Stoney Aqua Park: Big plans as park sets eyes on spring return
A new land-based obstacle course will feature among the massive changes Stoney Aqua Park is set to introduce to its Telegraph Point tourism attraction when it opens with a bang this spring.
Mid-North Coast
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The stage is set for the massive reopening of one of the Mid-North Coast’s best-loved water attractions, Stoney Aqua Park, when it welcomes the public back to its Telegraph Point property in spring.
Owner Jason Stone has confirmed one of the worst-hit businesses from the March flooding crisis, which saw much of its water course flattened and on-site cabins waterlogged, will be back for the September school holidays with new inflatables and a brand new land-based course.
“It’ll be called Stoney Action Park,” Mr Stone said of the new 340-metre zigzagging land based course.
“We’ll be introducing a full, inflatable land-based obstacle course which will be a 340-metre, zigzagging track-style course with inflatables that will allow us to operate year round, instead of seasonally,” he said.
“This will take us from being a seasonal business to an annual business. If it’s cold, or people aren’t confident being in the water, this is for them – it will just give people another option, and it will be great for the schools as well because it’s outdoor, healthy, and will be a fantastic resource to offer them as well.
He said the new course will closely mirror a similar style of set up implemented by QLD-based company, Tuff Nutterz.
The reopening of the park is a massive milestone for the popular tourism attraction, which was one of the sites visited by Prime Minister Scott Morrison in March during his regional tour of the flood-ravaged Mid-North Coast.
Aerial photos showing the tangled mess left from the wake of the floods in the south eastern corner of the park are firmly etched in our minds.
Mr Stone said it was one of the worst natural disasters that had hit the business in its 20 years of operation, flooding not only the obstacles on the course, but the accommodation on site.
Mr Stone said it’s been a big effort by he and his business partner Annissa Manton to get to a stage of not only reopening, but up-sizing their operations.
“I’m hoping to launch that [land-based course] at the same time as the aqua park and the shipment for both the new course and the replacements for the aqua park are in a shipment arriving from China,” he said.
“Regardless of whether the equipment arrives in time or not, we’ll still be planning to open at the start of the September-October school holidays, seven-days-a-week.
“Hopefully by September, we’ll have both inflatable obstacles set up on the water and off the water, and we’ve just finished refurbishing all our accommodation cabins.
“All the builders have been running around getting that up and running.
“We’re just steadily still rebuilding and getting everything up to speed.”
Luckily, Mr Stone said, he was able to salvage a lot of the original gear from the flooding.
“More than we thought,” he said.
Given the park’s expansion, Mr Stone is now on the lookout for casual Inflatable Attendants for the start of the new season.
Training will be provided for people looking to install and pump up inflatables, for supervisors, attendants and kiosk staff.
Applicants will need to have their still water bronze medallion, working with children’s check for 18 years and over, and preferably be equipped with A First Aid certificate and barista skills.
Applicants must be available to work school holidays, weekends and public holidays.
To apply, visit The Seek.com application page
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