction to the water slide, which was coming from Canada, had been “fabulous”. “Business has been going great for us since we could open after COVID, and September is looking very busy,” he said.

Once the water play area upgrade was completed, the park would consider hosting “local days”, where Victor Harbor residents could purchase a day pass to visit.

The announcement of the Victor Harbor attraction came as Port Adelaide Enfield Council agreed to demolish its popular Semaphore water slide, because of safety concerns.

Artist impression of the new Hurricane Vortex slide, double bucket water play, equipment that is on its way to Victor Harbor Holiday and Cabin Park.

Mayor Claire Boan said the council was working through a masterplan for the Semaphore foreshore precinct and that water activities would be a key part of the plan.

That attraction, opened on The Esplanade in the early 1980s, joins many others that have gone before it, including Magic Mountain, Greenhills Adventure Park and Puzzle Park.

But there is still plenty of family fun to be had in our state, including at the Marion Outdoor Pool, which has recently undergone a significant upgrade.

Then there is TreeClimb in the south parklands, at the corner of Greenhill and Unley roads, an aerial adventure playground set among the trees.

Participants can tackle more than 70 obstacles set over eight different routes.

PAR-TEE TIME FOR MINI GOLF FANATICS

Mini golf is proving a hit with families across Adelaide, with courses frequently overflowing on weekends and some operatorsreporting their busiest period on record.

The activity’s popularity has been helped by the Channel 7 show Holey Moley, which screened last month and featured Greg Norman.

Course owners say they have been flat out since the COVID lockdown ended in June, with restrictions on overseas and interstatetravel prompting more people to holiday locally.

West Beach Mini Golf owner Ben Coure said this financial year had been one of the busiest since his family took over the MilitaryRoad course 12 years ago.

He said between 600 and 800 people played a round of golf at the course most weekends.

“We have noticed Monday to Friday has also been busier, which is strange,” Mr Coure said.

“A lot of people have been travelling intrastate, because they can’t travel interstate or overseas.

“We’re also an outdoor venue, and we are quite spacious, so it’s certainly an activity where people feel they are not claustrophobic.”

He said the Holey Moley TV show would be “putting mini golf in people’s minds”.

“Definitely a show like Holey Moley would encourage people to come here,” Mr Coure said.

McLaren Vale Natives owner Rob Laffer opened a mini golf course at his Stump Hill Road nursery in November last year.

“It has surpassed all our expectations,” Mr Laffer said.

“We have 40 clubs, and often people are lining up to get on the course.

“It’s simplistic fun, that’s what it is.”

Barossa Bowland and Mini Golf owner Deb Verner said their Tanunda-based course was booked out most weekends.

“I think it’s because people … have got money to spend that they would normally be spending interstate and overseas,” Ms Vernersaid.

She said the Holey Moley TV show had possibly contributed to the activity’s increased popularity.

Greg Honeyman, who owns Dunes Mini Golf at Victor Harbor with wife Sharron, said the course was having its best season in19 years.

“Even midweek, we’re still well above what we would normally be taking in previous years,” Mr Honeyman said.

“Ever since we have been allowed to open up, we have been sold out.

“I think people are fairly nervous about going interstate, with how they can shut borders so quickly, so we’re getting a lotmore SA traffic through.”

A spokesman for the Holey Moley Golf Club, on Pulteney Street, in the CBD, said the TV show had exposed more people to minigolf.

- by Rachel Moore