Darwin Wave Lagoon Draws Crowds

Darwin's new Wave Lagoon has proved a remarkable success since its opening at the beginning of May.

Facility managers, the Darwin Waterfront Corporation, have reported that more than 16,000 people walked through the gates in the first four weeks of operation.

The Wave Lagoon and the adjacent recreation lagoon form part of the $1.1 billion Darwin Waterfront project. Being built over a period of 15 years, the Waterfront is already home to the Darwin Convention Centre (opened in July 2008), a new cruise ship terminal, two new hotels along with the aquatic facilities.

The 3,500 metre² Wave Lagoon project, the largest in Australia, was jointly designed by Geoff Ninnes Fong & Partners (GNFP) Consulting Aquatic Structural & Civil Engineers for the pool structures, finishes, water treatment, wave production system, and underground plantroom; while Hassell Architects were responsible for the landscaping design. Construction was undertaken by Sitzler Pty Ltd, services co-ordination was by GNFP with mechanical services design by VOS Partnership.

The wave production system from Scotland's Murphy Waves uses four x 75kw high performance fans and a pressure plenum combined with a stepped wave-producing caisson structure to provide waves up to 1.7 metres in height,and boogie waves in excess of 1.2 metres which Geoff Ninnes believes are "the highest pneumatic waves in the world" for a pool of this size.

The Darwin Wave Lagoon is featured in the July/August 2009 issue of Australasian Leisure Management.

Contact Geoff Ninnes Fong & Partners at www.gnfp.com.au

Image courtesy of Hassell Architects.