Swimmers test out Waterworld on Tauranga waterfront

The first swimmers try out Waterworld on Saturday. Photo/Andrew Warner

There's nothing quite like watching kids fearlessly fling themselves across the giant inflatables effortlessly, while I'm catching my breath after pulling myself up again for what feels like the millionth time.

It's Saturday morning and Waterworld, the inflatable water park, has opened for the first time.

People of all ages are having a go at climbing, crawling, swinging and sliding around the bright green, blue and yellow inflatables.

There are siblings racing each other, families yelling encouragement from the tidal steps and dads catapulting their daughters off the giant pillow.

I'm just trying to work out how to cross the criss-cross obstacle without falling back into the Tauranga Harbour - again.

That's the trickiest bit.

Pulling myself back up on the course with tired arms after falling into the water, and in my case with very little upper body strength - cue New Year's resolution thoughts.

"Just crawl across," Inge Van Wyk says to me.

The 9-year-old Otumoetai Primary School pupil's advice is spot on and I make it to the other side carefully.

Around the next part of the course, there's the rope swing and the trampoline to try out.

The trampoline is the sturdiest part of the water park and I take a few minutes, pretending I just really like trampolines and I'm not puffed at all.

The next challenge is climbing up the wall that leads to the giant cushion.

It seems higher than it looks from the shore, but I still jump, landing on the soft pillow and go flying off again.

Lifeguards are constantly scanning the inflatable course and even lending a hand to the littlest swimmer, 5-year-old Alex Van Wyk, pulling him back up.

With my heart-rate up, it feels like I've just completed a decent workout so I swim back to the tidal steps.

Waterworld owner Kel Travers is watching the fun from the shore.

He says the conditions of the water will be monitored carefully over the coming months.

After every session, a lifeguard will test the strength of the current to make sure the conditions are suitable.

"A lifeguard will jump in the water at one end and time how long it takes to get to the other end."

If the current is too strong people will not be able to go on the inflatable course.

The strength of ticket sales isn't slowing down with 1000 two-hour tickets already sold for next month, Travers says.

More than 5000 tickets have been sold in total which is set to make The Strand a popular spot this summer.

The whistle blows, indicating the end of the first one-hour session, and the swimmers make their way back to the shore.

Waterworld Inflatable Waterpark
What: A Wipeout-style inflatable obstacle course made up of 50 individual pieces floating in the water that measures 20m by 35m
Where: At Tauranga waterfront, directly in front of the tidal steps
How much: Prices vary from $13 to $29
For more information visit www.dialled.co.nz/waterworld

What was your favourite part of the water park?

"The big cushion."
Alex Van Wyk, 5, Otumoetai Primary School
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"I like the trampoline but the slide was my favourite."
Inge Van Wyk, 9, Otumoetai Primary School
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"The slides were really fun."
Liahona Matthews, 12, Otumoetai Intermediate School
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"The blob thing, I went flying."
Laconeus Matthews, 11, Otumoetai Intermediate School
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