splashdown!

On a hot steamy day there’s no better place to be than a waterpark. We quiz the kids about their favourites

Hawaiian Waters Adventure Park – Honolulu

Reporters: Kayla-Mae (6) and Isaiah (4)

We had soooooo much fun! There are perfect rides for everyone. I loved the Hurricane Bay wave pool the best. My little brother enjoyed the Volcano Express, where we raced mummy and daddy down a slippery slide. My daddy loved the Cliff Hanger’s big drop-off and grandma and grandpa loved to float along in the Kapolei Cooler lagoon. My mummy also liked the Keiki Kove because that’s where our whole family came together to play. Hawaiian Waters is my favourite place – it’s a wet day in the island sun where we can have shaved ice, see butterflies and have family fun.

400 Farrington Hwy Kapolei, Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii, tel: +1 (808) 674 9283. Closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays in September to May. Adults US$35.99+ tax, children three–11 years US$25.99+ tax, children two years and under, free.

Waterbom – Bali

Reporters: Connor (9), Ava (8) and Kai (5)

Mum didn’t take us to Waterbom on our last visit and we’ve never left her alone about it. This time I’ve been six times and my sister Ava has been twice. This time, the first ride we went on was The Boomerang – it’s really fast and very cool. You go through a long tunnel which has hot air, kind of like swooshing through a big fart (but it doesn’t smell), then you go up in the air, like you’re going off the edge. It’s fun. But the coolest of all is the Smashdown. Ava didn’t like it because water goes up your nose. It’s straight down and super fast. All the slides are fun and even the kiddy park is good if you need a rest. We got ice cream and drinks, but we didn’t eat as we were too busy. The food is pretty good though. I could go to Waterbom every day! I think mum had a good time too – she met lots of friends because everyone goes there. It’s the best place to get wet.

Jalan Kartika, Kuta, Bali, Indonesia, tel: +62 (361) 755 676. Closed on Hari Raya Nyepi. Adults US$ 21, children two–12 years US$11, family pass US$58.

Wet ‘n’ Wild Water World – Gold Coast

Reporters: Jacinta (20), Anna (15), Anne-Marie (11) and Louise (9)

Mammoth Falls was our first ride and we thought we might fall out, but after we tried it we weren’t scared anymore. The Mack-5 is really high, but we still went down and it was so fast. There’s a sheer drop on the Tornado and you can’t help but scream but it’s actually good fun. The new Surf Ride is definitely the best ride as it gives the biggest adrenaline rush. We also loved Terror Canyon, which we went on at night – the dark twists and loops make the ride live up to its name!

There wasn’t much healthy food available but the staff were friendly and the lifeguards m ade us feel safe. Bring a picnic as there are undercover areas and barbecue facilities. On Saturdays you can relax in a lounge chair and watch a movie by the wave pool. All in all, it’s a great day for a good price. Wet ‘n’ Wild has bigger and better rides than other parks. We’d rate it 9/10. Awesome!

Pacific Motorway (next to Warner Br os. Movie World), Oxenford, Gold Coast, Queensland, tel: +61 (7) 5573 2255. Closed on the morning of ANZAC Day, 25 April. Adults AU$45, children three–13 years AU$43.

“Waters of Africa” in Sunway Lagoon – Kuala Lumpur

Reporters: Lilian (15), Simon (13), William (11), Kelly (9) and Ariel (15)

We had a lot of fun and went on many slides. The slide that we rate third best is the African Pythons – three different slides that all end in the same pool. The second best slide is the Cameroon Climb. We screamed all the way down as we dropped from a 15m high slide to the bottom and shot up again. But the best slide is the Congo Challenge, which is a six-lane slide where we were able to race among ourselves.

We went again and again and almost broke the record of 11 times! We also had a great time renting a double tube in the Zambezi River, which also has a huge waterfall named Victoria Falls. The best thing at Kalahari Kids, a place with smaller slides, is the huge bucket of water that pours down like a waterfall. Even the older kids enjoy it. During the day, my sister slipped and hurt her chin and a very nice life-guard took care of her.

The best time to go is in the morning when it’s less crowded. There’s a variety of food although it’s not too great; outside food and drinks are not allowed in. But we had a lot of fun!

3 Jalan PJS 11/11, Bandar Sunway, Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, tel: +60 (3) 5639 0000. Closed Tuesday. Adults RM45, children below 12 years RM30 (this includes access to the dry park), children below 90cm, free.

Geelong Adventure Park – Geelong

Reporters: Nick (8) and Jake (9)

Geelong Adventure Park is awesome. All the rides were pretty good, but the queues for the Aqua Racer and the Tunnel of Terror were too long so we didn’t bother. We just hung around at Bonito’s Bay, which is like a normal playground, but with water everywhere. The best part was when the giant bucket tipped water all over us. Shooting the water cannons at people was great fun, too. We also liked doing archery and mini-golf. But our favourite part of the day was canoeing on the lake.

Next time we go mum and dad will bring a shade tent because it was really hot in the sun and all the seats under cover were taken when we got there. The food was good – we had burgers and chips but next time we’re going to bring our own barbecue. We can’t wait to go back!

1251 Bellarine Hwy, Wallington, Geelong, Victoria, tel: +61 (3) 5250 2756. Open September to April. Adults and kids 1.2m and above AU$29, children under 1.2m AU$24, children under three years, free.

Adventure World – Perth

Reporters: Clare Ruby (11) and Anastas ia (13)

Even when you’re in the car park or lin ing up to go in, you can hear people screaming. After you get through the gates you can’t wait to go on all the great rides, such as the newest ride the Shotgun, a speedy water slide in pitch black darkness wi th sudden bursts of light, or Bounty’s Revenge, a boat that feels like you’re actually on the sea. The Lagoon is a relaxing pool. We didn’t go on any of the rollercoaster-type rides, but our friends went on The Rampage, a spinning and twirling ride. There are also rides for young kids to enjoy, while the gift shop has emergency supplies and several food outlets. We thought all the rides were fantastic, but the best is the Shotg un!

179 Progress Dr, Bibra Lake, Wester n Australia, tel: +61 (8) 9417 9666. Open September to April. Over 15 years AU$42, children five–14 years AU$34, children under four y ears, free, family pass AU$130.

Jamberoo Action Park – Sydney

Reporters: Matt (14), Georgina (14), Catherine (10) and Tara (7)

We thought The Taipan was awesome – we rode it six times in a row. We also loved hanging out at Outback Bay with all the waves. The chairlift was a bit scary but we loved the Mountain Toboggan. Rapid River has big coloured tyre floats and was a fun place to chill out after the all-day action and running around. Says Matt: “Georgina and I jumped from the high rock, about five metres; that was really cool. What a blast!” The little kids had so much to do, too. There were loads of different slides, such as the big one that we all rode together at Surf Hill and the tiny ones at Billabong Beach. We can’t wait to go back and try the racing cars and mini golf. Dad thought the food was pretty ordinary and he said next time we go we’ll take our own barbecue. We can’t wait!

Jamberoo Rd, Jamberoo, New South Wales, tel: +61 (2) 4236 0114. Open September to April. Adults and children over 13 years AU$35, children four–12 years AU$28, children under three years free.

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