Christchurch's Jellie Park aquatic facility reopens

The Jellie Park aquatic facility in western Christchurch has re-opened after a 16 month, $12 million makeover.

Undergoing extensive changes including a new fitness centre and aerobics studio; two new indoor pools; a new spa, sauna and steam room; and a new indoor hydroslide, the bigger and better Jellie Park is the first facility to be developed under the Christchurch City Council's Aquatic Facilities Plan - designed to meet the city's aquatic needs for the next 30 years by rolling out new and revamped facilities.

As Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker explains "Jellie Park holds a special place in the hearts of many thousands of people who have grown up in Christchurch and spent part of their summertimes with family and picnics at Jellie Park. Itâs also a place where many of us learnt to swim or took our first fitness class. So it's wonderful to see the complex get such a massive boost and to become such an asset for the whole of west Christchurch. It is now an aquatic and fitness training complex that we can truly be proud of."

Jellie Park now offers year-round aquatic activities for western Christchurch. Facilities include a new 25 metre, 8-lane, 2 metre deep water pool; a refurbished learners' pool; a new toddlers poolNew spa, sauna and steam room; a new indoor hydroslide; a new aerobics studio and fitness centre and a new changing facilities.

The refurbished outdoor swimming pools and hydroslides will re-open this summer.

The fitness centre is the first Christchurch City Council facility to be fully equipped with Technogym equipment - also used by athletes at this month's Beijing Olympics and by Team New Zealand. The equipment features integrated TV screens - making Jellie Park a great place to work out while watching TV coverage of the Olympics.

Jellie Park offers a full range of group exercise classes, aqua classes and recreation programmes and also offers learn to swim and swim coaching programmes.