Funfields facts for kids
| Previously known as Alpine Toboggan Park | |
 |
|
| Location | Whittlesea, Victoria, Australia |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 37°31′15″S 145°06′47″E / 37.520806°S 145.113087°E |
| Opened | 2 February 1985 |
| General manager | John Verga |
| Slogan | "Melbourne's Hottest Themepark" |
| Operating season | September through April (primarily during Weekends, Public Holidays and School Holidays) |
| Area | 15.7 hectares (39 acres) |
| Attractions | |
| Total | 25 |
| Water rides | 11 |
Funfields is a fun theme park located in Whittlesea, about 40 kilometres (25 mi) north of Melbourne, Australia. It covers a huge area of 15.7-hectare (39-acre). The park first opened in 1985 as the Alpine Toboggan Park. Over the years, it has grown into a big theme park with many different wet and dry rides. Funfields is one of four main theme parks in Victoria.
Because of Melbourne's weather and its many water rides, the park closes during the colder winter months. Some of its newest and most exciting rides include the Gravity Wave water slide and the Voodoo pendulum ride, both opened in October 2017. A heated outdoor wave pool called Volcano Beach also opened in December 2018.
Park History
Funfields first opened its doors on 2 February 1985. Back then, it was called the 'Alpine Toboggan Park'. Its main attraction was the Alpine toboggan slide. This ride is 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) long and uses plastic sleds on a stainless steel track.
For about 20 years, the park stayed mostly the same. It added only a few things like two waterslides, a mini golf course, and a go-kart track. In 2005, the park changed its name to Funfields. Since then, it has been constantly improved. New rides, better facilities, and exciting water slides have been added.
Key Moments in Funfields History
- 1985: The park opens as 'Alpine Toboggan Park'. The toboggan ride is the main attraction.
- 1987: John Verga buys the park. He is still the park manager today.
- 1997: The Thunderdome Go Kart track opens.
- 2004: Tiki Bay opens. It used to be called 'Bumpa Boats'.
- 2005: The park gets a new name: 'Funfields'.
- 2009: The Blackout waterslide opens. Blackbeard's Fury, a ride from Sea World, also opens here.
- 2010: The Wipeout waterslide is added.
- 2011: Aqua Shak and Wacky Waters open. These are children's water play areas.
- 2012: Burnout opens. This ride used to be called "Stingray" at Dreamworld.
- 2013: 'Typhoon' opens. It's the world's longest (137 m) ProSlide Cannonbowl waterslide. The Snakes Alive teacup ride also opens, moved from Australia Zoo.
- 2015: The 'Kraken Racer' waterslide opens. It has four lanes for racing. New kids' rides, the Berry Ferris Wheel and Samba Balloon, are added. Funfields also gets a new logo.
- 2016: Birdy Cove, a water play area for toddlers, opens. New VIP cabana huts and an ice cream shop are added. The Formula Fun ride is also improved.
- 2017: Gravity Wave opens. It is a huge 186 m long, 27 m tall water slide. Voodoo, a 16-seat pendulum ride, also opens.
- 2018: Volcano Beach, a large heated wave pool, opens. It holds 1.5 million litres of water.
- 2019: The "Kidzone" area becomes "Mystic Kingdom". It gets castle walls and two new rides. Dragon's Revenge replaces Burn Out. Pegasus Sky Bounce replaces the kiddie Go Karts. Wacky Waters becomes Amazonia Falls with jungle animals.
- 2020: The park's season ends early in March due to COVID-19. The next season starts later in November with new safety rules.
- 2021: The Beach Club cafe opens. It is part of the Volcano Bay area.
Exciting Attractions
Funfields has many cool rides for everyone!
Water Rides
Funfields has 11 water rides and attractions. This is the most water rides in all of Victoria.
| Name | Opened | Manufacturer | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aqua Shak | 2011 | Wizard Works | This is a multi-level water playground for kids. It has slides, ladders, and ramps. A giant "shak" bucket on top tips over 2000 litres of water when it fills up! |
| Birdy Cove | 2016 | Unknown | A fun water playground for toddlers. It has small waterslides and a shallow paddle pool. You can also find VIP Cabana huts here. |
| Blackout | 2009 | Australian Waterslides and Leisure | This is a 120m long tube slide that is completely dark inside. You ride in a tube with 1 or 2 people. |
| Gravity Wave | 2017 | ProSlide | This huge raft slide is 186m long and 26.8m tall! It has a double corkscrew turn and a big drop onto a 'wave'. It's the tallest, longest, and biggest slide of its kind in the world. You ride in a raft with 2 or 4 people. |
| Kraken Racer | 2015 | ProSlide | A 113m long racing slide with 4 lanes. You lie on a mat and can reach speeds over 60 km/h! It's the only one of its type in Australia and the longest in the world. Your slide times are shown on screens. |
| Splashdown | Circa 1985-1987 | Unknown | These were the first waterslides at Funfields. There are two similar 65m slides where you slide down on mats into a splash pool. |
| Tiki Bay | 2004 | Unknown | Ride in bumper boats in a special pool. The boats have water pistols so you can spray other riders! It used to be called 'Bumpa Boats'. |
| Typhoon | 2013 | ProSlide | This 137m long Cannonbowl waterslide is the longest of its kind in the world. It has a 19-metre drop and you can reach speeds over 30 km/h. You ride in a tube with 1 or 2 people. |
| Amazonia Falls | 2011 | Wizard Works | A children's paddling pool and water play area next to Aqua Shak. It has water jets and super soaker cannons for lots of water fun! It was previously known as Wacky Waters. |
| Wipeout | 2010 | Australian Waterslides and Leisure | A 130m long tube slide that is see-through and fully enclosed. It has a big, sudden drop at the end! You ride in a tube with 1 or 2 people. |
| Volcano Beach | 2018 | ProSlide | A huge 2000m2 heated wave pool that holds 1.5 million litres of water. It can make waves up to 1 metre high! It's the first outdoor wave pool in Victoria. |
Dry Rides
Funfields also has 11 exciting dry rides.
| Name | Opened | Manufacturer | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dragons Revenge | 2019 | SBF Rides | A fast spinning ride in the Mystic Kingdom area. You can control how high you go with a joystick! Up to 16 riders can go at once. |
| Pegasus Sky Bounce | 2019 | SBF Rides | A 7m tall drop tower ride in the Mystic Kingdom area. It has 8 seats for a fun bouncing experience. |
