AusLeisure

With temperatures continuing to soar, the people of Western Sydney will be able to cool off at a new swimming spot at Penrith Lakes as of Tuesday 19th December in time for the start of the school holidays.

Backed by a $1.7 million investment from the NSW Government for vital construction and safety work, the beach will be open seven days a week from late December to early March 2024 except for Christmas Day.

To be managed by the NSW Department of Planning and Environment after an agreement with Western Sydney Lakes, the first week of operation will be used to gather feedback and fine-tune the experience, and with patrons asked to be patient during this time in case of delays.

Noting that public safety at the site is paramount lifeguard services and first aid will be available in the designated and patrolled swimming zone and the water quality will be monitored regularly during the summer.

A ‘Kiss and Ride’ zone will be available at Penrith Beach for visitors and there will also be a shuttle bus service from Penrith Station.

Online registration is essential for car parking. There are 700 car spaces and access will be provided through free parking vouchers.

The site features change rooms, toilets and access for people with disabilities to make sure the beach is ready for visitors.

Commenting on the new attraction, NSW Minister for Planning and Public Spaces, Paul Scully advised “this is about rebalancing the benefits of everything that living in Sydney has to offer and making sure communities have access to the best facilities whatever their postcode.”

10 years of Raging Waters Sydney
This month has also seen Raging Waters Sydney pass 10 years of operations.

Opened on 12th December 2013 as Wet'n'Wild Sydney (its branding changed for the 2018/19 season after it was acquired by Parques Reunidos in July 2018), the waterpark operates from September/October to March/April.

While predictions prior to its opening suggested seasonal attendance of over one million visitors a year - and it attracted over 500,000 guests in its first year period - over its operating months from September/October to March/April - visitation is understood to generally be closer to 250,000 to 350,000 per season, approaching the numbers achieved each year by Jamberoo Action Park located two hours south in the NSW Illawarra.

By contrast, operating year-round, Wet'n'Wild Gold Coast, Australia's most attended waterpark is regularly listed among the top 20 most visited waterparks in the world, receiving 1,120,000 visitors in 2019.

Surprisingly, Raging Waters Sydney celebration of its anniversary has so far been limited to a handful of social media posts.

Images: Concept for the new swimming spot at Penrith Lakes (top and middle) and Raging Waters Sydney's most recent ride, The Whirlwind (below).

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