Toboggan Hill Park passes 30 year anniversary

Popular Post Stephens attraction Toboggan Hill Park marked the end of 2017 with celebrations of the 30th anniversary of its opening.

With a 1 kilometre long Wiegand toboggan track, along with indoor rock-climbing wall, skating, mini golf, a tractor train ride and wooden maze, the attraction has been welcoming visitors to Port Stephens since opening on Boxing Day 1987.

The 30th birthday celebrations began on Christmas Eve with the arrival of Santa and a children’s themed party and continued from 27th December.

Located in Nelson Bay planning for the attraction began in 1981 when a representative of Germany-based Wiegand, visited founder and owner Rob Caldwell at Ginninderra Falls Park, Canberra - a nature park which Caldwell had founded in 1979.

In 1983, Caldwell, together with his brother John, began to search for a suitable site for the venture.

In 1985, the pair were invited by Port Stephens Council to consider three possible sites on Council managed Crown Land on the Tomaree Peninsula.

Sites near Fingal Bay, Government Road Corlette, Lot 363 Gan Gan Road, and the Nelson Bay Sports Grounds were assessed for terrain suitability for the toboggan run, with the Sports Grounds site identified as being as the most suitable.

Following some changes to the land’s planning designation, the site was leased to Eco-Trac Pty. Limited under Special Lease 1986/7, a process completed in September 1987.

With construction commencing on 11th November 1987, Toboggan Hill Park opened at the end of that year.

Today, the park employs 50 staff, many of whom are casuals who join the team from local schools, while generations of visitors continue to enjoy its facilities. 

Weigand toboggan rides are installed at a range of regional attractions in Australia including The Big Banana in Coffs Harbour, Jamberoo Action Park, Merimbulas' Magic Mountain and Gumbuya World near Melbourne.

Images: Toboggan Hill Park's signature ride (top), its climbing wall (middle) and its 1987 opening (below).

22nd June 2017 - GUMBUYA PARK TO UNDERGO $50 MILLION REDEVELOPMENT 

10th January 2017 - PORT STEPHENS ATTRACTION OPENS NEW AQUATIC PLAYGROUND 

6th July 2016 - REGIONAL TOURISM OVERHAUL TO UNLOCK POTENTIAL OF NSW VISITOR ECONOMY 

11th December 2015 - AUSTRALIANS LOVE THEME PARK VISITS

15th October 2014 - AWL SUPPLY WATERSLIDES FOR DUBBO AQUATIC LEISURE CENTRE UPGRADE 

12th June 2014 - PORT STEPHENS AIMS TO DOUBLE VISITOR REVENUE BY 2020

21st November 2013 - MAGIC MOUNTAIN MERIMBULA TO CELEBRATE 30TH ANNIVERSARY 

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