Big plans for Manly’s waterside park, with new slides and FlowRider pool
THE waterside park in Manly Cove is set to get bigger and better, under new plans to build four new slides, a wakeboarding pool and an interactive area for toddlers.
Manly
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THE former Manly Waterworks will reopen this weekend as Manly Surf n Slide after a $100,000 tidy-up.
The new owners’ grand vision for the site includes four new slides, a wakeboarding pool and a toddlers’ interactive water zone.
Mark and Tracey O’Sullivan from Clontarf are subleasing the site and will also take over the cafe’s lease in the new year, when they will move the kitchen and create a new indoor seating area.
There are also plans to lease the area next to the public toilets from Northern Beaches Council, add new seating and incorporate the area into the water park.
Mr O’Sullivan, a former financial engineer, used to bring his three kids to the waterslides all the time and said he had also bought the rights to FlowRider, a wakeboarding pool.
US engineers have already been to the park to work out where the 11m x 9m ride could go, which would cater for two wakeboarders at a time.
Mr O’Sullivan said they were also looking at demolishing the current slides and building four new ones.
He said the latest slides had interactive features where users can shoot targets with laser guns on the way down and see their scores on a screen at the bottom.
And, to offer something for younger kids, they’re looking at creating an area for toddlers.
“This is a 35-year old site and waterslides have changed a lot since then,” Mr O’Sullivan said.
“With the new slides you don’t need a pool, but a longer race.
“There are also interactive elements now.”
His wife Tracey said they hoped to operate the wakeboarding pool and toddlers’ water zone all year round.
And, possibly the slides too if they were able to warm the water via solar energy.
Mr O’Sullivan said they were aiming to get plans approved by November 2017 and for work to begin in February 2018, ready to open in November 2018.
“We hope the FlowRider pool might bring in tourists, but essentially we are aiming for locals,” he said.
In the meantime, they have tidied up the site, had engineers in to make minor repairs and checks, and replaced components behind the scenes such as the electrical board and chlorine pump.
The 30-plus staff are all locals, many from Manly and Queenscliff Surf Lifesaving Clubs, and all must have first aid qualifications and their Bronze Medallions.
Mr O’Sullivan who gave up his corporate job two years ago after 10 years of working away three weeks out of every four, said he never imagined he would one day be running a water park.
“I wanted to spend time with my children. I’d already missed a lot of their lives at that point,” he said.
Their daughters Matilda, 12, Eliza, 10 and Molly, 8, are keen to get on the slides at last.
“Apparently, I’m now the coolest dad in their school so I’m making up for it,” he said.
SURF N SLIDE
Manly Surf n Slide will reopen from 10am tomorrow after a $100,000 spruce up
The Clontarf family who have bought the 10-year lease, plan to demolish the existing slides and build four new ones, with some interactive features
The owners have bought the rights to FlowRider, a wakeboarding pool ride
They also want to build an interactive toddler pool to cater for younger kids
The cafe will be developed to include an indoor seating area
All of the 30-strong staff will be local and have first aid and lifesaving qualifications
Entry is $20 for the first hour, $30 for two hours and $40 for an all-day pass with deals for families and large groups
For details go to manlysurfnslide.com.au
HISTORY
The Manly Cove tourist attraction opened in 1981 and has been an integral part of every northern beaches kid’s childhood ever since.
It’s most famous visitor was Hollywood star Nicole Kidman who braved one of the slides in the movie BMX Bandits.
Not much has changed since it opened, which was part of its charm, according to a former operations manager.
He was so keen on the retro look he applied for it to be heritage listed to safeguard “the last of Manly’s historical amusement parks”.
However, his application failed to win approval and it closed in 2015, among claims of non-payment of rent.
Earlier this year Santo and Alba Severino, who own function centres Miramare Gardens and Checkers in Terrey Hills, bought the leasehold for Manly Bathers Pavilion, which includes the water park, cafe and offices.
Keen to revive the aquatic site they began looking for interested parties, before subleasing to the O’Sullivans.
Regulars will notice small changes including new security cameras, improved lighting, new hoardings, a music system, a drinks machine, more staff, not to mention a name change. It’s now known as Manly Surf n Slide.
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