Australia’s best water and surf parks

With our sun-kissed shores and a reputation for adventure it’s no surprise that Australia is home to some fantastic water parks. From long-established cultural touchstones through to new and exciting attractions, we look at some of the country’s best.

Queensland

Wet'n'Wild Gold Coast

For anyone growing up on Australia’s eastern seaboard, a trip to Queensland’s Wet'n'Wild was – and still is – a rite of passage. The old dame of Australian theme parks continues to reign supreme as one of the nation’s favourites, with a diverse range of attractions to suit everyone.

For the adrenaline junkies and big kids, the Tornado, Kaboom!, Blackhole and Kamikaze slides will get hearts pounding, while families and the little kids can enjoy the Giant Wave Pool and the relaxing Calypso Beach lazy river, along with tonnes of slower-paced slides and splash zones.

If kicking back is more your style, lounges and private cabanas are available for hire, while the relaxing Whirlpool Hot Springs offer the perfect spot to take a break from the action. If you live by the motto that ‘life’s a beach’, surfers and bodyboarders can carve it up all day on the FlowRider man-made wave.

WhiteWater World

WhiteWater World is also on the Gold Coast, co-located with family favourite theme park, Dreamworld. You can buy tickets separately or go all in for both parks on one admission. Just be aware that the water park closes each year during the cooler months (from late April till September).

The format follows the tried and true approach – offering maximum thrill slides, like the 20m tall Green Room, suitable for the braver (and bigger) kids and adults, through to family options designed to keep kids of all ages happy. There’s even something just for the littlies, with mini slides, interactive sprays and music running all day at Wiggle Bay.

Cabanas are available for hire throughout the park so you can sit and catch your breath when the excitement gets too much.

Victoria

URBNSURF Melbourne

Within spitting distance of Melbourne’s Tullamarine airport, URBNSURF is Australia’s first (and at this stage, only) operational surf park. That will change shortly, with the Sydney offshoot set to open in April 2024 and a host of other parks planned across the country (from this and other operators) and in various stages of development approval.

The park offers perfect, programmed waves seven days a week, from 6:00am till 10:00pm in summer and 7:00am till 6:00pm in winter. Wave sessions are scheduled in advance, according to difficulty from beginner to expert, with the website outlining details like face height, wave length and other characteristics, so you identify the best session for your skill level. The numbers are capped, so you’re guaranteed not to get crowded out, unlike your local break in peak summer!

There’s also allocated times for swim sessions and boogie boarding, meaning everyone gets a run. An onsite surf academy can provide all the instruction you need – as can the land-based Surfskate surf training. Equipment hire, daybeds, grassed spaces, kids playground, lockers, onsite food amenities, hot tubs and a retail surf shop round out the offering, leaving no stone unturned for an awesome day out for the whole family.

Oasis Springs, Gumbuya World Theme Park

About 50 minutes south of Melbourne in Tynong North, Gumbuya World’s Oasis Springs includes all the attractions you’d expect to see in a water park. Check the website before you visit to make sure the slides and other water attractions are operating, as days and times are subject to change throughout the year.

The park has everything from gentle and relaxing heated rock pools and a lazy river through to gravity-defying slides with near-vertical climbs – there’s something for every age and exc.

New South Wales

Raging Waters Sydney

With over 40 water attractions, Raging Waters is the perfect cooling off point for locals and visitors to Sydney’s western suburbs. Slides and rides are graded as ‘soft’ ‘moderate’ and ‘intense’, with minimum heights that ensure everyone stays safe.

Thrill-seekers can brave the T5, a multi-person slide, or hit the 360Rush, climbing six stories high in a 360-degree loop and hitting speeds of 60km/h. For the less brave, there’s splash pads, half pipes and plenty of options for the kids.

Coming soon: URBNSURF Sydney

URBNSURF’s next park is nearly ready to open in the heart of Sydney at Homebush. Using the same advanced wave technology as it’s Melbourne counterpart, the park with provide a genuine surfing experience for enthusiasts of all skill levels on multiple wave types, from gentle beginner waves to challenging barrels for the more experienced riders.

Western Australia

Adventure World, Perth

Perth's Adventure World promises an adrenaline-fueled day out, boasting attractions like the colossal Kraken water funnel slide (not to mention the tallest and steepest tornado water slide of its kind…anywhere).

Families can enjoy the Kahuna Falls with water slides, tipping buckets and water jets, or head through the bumps and bends of the Rocky Mountain Rapids. If speed’s your game, get on the Wahoo Speed slides to hit a top of 66km/h – it’s not for the faint hearted. Whatever your age and interest, Adventure World has got something to provide the thrills.

Queensland has always been the spiritual home of Australia’s theme and water parks – the year-round warm weather might have something to do with that – and it still features the classic favourites we all grew up with. But as the tide turns on aquatic entertainment, there’s a new kid on the block, opening up the playing field and taking the coastal experience inland, with surf parks planned for multiple sites throughout Australia, some as stand-alone attractions, while others are tied to larger developments that incorporate resorts and golf courses. It will be interesting to see how it plays out...one wave at a time.