World News – AU – Domestic tourism spurs boom in surf parks

Plans for a new wave pool and resort worth $ 75 million 365 days a year at Wiseman Ferry on the Hawkesbury River, 75 kilometers northwest of Sydney, have been approved by Hills Shire Council.

The Wisemans Surf Lodge, which is to be built on 18 acres on Old Northern Road, is owned by the Ace Chief Group, which paid $ 7. 25 million for it in 2016, but with a cap for a company owned by Wiseman co-founder John Du Vernet.

« What we are creating at Wisemans is a solution to access the types of waves that we often have to travel overseas for, waves that we dream of, » said John Du Vernet, co-founder of Wisemans.

The Australian world champion surfers Joel Parkinson and Stephanie Gilmore supported the project together with the pros Jack Freestone, Alana Blanchard, Bede Durbidge and Josh Kerr.

The retreat will be Australia’s first resort-style surf destination and follows Urbnsurf’s plans to open its own wave pool at Sydney Olympic Park in Homebush next year.

The project will include a state-of-the-art wave pool the size of four soccer fields that can create swellings of up to 2. 5 meters high at 17 second intervals and 10 to 12 second rides with multiple waveforms and smaller peaks for beginners.

There will also be a hotel with 54 rooms, which is to be adapted to a former hotel from the early 1990s. It has a restaurant, bar, conference facilities and a 9-hole golf course that was developed from an existing 18-acre resort called The Retreat at Wisemans.

The Australian world champion surfers Joel Parkinson and Stephanie Gilmore supported the project together with the pros Jack Freestone, Alana Blanchard, Bede Durbidge and Josh Kerr.

Akin Atelier’s architect Kelvin Ho, who is responsible for a number of event venues for Merivale, including the Coogee Pavilion in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, oversees the design of the adaptive reuse of the former hotel on the site.

“The design of the lodge revolves around a tactile yet refined visual language that is linked to the history of the Wisemans Ferry location.

« [The project] will also minimize the carbon footprint at every stage of the design process, e.g.. B.. in solar-powered operation, the green-powered pool, and the use of natural water sources, ”said Ho.

Ho is also known for designing a number of resorts in the Maldives as well as stores for Australian fashion brands such as Dion Lee, Camilla and Marc.

Construction of the Surf Lodge is scheduled to begin in the second or third quarter of next year. The opening is planned for 2022.

Access to Wisemans Surf Lodge will be based on a membership model. Further information will be introduced next year.

The resurgent domestic travel has spiked after tight border restrictions between multiple states and territories were eased and many overseas vacationers sought local options.

The excitement about a potential vaccine also coincided with falling Covid-19 rates and the reopening of state borders, encouraging more Australians to look ahead and book flights and vacations.

Currently there are about 2. 5 million surfers in Australia, most of whom choose to take the local break on a given weekend.

For many local surfers, the prospect of perfect waves – albeit simulated – could be a major draw and, given the uncertain situation associated with international travel, make it the perfect domestic escape.

« As surfers in Sydney, we don’t have year-round access to consistently high quality waves like in other parts of Australia, » said Du Vernet.

“We focused on creating a space that thinks of everything outside the pool, even for non-surfers, in a resort-like facility in a magical and somewhat secret part of Sydney. ”

After Australia’s first wave park was delivered in Melbourne in early January, Urbnsurf is pushing ahead with its plans in Homebush.

Kelly Slater has also announced his intention to build a dollar. 1 billion surf resort in Coolum on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, its first such facility outside of the United States.

The project, which is currently under public consultation, includes restaurants, bars, a six-star hotel, an environmental education center, a residential component and a huge open-air entertainment district.

Wisemans Ferry, Sydney, surfing, wave pool