New $3.3m water slides set to make waves at Hanmer Springs

The new waterslides at Hanmer Springs pools have been named the Waiau Winder and Violet Vortex. Photo / RNZ

By RNZ

Two new $3.2 million hydro slides are about to open at Canterbury’s Hanmer Springs pools, with some flashy features.

The Violet Vortex and Waiau Winder, named by a public vote, feature lighting and visual projection technology never seen before in New Zealand.

They open to the public from 10am on Wednesday October 11, and replace two 25-year-old green and beige slides which the pool said had been ridden about 17 million times collectively.

Hanmer Springs Thermal Pools and Spa general manager Graeme Abbot said the Violet Vortex featured LED technology, and the Waiau Winder had visual projections.

The new slides have LED and projection lighting, to add to the wild ride. Photo / RNZ

The projections could be changed to give different experiences on different days or seasons, such as mountain snowscapes or an underwater experience.

“We’re projecting images on to the side of the slide as you’re riding down it. The one we’ve got there at the moment, it looks as though you’re right next to a tropical fish tank,” Abbot said.

The new slides were designed so rafts or other ‘equipment’ were not needed to get a good slide going, and had used ‘runout channels’ for a smooth end to the ride without needing a separate splashdown pool.

The two new slides mean there are now four at the complex. Photo / Supplied

Two other slides at the pools also remain open, the Superbowl and Conical Thrill, which opened in 2010 and 2019.

Opening the slides is “a significant celebration, following months of relentless effort and commitment from the entire project team,” Abbot said.

Residents and ratepayers can visit the pools for free on October 11 and 12, the pool said. (They will be asked to provide a current Residents and Ratepayers card).

Hanmer Springs pools in the snow. Photo / Hanmer Springs Thermal Pools and Spa