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Wet Side Water Education Park
Hervey Bay, Queensland

The free entry parts of this splash park include a huge, whale-themed splash pad with many powerful jets, a tipping bucket playground, and a separate area for under 5s, all located on the Hervey Bay foreshore. Wet Side, Hervey Bay Above: Whales leaping on the splash pad at Wet Side splash park in Hervey Bay (Order this image)

The main splash pad boasts dozens of individual water jets, so many that I could not count them all. It is by far the largest splash pad that I have seen at just under forty metres across, which is almost as long as an Olympic swimming pool and probably 2-4 times larger than your typical Council splash pad.
The area is well fenced, presumably to both keep the kids in once inside and to keep new kids out when the splash park is full. There was also good separation of the toddler splash pad, which has gentler bubblers and various colourful sea creature statues. Wet Side, Hervey Bay Above: The two tall waterslides (paid entry to these) at Wet Side splash park in Hervey Bay (Order this image)

In addition to the free attractions, which are reason enough to come, there are also two water features with paid entry. These are the two giant water slides, and the Aqua Ninja course. For anyone who has not heard of it, the Aqua Ninja course is a gauntlet-style obstacle course where the runner is deliberately distracted by water cannons and jets being sprayed in their direction. Think along the lines of a moderately easy Ninja-warrior obstacle course, but with an extra degree of difficulty because of the active water features. A clock records the time taken to complete the course, so you can see how you improve (or not) over several attempts. Wet Side, Hervey Bay Above: The tipping bucket and play area at Wet Side splash park in Hervey Bay (Order this image)

There are a handful of naturally shaded picnic tables and park benches, and a small section of lawn, as well as tables outside the cafe that looks out onto the splash park. Overall this splash park makes for a great day out for younger children, and parents looking to occupy them in an enclosed environment without having to spend money if you don't want to. And for kids, if your parents are always nagging you about getting a good education, tell them about the scholarly benefits of learning at the Wet Side Water Education Park, which is its official name.

Other Information Before You Go:

Location:Wet Side Water Education Park, The Esplanade, opposite Main St, Pialba (in Hervey Bay)
Latitude:-25.278934 Longitude:152.839596
Getting there: If you are coming from out of town, take route 57 (Maryborough-Hervey Bay Road, then Boat Harbour Drive) then head north along Main St. The splash park is at the end of Main St, with parking available in two car parks either side of the splash park entrance.

Facilities: Public toilets with baby change facilities, picnic tables, lockers, bike racks, car parking, cafe.
Entrance fee: Free entry to Wet Side, including the splash pads. There is a cost to use the waterslides and Aqua Ninja.
Prohibitions including whether you can bring your dog: No dogs (guide dogs permitted with a valid handler's identity card), no pets, no alcohol, no drugs, no weapons, no bicycles, no scooters, no skateboards, no tennis balls, no footballs, no running, no glass objects, no sitting on the water jets, no climbing on the whale structure, no barbecues or cooking devices, no smoking, no vaping. Children under 12 must be accompanied by a responsible person over 16. There is a long list of prohibitions upon entry, but these are perhaps the main ones to be aware of before you start planning your visit. There are also age and height restrictions for the Aqua Ninja and waterslides.
Sun shade: Shade available out of the water under some trees and shade cloth, with a couple of small shade-covered areas in the water features.
Opening times: 10 am to 5 pm every day during Queensland school holidays, 10 am to 5 pm Wednesday to Sunday during the Queensland school term. Closed from June to August. Opening hours differ from this on some public holidays. Wet Side may close for private functions, weather conditions, maintenance, or maximum crowds. The cafe is open for lunch and early dinner when Wetside is open.
Wheelchair access: Wheelchair accessible paths and toilets.
Managing authority: Fraser Coast Regional Council
Nearby attractions: Lake McKenzie on K'gari, 28 km to the south-east as the crow flies.
Before you head out, make sure to read the swimming safety information and check with the managing authority for any current change of conditions. There are numerous safety warnings on site before you enter Wet Side, with the main one being that you enter at your own risk.

Locality Map:

The marker indicates the approximate location of the entrance to the splash park. If the map is not zoomed in locally, as can sometimes occur when loading, simply click or tap on "View Larger Map" below.
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