Splish Splash

SACHA VAN NIEKERK

The season of long weekends, school holidays and the final weeks of warm weather is upon us. If you’re looking for fun activities the whole family will love, look no further than a water park.

Western Cape

Wiesenhof Adventure Park

Where: Stellenbosch

Cost: R95 to R195 per person

Visit: wapark.co.za

WaPark is perfect for keeping the whole family entertained. Over 70 built-in braais in a beautiful natural setting, six swimming pools, eight exciting water slides with tubes to use.

There is also a range of other non-water park related activities to explore such as an aerial obstacle course, trampoline park, climbing wall and much more.

Muizenberg Water Slides

Where: Muizenberg

Cost: R55 for 1-hour pass

Visit: muizenbergslides.co.za/

Muizenberg Water Slides is a trio of water slides located on Muizenberg Beach. There’s the main slide, with all of its twists and turns; then there’s the ‘speed’ slide, which provides a rapid and exciting rush, and finally, there’s the ‘junior’ slide, which is designed exclusively for children. Their pools are also solar heated.

Graceland Water and Kids Playground

Where: Paarl

Cost: Day Visitors Rates, R50 per child (ages 3 – 17 years), R60 per adult, R50 per pensioner

Visit: graceland-venues.co.za/ water-kids-playground

Graceland provides a one-ofa-kind experience for youngsters and adults. Bring a picnic basket for a great day in the sun. Their water park is decked out with slides, a splash pad, pools, and a fantasy play area for toddlers.

Gauteng

Happy Island Water World

Where: Krugersdorp

Cost: R220 per person

Visit: happyislandsa.co.za

Happy Island Waterworld measures 20 000m 2 and features hydraulic machinery that produces ocean-like waves at regular intervals. It also features two massage pools where guests can unwind while being gently massaged in the cool water. These pools are not heated, perfect for a refreshing dip. If you prefer a pool for doing laps or floating about, there’s also one on-site. There are areas around the park for guests to picnic.

GOG Lifestyle Park

Where: Lanseria

Cost: R150 per person

Visit: gog.co.za

GOG Lifestyle Park Lanseria has something for everyone. For refreshing pool time fun, you can enjoy time at Spray Park, an inflatable pool equipped with awesome hamster balls to tread water in. Not a fan of the pool? There’s also a BMX track, kids pump track, and a climbing wall, to name just a few of the attractions.

Cedar Junction

Where: Pretoria

Cost: R120 per adult, R100 per child from 2-12yrs

Visit: cedarjunction.co.za

Cedar Junction is located on Lynnwood Road, Zwavelpoort. The park is an outdoor grassed area of 8,5ha with stunning views of the lake and the Bronberg Mountain range. They offer four sets of swimming pools and 16 water slides, catering to both young and old. Three 100m speed slides are located at the park’s back, while a baby swimming pool with slides and larger children’s slides are located in the centre. The lazy river, which has three slides, is located in the park’s front area.

Kwazulu-Natal

Wild Waves Water Park

Where: Wild Coast

Cost: R200 for adults, R75 for kids

Visit: suninternational.com

Wild Coast Sun has many water activities, but none are as much fun as the Wild Waves Water Park, which is free to guests staying at the hotel. The 10 000m² water adventure park boasts six rides, as well as the Lazy River ride that snakes through the playground and a Kid’s Zone for small children.

Wet ’n Wild

Where: uShaka Marine World

Cost: R157 per person

Visit: ushakamarine.com/ wetnwild

uShaka’s Wet ’n Wild is perfect for adrenaline junkies and those who prefer to soak up the sun. One of the newest additions to the park is the the Body Tornado which will take your breath away. Prepare to fly through the tunnel before spiralling around the tornado bowl and into the pool below. The Jika Jika is designed for groups of people who wish to share the experience together. There are plenty of spaces to picnic with a range of restaurants on-site too.

Ballito Ski Park

Where: Ballito

Cost: Prices range from R70 to R300 depending on the activity. Visit: ballitoskipark.co.za

Ballito Ski Park is the place to go for a full day of fun. Skiing, jetskiing, tubing, slip ’n’ slides, and even the gigantic Viking slide are all available.

For more advanced skiers, there are slider rails and kicker ramps. If you’re looking to chill out, Lumo Beach, a man-made beach, is small but has everything a beach should have: enticing waves, white beaches, and umbrellas.

Paintball and archery tag are also available for those seeking an out-of-the-water activity.