Ferris wheel attraction at the Darwin Waterfront to cut into parking at Stokes Hill Wharf

The Ferris wheel to be erected at Stokes Hill Wharf by Friday will take up just over a fifth of parking spaces at the facility, butthere will be a range of alternative access options available.

The ferris wheel that will be erected at Stokes Hill Wharf by Friday. Picture: Skyline Attractions

• 35-metre-tall ferris wheel to be erected at the Waterfront

THE 35m high Ferris wheel to be erected at Stokes Hill Wharf by Friday will take up just over a fifth of parking spaces at the facility and there will be a range of alternative access options available, according to the head of the Darwin Waterfront Corporation (DWC).

DWC general manager Sam Burke said the attraction would be installed in the car park directly outside the Royal Flying Doctor Service and Bombing of Darwin Harbour tourist facility and was expected to take up 25 of the 117 parking spots there.

He said if people couldn’t find parking, there were several alternative ways they could access the wharf.

“From 4pm there’s free parking everywhere at the Waterfront except in the multistorey car park, and we’ve got a free Waterfront shuttle bus connecting all of the Waterfront carparking to the wharf,” he said.

“It’s a relatively short walk in this dry season weather from our car parks near the convention centre.

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“And we’ve got a free three-hour parking limit at the wharf to encourage turnover.

“(Parking) is always a concern but we’ve done everything we can, given the physical limitations of the wharf, to make sure it’s as easy as possible to get out there.”

There are about 1200 parking spots available across the Waterfront.

Mr Burke said Stokes Hill Wharf was chosen as the Ferris wheel site to give ride-goers the best possible views of Darwin and activate local businesses.

“We think if something like a Ferris wheel is going to come to Darwin, you want to be able to offer people an experience they can’t have anywhere else, and the views across to Palmerston and Middle Arm as well as back across the city will be unique from the wharf,” he said.

“So that makes it exciting, because even if you’ve been on a Ferris wheel before, even if you think you’ve seen Darwin, you’ll get to see it like never before.

“We also feel that an anchor attraction like this will drive visitation out to the wharf.”