AusLeisure

The Peninsula Aquatic Recreation Centre (PARC) has introduced a new inflatable aquatic playground, lovingly-named Splashy McSplash Town.

PARC Centre Manager Simon Beqir said while most people traditionally associate Queensland with waterparks, it was time Victoria got some aquatic fun of its own.

Beqir explained “it’s a fantastic concept – we saw it in Queensland and New South Wales, but nobody had brought it to Victoria before.

“We thought what better way to bring it to the Mornington Peninsula. It’s the best place to have Victoria’s first inflatable obstacle course.”

After a Facebook competition that saw more than 200 entries, Splashy was wittingly named by the Frankston community.

Beqir says ‘Splashy’s’ name may be unconventional, but it definitely stuck fast, adding “we ran a Facebook competition and the community named it, similar to what happened in the UK with Boaty McBoatface.

“The community came up with Splashy McSplash Town and we thought – let’s run with it. It’s a great name.”

Measuring 19 metre², the structure is the first of its kind for an aquatic centre in Victoria and is giving children an exclusive water sport experience like never before.

Manufactured by leading aquatics company Aquaglide, Splashy is an aquatic play system that can be built into extendable, predetermined parks or something unique with modular sections that can be assembled into various waterpark configurations or as standalone play products.

Beqir said Splashy was introduced with children and parents in mind, when it came to updating the centre’s ‘fun’ offering, commenting “planning activities can be difficult for parents.

“It’s often hard to find something that not only everyone can enjoy, but won’t break the bank either, which is where we come in.

“On a traditional inflatable you get one to two people on there, and then it takes a further 15 minutes to line up for the next person.

“With Splashy we can make sure we’re giving the maximum amount of kids fun at the same time.

“We’re putting the fun back into weekends and school holidays by giving parents a simple, exciting, and affordable option.”

Off the back of a successful school holiday campaign PARC is excited to be able to offer Splashy and other inflatable entertainment options in the future and throughout the upcoming summer school holidays.

Splashy’s distributor, Watershack, is an established supplier with more than 20 years’ experience servicing watersports channels on an international level.

All pieces are intended for long-term and heavy-duty use, and built tough to meet the heavy demands of commercial use. Aquaglide designs are carefully vetted and refined based on feedback from its global network.

Each product is engineered to meet the highest standards in quality and product safety, but no product is complete without extensive on-water testing to confirm that it provides, among other things, maximum fun.

Only in its third year of operation, PARC also continues to boom, boasting exceptional growth across all lines of business, including a 36% increase in health club memberships, 89% increase in aquatic memberships and a 46% increase in PARC Swim enrollments.

Peninsula Leisure’s developments are indicative of its outstanding management, which was recognised earlier this year when PARC was awarded the Facility Management Award at the annual Aquatics & Recreation Victoria awards night.

This accolade took into consideration business and strategic planning, risk management, customer service, sustainability, continuous improvement as well as many other factors.

PARC’s facility is recognised Victoria-wide, with some visitors even traveling from as far as the Melton, Wyndham, Nillumbik, and Moonee Valley areas.

Peninsula Leisure and PARC Chief Executive Tim Gledhill said the staff continually work to give the local community the best service, and health and fitness experience, concluding “we aim to consistently provide exceptional experiences to the community and our high performance is a true testament to the collective team of more than 250 staff.

“We are absolutely thrilled with our achievements thus far and will ensure our focus remains on delivering high quality programs and services that are designed to meet the needs of the Frankston community.”

Splashy is available for children aged six and up, with more information about upcoming event times and school holiday programs available at www.parcfrankston.com.au 

Update: As of 2024, Aquaglide products are availalbe from the USA via www.aquaglide.com and a network of local dealers.

Images courtesy of Peninsula Aquatic Recreation Centre.

23rd June 2016 - ARV AWARDS SHOWCASE THE BEST OF VICTORIA’S AQUATIC AND RECREATION SECTOR

7th October 2014 - AQUAGLIDE PRODUCTS EQUIP WATER PLAYGROUNDS FOR SUMMER

30th September 2014 - PENINSULA AQUATIC AND RECREATION CENTRE GETS OFFICIAL OPENING

17th September 2014 - AMBITIOUS LOCATIONS LOOK TO LOW-COST INFLATABLE AQUATIC PLAYGROUNDS

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