Top 10 Family Aquatic Centres in Melbourne
We have reviewed all the best Aquatic Centres in Melbourne and Geelong which have special facilities such as water slides, wave pools and water adventure playgrounds and arrived at the top ten below. Click on the link to each Aquatic Centre for more information such as a full review, location and a slideshow of photos.
It should be noted that slides often do not operate all the time and if your heart is set on a water slide, check with the Aquatic Centre first.
South East Melbourne
Noble Park Aquatic Centre (Noble Park)
The Noble Park Aquatic Centre features a 50m heated outdoor pool, a huge outdoor water slide, a heated indoor program/leisure pool, a large outdoor water splash/play area with tipping bucket, three slides and fountains.
Casual Admission: Adult: $7.10, Concession / Child: $5.70, Family: $18.00, Spectator: $2.80
Slide Prices: $2.30 per ride, 5 rides for $9, unlimited day pass: $15
Slide Notes: Be warned that the water slide doesn't operate when the forecast temperature is below 26 degrees.
Glen Eira Sports and Aquatic Centre (GESAC) (Bentleigh East)
Glen Eira Sports and Aquatic Centre has a 50 metre outdoor pool with eight lap lanes and a range of indoor facilities including 25 metre indoor pool with eight lap lanes, Pirate's Cove leisure pool with interactive water features and play equipment including a tipping bucket and slides for kids, two exciting water slides and dedicated aquatic programs pool.
The water slides are Ship Wreck (raft slide that can be ridden by two people at once) and Pirates Plunge (traditional body slide)
Casual Admission: Adult: $9.95, Concession / Child: $7.95, Family: $34.00, Spectator: $3.90
Slide Notes: Slides are included in the entry price.
To use the slides need to be minimum 110cm tall.
Children under five years of age may ride the tandem raft slide (Ship Wreck) with a guardian aged 16 or older, but must still be a minimum of 110cm tall.
Children under 10 riding solo should be supervised by a guardian from the bottom of the slide.
Central Melbourne
Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre (MSAC) (Albert Park)
There is a heated 50 metre outdoor competition pool and extensive indoor facilities including a 50 metre indoor competition pool, 25m lap pool, multi-purpose pool, 14 diving boards, wave pool and youngsters pool. Note: the slide has been decommissioned.
Admission (without slide): Adult: $8.50, Child: $5.80, Family: $21.40
Admission (with slide): Adult: $10.20, Child (3-15) years: $7.10, Additional Child: $4.00, Family: $26.50.
Slide and Pool Notes:
- When the waves are running in the wave pool, children under the age of 10 must be within arms reach of a guardian over the age of 16.
- Diving boards need to be hired
Outer East
Gumbuya World (Tynong)
The water zone, Oasis Springs, has the following attractions: Boomerango (A steep drop shoots you up a near-vertical wall for a moment of weightlessness, before gravity takes hold and plunges you back down), Taipan (zoom through the spirals and high-banking turns before being shaken up by the fast transitions), Typhoon Island (Explore 5 platforms of drenching fun on this aquatic jungle gym, including a giant tipping bucket, water guns, spray nozzles and mini slides), Lazy River (soak up the rays with a relaxing drift on inflatables around Oasis Springs on the 300 metre Lazy River), Rock Pools (unwind in the heated rock pools).
There are also non water activity zones including Outback Explorers (rides for younger kids), Oz Adventure (rides) and Wildlife Trail.
Admission Prices - Adults: $52, Child (3-15 years): $46, Tots: Free, Senior: $43
Slide restrictions:
Boomerango: Minimum height is 1.22m
Taipan: Minimum height is 1.22m
Geelong, Bellarine and Surf Coast
Leisurelink Aquatic & Recreation Centre (Waurn Ponds, Geelong)
All the facilities are indoors and include an 8-lane 50-metre swimming pool, a learn to swim pool, toddlers pool, Program pool, Water Adventure Park featuring water cannons, an overhead tipping bucket and a spinning water wheel and a Kids' Splash Pad with rubber flooring play space with water shooting from fountains and jets at random.
There are two big water slides, the Cannon Bowl Waterslide which is a 15m high slide featuring a large 12m diameter bowl which swirls swimmers around before dropping them out of a hole into a pool and the Black Hole Waterslide which is a 15m high twisting tube ride in total darkness until swimmers reach the final splashdown.
Casual Admission: Adult: $8.00, Concession: $6.00, Adult (swimming) with child under 5 years: $6.00, Adult (swimming) with child aged 5 - 10 years: $12.00, Shower fee: $2.00
Slide Prices: Swim/Unlimited slide: $15.00
Slide Notes: Slides are priced separately to the entry price.
Both slides are ridden on a tube (single or double).
Must be 1.2 metres or higher to use the slides.
Adventure Park Geelong (Wallington, Geelong)
One of the main aquatic theme park in Victoria. Water Rides include Tsunami (7.5 story ride through dark tunnels and swirling rips), Tornado (7.5 story fast and furious family funnel water ride), Aqua Racer (reach 40km an hour racing head first down a wave like mountain on the six lane Aqua Racer), Lazy River (go with the flow whilst your raft is propelled along the tropical style river), Bonito's Bay Water Play Park (Caribbean Pirate Adventure with non stop waterplay action including splash pools, slides and tipping filled buckets), Tiny Tot's Splash Zone (designed for the toddlers, this is a shallow and safe oasis of interactive water play), Gold Rush Rapids (race down the 110 metre long Gold Rush Rapids slide in under 20 seconds and finish with a 2 metre plunge) and Wild West Canyon (ride down on an inflatable two seater raft and experience two 360 degree turns in a pitch black dark ride within the tunnel).
There are also non water activities including the Grand Carousel, Little Buggy Speedway, Kids Train, Wave Swinger, Ship Wreck Harbour (pedal boats), go karts, archery, mini golf, Crazy Coaster and Ferris Wheel.
General Admission (120cm & over): $46.50, Junior Admission (90-120cm): $36.50, Child Admission (under 90cm): Free, Senior Admission (60 years & over): $29.00
Slide Notes: All activities are included in the entry price.
Tsunami: 120cm and over to ride
Tornado: 120cm and over to ride
Aqua Racer: 110cm and over to ride
Lazy River: 90cm and over to ride
Gold Rush Rapids: 90cm and over to ride
Wild West Canyon: 90cm and over to ride
Tiny Tot's Splash Zone: 120cm and under
Mornington Peninsula
Casey Recreation & Aquatic Centre (RACE) (Cranbourne)
All the facilities at Casey Recreation & Aquatic Centre are indoors. There is a 8 lane 50m lap pool, a fairly basic splash park with a tipping bucket, toddlers pool, leisure pool, learn-to-swim pool, warm water exercise pool (children accompanied by an adult) and two water slides. The Space Bowl slide features a large bowl which swirls swimmers around before dropping them out of a hole into a little pool (think spin cycle in the washing machine) and the Raft Slide is a twisting tube ride in total darkness (except for some illuminated arrow signs).
Casual Admission: Adult: $9.00, Concession / Child: $7.50, Family: $25.50, Spectator: $3.00
Slide Notes: Slides are included in the entry price.
For the Space Bowl you need to be more than 1.2m tall AND more than 10 years old and for the Raft Ride you need to be more than 1.2m tall although a child who is this height but less than 10 years old can go on a tandem raft with some-one older than 16.
Peninsula Aquatic Recreation Centre (PARC) (Frankston)
PARC has everything you need in an indoor aquatic centre and it all comes at a very reasonable price. Facilities include a heated 10 lane 50m indoor pool, children's / Learn to Swim pool, beach entry / wading pool with some bubbles and sprays, warm water exercise pool, spa, sauna and steam room, AquaPlay aquatic playground which features three fun slides and two water slides:
Python Waterslide - Slither around twists and turns on a raft with up to four people with award-winning exhilarating sound and light technology.
Constrictor Waterslide - The 114-metre long Constrictor swallows either a single or a two person raft into its depths, down through a series of spirals with tight, high banking turns. The waterslide's custom designed snake skin like facade brings this waterslide to life, making it a visually exciting ride.
Admission: Adult: $9.30, Child: $7.40, Child under 3: Free, Family: $26.70, Water slides are included in these prices.
North East
Ringwood Regional Aquatic & Leisure Centre (Aquanation)
All the facilities are indoors and include two water slides, water play area surrounded by shallow water, a main pool, warm water pool, spa and sauna (need to be 16 or over) and a diving pool.
Admission: Adult: $8.50, Child: $7.30, Child under 5: Free, Family: $23.50, Water slides: $7.80, Water slides Child: $6.20
Knox LeisureWorks (Boronia)
The facility has four indoor pools, two outdoor seasonal pools and an 80 metre all weather waterslide. The indoor facilities include a 50m lap and recreation pool, warm water pool, leisure pool with beach entry and water features including a frog slide and program pool. Outdoor facilities include a 25m recreation pool, toddler pool and free BBQs.
Casual Admission: Adult: $8.40, Child: $6.70, Family: $22.40
Slide Notes: Slides are not included in the entry price. 1 ride: $1.70, Unlimited rides: $7.00
Minimum age of 4 years to use the big water slide.
WaterMarc Banyule (Greensborough)
The facility is completely indoors and has two big water slides, a water Play Park with four slides and tipping bucket, toddlers pool, leisure pool and 50m pool.
The Pipeline slide is a standard tunnel slide with some twists and a fairly gentle exit. There are one and two person rafts for this slide and the height requirement is lower for this slide. Tantrum Alley is a different matter all together. There are rafts for 2, 3 or 4 people and the ride is much wilder. There are two sections where the raft is thrust high up on the wall and you descend into a maelstrom of water. During the ride you get the sensation that you are going to fall out of the raft when it reaches the high point on the wall.
Admission (without slides): Adult: $8.00, Child: $6.10, Family: $24.70, Non Swimmer Adult: $3.00
Admission (with slides): Adult: $18.40, Child: $13.70, Family: $54.80, single slide: $5.20
Height restrictions are Tantrum Alley - 122cm and The Pipeline - 107cm.
The rafts for Tantrum Alley are heavy, especially the 3-4 person raft, and if you are lugging the raft up the stairs with minimal assistance from the kids, it is hard work and awkward - prepare yourself for the summer season with a month in the Weights Section of the gym (one floor above the pool area).
Doncaster Aquarena Aquatic and Leisure Centre (Doncaster)
There are both indoor and outdoor facilities. Indoor facilities include a 25m pool, recreation pool and toddler pool. The outside seasonal area has a 50m pool, dive pool and a slide on the side of a hill.
Casual Admission: Adult: $8.70, Child: $6.50, Family: $25.50
Slide Notes: Use of the slide is included in the entry price.
You need to be over 113 centimetres tall to ride the slide and tandem is not allowed.
Outer North
Funfields (Whittlesea)
A major theme park with many water based activities including Volcano Beach Heated Wave Pool (pumps out waves up to one metre high), Gravity Wave (experience weightlessness and hangtime as you are shot up the almost vertical Gravity Wave wall), Kraken Racer (riding competitors launch themselves headfirst through braided, twisting tunnels before accelerating into open multi-bump racing lanes before blasting into a rolling high seas finish), Bumpa Bay Bumper Boats (aquatic warfare in Electric Bumper Boats), Blackout Water Slide (plunge 130m in pure darkness), Wacky Waters Water Play Area (water play area with more than twenty interactive play features, water cannons, water jets and slides. Younger kids can splash around in the wading area with water jets and mushroom fountains. The centre piece of Wacky Waters is the Aqua Shak which fills with water until it spectacularly unleashes 2000 litres of water saturating everyone in range), Wipe Out Water Slide (plunge down 130 metres full of rapid twists and turns in a translucent flume and explode out of the tunnel and into the gnarliest of wipeouts), Splashdown Water Slides (Two 65 metre water slides where the flumes of this water slide are built in at ground level following the contour of the hill making accessibility easy for everyone. A gentle walk to the top of the slide and then a winding water wonderland all the way down before a refreshing Splashdown at the end) and Typhoon Water Slide (it is the World's Longest CannonBowl waterslide. The Typhoon is both a single and two-person double tube ride with a drop of nearly 20m. Riders will experience a steep descent down 150m of open and closed flume sections where they will reach speeds of over 30 kmh. At the end of the tunnel you will be launched into the mercy of the Typhoon. After multiple revolutions of being glued to the wall you will escape through the corkscrew exit into a splash pool)
There are also non water slide activities including the Alpine Toboggan Slide, Blackbeard's Fury, Thunderdome Go Kart Track, Mini Golf, Formula Fun Mini Go Karts, Pegasus Sky Bounce, Voodoo 360Pony Xpress Carousel, Burnout and Snakes Alive.
Admission Prices - Anyone 130cm or taller: $49.50, Children between 100 and up to 130 cm: $41.50, Children under 100 cm: Free, Seniors: $31.50
Slide Notes: All activities are included in the entry price.
Gravity Wave: Must be a minimum 130cm tall to ride.
Kraken Racer: Must be a minimum 110cm tall to ride alone. Children under 11cm can not ride.
Bumpa Bay Bumper Boats: You need to be 120 cm or taller to ride the Bumper Boats alone. Children between 100 and 119 cm must be accompanied by an adult. [someone 16 years old or older].
Blackout Water Slide: You need to be 142 cm or taller to ride alone in a single raft. Children between 110 and 136 cm tall must be accompanied by someone at least 137 cm tall in a tandem raft.
Wipe Out Water Slide: You must be 142 cm or taller to ride alone in a single raft. Children between 137 and 141 cm must ride accompanied in a tandem raft by someone at least 137 cm or taller.
Splashdown Water Slides: You need to be 110 cm or taller to ride the Splashdown alone.
Children under 110 cm tall must be accompanied by an adult. [someone 16 years old or older]
Typhoon Water Slide: You must be 120 cm or taller to ride the Typhoon.
Web Links
→ Comparison of Aquatic Centres in Melbourne and Geelong
→ Melbournes World of Aquatic Centres and Swimming Pools
→ Melbourne Water Activities Map
→ Guide to Water Slides in Melbourne and Geelong
→ Water Fun
