How to conquer Australia's biggest water park in a day
How-to
By Narelle Bouveng
When it comes to a Gold Coast theme park that beats the heat, you can’t go past the refreshing rides of Wet’n’Wild.
As the name suggests, it can be wild, and you will get wet. But the beauty of this aquatic paradise is there’s an underpinning element of H20 to suit every age. From the fastest water slides and epic waves to gentle, lazy rivers and shallow lagoons, there are plenty of places to find liquid love at Wet’n’Wild, Australia’s biggest (and best) water park.
Timing is everything
In a city where the sun shines almost every day of the year, you can expect Wet’n’Wild to be perennially popular. School holidays over summer are when this park is at its busy best. But, armed with some insider tips, you’ll make the most of your day in and out of the water whenever you decide to visit.
Plan ahead
Book your tickets online – just for Wet’n’Wild, or as part of a package with the other Village Roadshow Parks including Sea World, Movie World and Paradise Country. At $79 for a single day, plan your Gold Coast theme park visits over consecutive days and save yourself plenty.
The super pass is the best value at $159.00 ($22.72 a day) with seven consecutive days’ entry. But you don’t have to go every day. With a solid plan, you can fit all the Village Roadshow Gold Coast theme parks on this one pass and still have plenty of time to fit in other things too.
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Download the park map to be ahead of the crowds. You’ll get an overview of every precinct, ride and their location but also the key stats on each. Think level of suitability, accessibility and any height restrictions that may apply.
Early bird gets the best spot
The hottest property in the park is the poolside positions. By booking in advance (for a fee), you can opt in for a luxury day out in a cabana (starting from $100) or reserve a pair of lounges ($50).
These privileged positions come with shade, gated areas and some packages include lockers and fans. Cabanas can be booked at Calypso Bay, The Wave Pool and the holy grail for those with younger kids in tow, Wet’n’Wild’ Junior. Family cabanas are also available.
Arrive early
Arrive at the park 20-30 minutes before opening time at 10am if you haven’t booked a VIP experience. If you have, saunter up whenever you please.
While you may feel like an eager beaver, once those gates open, there will be a rush to get the best spots. If you miss out, rest assured there are plenty of shady places to call your own around the park regardless.
Closing times do vary, and the park does stay open longer in summer, so check the website for details of how much time you have to ride.
Trade cash for splash
Photo © Wet n Wild
A waterproof wristband that can be scanned throughout the park is the ideal accessory. Simply nominate the cash amount you’d like to be popped on to your wristband as a credit, and you’re good to go.
Meals, snack, drinks and souvenirs can all be scanned as Splash Cash. And If you don’t use it all, you’ll get it back at the day’s end.
Gear up
You won’t need anything more than your swimmers, a rash vest, hat and something dry to pop on after. Bring a towel, thongs, plenty of water and sunscreen too.
And anything you do forget, you can pick up at the gift shop, including swimmers and rash vests if you have a blow out or find that sun biting a little too hard.
Lockers are available just inside the entrance and come with a code to share with your family. They cost $10 a day for a standard size and $20 for luggage lockers. They’re well worth it to store all your personal belongings, and a good place to nominate as the meeting point if anyone gets lost.
Time to slide
If you’ve already checked out the map, just use the way-finders located throughout the park and hit your favourite rides first to avoid the queues. If you didn’t, spend some time now to plan your moves and get amongst it.
There are four precincts with 20 attractions, so there really is plenty to see and do.
With little ones in tow, head to Junior Wet’n’Wild, where three precincts are built into one. The Splash Zone is designed as a shallow water playground for water babies to have some sensory fun. If they decide to be more adventurous, a giant water tipping bucket in the Play Structure will delight them. Eight junior slides provide hours of fun for confident toddlers and older children who aren’t quite ready for the really fast slides yet.
Calypso Beach serves as a great spot to chill while floating downstream on The Lazy River Ride. Kids under ten will need to be accompanied by an adult, but this ride is one the whole family can enjoy together. Different entry points for the river means less lines, too.
Whirlpool Springs is the land of hot tubs, with ten tubs and each with a capacity to fit 20. It’s a welcome, social, relaxing reprieve in between all the sliding action. In winter, they’re heated for year-round bliss.
The pace is also pretty gentle at the Giant Wave Pool, a giant lagoon awash with waves rolling in on intervals of ten minutes. All ages are welcome here with water ranging from 0-1.8 metres in depth. There’s a lifeguard on duty, but supervision of children is still essential at all times.
Thrills and spills
With rides called things like Kamikaze, Black Hole, Constrictor, Tornado and more, if you’re seeking adrenaline, you’ve come to the right playground. Some of the fastest, biggest and most extreme rides in Australia call Wet’n’Wild home, so strap yourself in: you’re about to log some thrills.
For the adventurous, jump on a 30 metre wave on board a giant surfboard at Surfrider; take on four transparent, looping water slides at Aqua Loop; or ride through the belly of a snake at Constrictor, said to have the “tightest and meanest” turns in the world.
With six thrill rides and another three designed with families in mind, there’s no shortage of sliding action to keep your whole tribe happy. If you’re serious riders, for $70 you can purchase a fast pass to get you to the front of the queue on selected rides too.
Feed the fun
All that sliding is sure to work up an appetite. And with families in mind, Wet’n’Wild is one of the only theme parks where you can bring your own food. Coin operated barbecues are available to sizzle some snags, with lots of shady spots nearby to enjoy them. The only items the park does not allow are glass and alcohol.
For those who like to plan, Wet’n’Wild has Hunger Buster Packages your can pre-order online too. Think burgers, sandwiches, salads and seafood plus a treat of Ben & Jerry’s ice-cream, popcorn or churros. A bottomless sipper cup with refills is also available, as well as portable hydration stations to fill your water bottles up.
If you’re not that organised, plenty of food outlets are sprinkled throughout the park with a range of healthy options available if you want to keep your beach bod in check.
Prams and wheelchairs can be hired from Guest Services, along with an aquatic wheelchair. There is wheelchair access at Wave Pool, Calypso Beach and the shallow splash areas at Wet’n’Wild Junior.
For more detailed information on how to get to Wet’n’Wild, park opening and closing times plus seasonal and special events, check out their website for more.
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