White water, white-knuckle ride

Richard Jeffery shows the scale of a Wero pool. Photo / Greg Bowker

A man-made waterfall to raft or kayak over - and drop 4.5m - is to feature in a white water sports centre rapidly taking shape beside the Southern Motorway at Manukau.

The flow of the world's biggest controllable waterfall plunges into a 7m deep pool before racing along the concrete channels of a circular Grade 4 course, rated for Olympic-class international competition.

The power in the 300m-long race of white water comes from pumps moving the equivalent of an Olympic pool every three minutes, or 14,000 litres a second.

After the wild ride a conveyor belt takes boats 5m up from a placid pool to do the ride again.

The water's flow can be varied at the push of a button activating pneumatic gates.

For example, athletes preparing for the Coast to Coast event can have the flow modified to Grade 2 conditions.

Construction of the $37.5 million Wero Whitewater Park is expected to be finished in April and it will be used in the 2017 World Masters Games.

Richard Jeffery, chief executive of the Counties Manukau Pacific Trust, which raised the money, pointed out the other special features of the centre.

Unlike the rugged quarry-like settings of many international white water venues, it is in the centre of an urban area, beside the trust's Vodafone Events Centre, he said.

"It has a brilliant profile with 140,000 vehicles a day going by.

"Overseas, these activities generate three spectators for every person on the water.

"This centre will be open to the public, free, to look around at the facilities and there will be a pop-up village and concerts."

Luuka Jones at the Olympics.

Mr Jeffery outlined a likely weekday at the centre: Athletes training from 6.30am; school students using a more gentle 200m Grade 1 course for skills development from 9am to 11am; corporate clients, using the events centre conference facilities, taking to the water for team-building in the afternoon.

It will also be available for frontline emergency crews to run through test rescues of people trapped underwater in cars and road workers to learn how to keep safe during floods.

"At weekends, it will be full on with everything from kids' birthday parties to stag and hen parties using it as a recreation facility."

Mr Jeffery said 15,000 school pupils a year were expected.

Wet and wild

•The Wero Whitewater Park features a waterfall with a 4.5m drop as well as two courses - an Olympic-class Grade 4 and a Grade 1 for youngsters and novices.

•Water is pumped at 14,000 litres a second to boost the flow.

•The centre is expected to cost $37.5 million and will open in April.

•It is expected 15,000 schoolchildren will visit each year. The $35 cost for youth is to be subsidised to $15.

•On the web:

www.wero.org.nz