New hydroslides to open at QEII Park

14 July 2005

Fancy a dip in a swimming pool with your favourite Canterbury Crusader rugby player? Now is your chance with the official opening of the new QEII Park hydroslides at 10am on Friday, 15 July.

The Crusaders will be among the first lucky people to take the plunge down one of five new hydroslides when Christchurch Mayor Garry Moore declares them open. The hydroslides, which have been built at the QEII Park’s Atlantis swimming complex, were funded by QEII Hydroslides Ltd in a joint venture with the Christchurch City Council. 

It’s been worth the wait, says QEII Park manager Alan Direen. “The Atlantis swimming complex and the slides are a great, healthy, family fun destination that I can predict people from all over the South Island will want to visit. The slides have added another exciting aspect to family outings that will ensure everyone enjoys exercising together,” Mr Direen says.

Children aged five to eight years must each be accompanied by an adult, and pre-schoolers will not be permitted on the Hydroslides. From the age of eight, people can ride the slides by themselves.

Each slide has been named by the lucky winners of  ”The Name the Slides Competition” – each receiving a 12-month pass to the QEII Pools and Hydroslides. The names of the slides are:

• the yellow Terror Tube, a 72.9m body slide designed to be dark and very fast with lots of twists and turns,
• the Body Bullet at 71m with an even faster ride but fewer turns,
• the Cruise,  a green, see-through 85.4m giant aquatube-body slide that offers a gentler ride for the more cautious,
• the yellow Titan aquatube-slide is 96.4m, giving people the option to ride together as doubles, and
• the blue 105.8m Colossus, a giant aquatube, inner-tube slide that is very dark inside and offers the longest ride of the lot.

At $10 per 50-minute session, an adult, $8 a child, and $7.50 each for a family of three or more, the hydroslides are excellent value, Mr Direen says.

“In 1999, a visit to the two hydroslides at QEII cost pool entry plus $4 for 30 minutes. Now, in 2005, we’ve got five slides - body tubes, aquatubes, single and dual riders – at a cost of $8 for a 50-minute session. That represents a great leisure, action-packed option,” Mr Direen says.

The first five people to ride the slides will be those who purchased their right to do so through an E-Bay Auction, proceeds of which go to Ronald McDonald House. Accompanying the winning bidders will be some Canterbury Crusaders, followed by the five Name the Slides winners.
Then it will be the turn of the people of Christchurch to judge for themselves how Terror Tube, Body Bullet, The Cruise, Titan and Colossus live up to their names. Reputations are about to be made! 

Background
Slide tickets are bought at QEII Pools reception and kept for presentation at the Slide entry at the north end of the leisure pool, behind the Mask of Poseidon.

Hours of operation for the slides are: weekdays, 3pm to 9pm, school holidays, weekends and public holidays, 10am to closing. The 50-minute session prices are: adults, $10 per session, children $8 per session, family (minimum of three people with at least one adult) $ 7.50 each per session. Schools, $5 per person during school hours (must be pre-booked), groups of 20 or more, $7.50 per person (must be pre-booked). The 50-minute sessions start on the hour e.g. 3pm, 4pm and the like. It takes about 10 minutes before each session to clear the tubes for the next session.

Note: The price of riding the hydroslides does not include pools admission, which must  be paid on top of the hydroslide ticket price.

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