Catch some waves at Australia's first surf park
Australia is famed for its sun, surf and waves along its expanse of coasts, except if you happen to be in cold, beach-scarce Melbourne. Poor Melbourne.
The country's second largest city is not like Sydney or the Gold Coast, where surfing beaches are easily and quickly reachable from the urban centre. Instead, it prides itself on culture and whisky bars.
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If you were keen for a surf, you'd need to cart yourself to distant places with decent waves such as Torquay, or the famous Bells Beach -- but soon Melburnians be able to get their fix much closer to home. Introducing the bizarre, but 100% real, URBNSURF surf park.
Australia's first surf park with man-made waves, URBNSURF Melbourne, will open alongside the city's Tullamarine Airport. With the venue set across 7.1 hectares, its 3.6 hectares surfing lagoon will be nearly twice the size of the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground. Translation: that's big.
Powering the man-made surf is a technology called Wavegarden, which can generate 32-second long, 1.9 metre (6.2 feet) high waves that are ideal for elite surfers, or 0.6 metre (1.96 feet) high white water waves that will suit those who are new to the game.
Construction will begin later in 2016, with surfers expected to start paddling in the lagoon's waters by late 2017. If you don't consider yourself one for the water, there is also a climbing wall, a parkour trail and a mountain bike track set to be built, amongst other facilities.
And if you are just rubbish at surfing, you'll be happy to know that they will accommodate bodyboards too. Make sure to pack your rashie.
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