New Forest Water Park
REVIEWS
review by Adam Trimby
When we arrived at the New Forest Water Park near Fordingbridge we knew straight away it was going to be an awesome day. The sign at the check-in counter said that the water was a glorious 27 degrees – a perfect day for swimming in what has to be one of the most beautiful lakes around.
Our day was set for a splash around the Aqua park. It is a massive 80 metres long by 40 metres and it has everything you need for an epic day out. Although it is more fun to try to keep out of the water for some of the elements to the course, staying dry is not an option.
Before setting out to the park, there was an eight-minute safety briefing and a quick check of our buoyancy aids. After this, there was nothing left to do but set out to the park and enjoy an hour of watery mayhem.
To get to the Aqua Park you walk along a big jetty, almost to the centre of the lake, and as you approach it, the size of the obstacles becomes apparent. The inflatables look like mini, luminous yellow islands that are simply made for fun. And for one hour, that’s what you get.
There are too many different obstacles to list here, but some of the highlights were the jumping platform, the iceberg slide, the seesaw and, the element that brought us the most fun of all, was the trampoline with the flippers. But, the entire thing is great. You find yourself running around with your friends and wanting to have a go at everything, smiling and laughing continuously at how funny it is to repeatedly fall into the water.
A highlight was definitely being part of a group of four grown men, all trying to climb up the side of one of the inflatables and slipping back down with every single attempt, only to see a girl of about eight years old rush past us and climb up the side with ease. We couldn’t stop laughing.
Once our hour was up, we all left the Aqua Park feeling tired from what turned into quite a workout but buzzing from the good feelings of being out in the water on a beautiful summer’s day in the New Forest.
Even though the New Forest Water Park is host to various kinds of water sports, from wakeboarding to kayaking and most things in between, the Aqua Park is the perfect adventure for those not overly keen on the more rapid water sports.
It’s fun, it’s challenging and it’s wet. What more could you want on a hot day in the south of England?
