The moment during our tour when we looked up and realised people would be dangling 8m above us. The purpose-built space MOVE studio is for the circus school and aerial performances.
More than a decade since it was announced in 2013, four years late, and $283 million over the original budget, Christchurch's Parakiore recreation centre is nearly ready.
The Press got an early look this week at what $500 million buys you – and it turns out, quite a lot.
Trapdoor slides that drop you into a vertical freefall. Foam pits where divers practise somersaults mid-air. Nine basketball courts. Eleven pools. New Zealand's first aquatic sensory space with bubble columns and interactive jets. It's a buffet of sporting and recreational options under one roof.
Opening to the public on December 17, the 32,000sqm complex is the largest of its kind in New Zealand.
The second largest facility of its kind in Australasia.The complex is the largest aquatic and indoor recreation facility in New Zealand and the second largest in Australasia, spanning 32,000 square metres.The name Parakiore comes from a Māori story the site is famous for, retold by Matapopore's Lynne Te Aika as part of the cultural narrative woven through the facility.Parakiore's construction took more than a decade from announcement to opening, with the original 2013 budget of $217 million ballooning to around $500 million upon completion.Bubble columns, misting sprays and interactive water jets fill New Zealand's first fully inclusive aquatic sensory space, with beach-entry design allowing users of all abilities to explore water safely.The view from 10 metres up. These Olympic-standard platforms are the first in Christchurch since QEII was demolished in 2011, with heights ranging from 1m to 10m.When doors open 17 December, Parakiore will operate seven days a week, with the earliest sessions starting at 5.30am on weekdays for lane swimmers and gym users.Multiple pools from 0.3 metres deep for toddlers to 2.2 metres for confident swimmers. The splash deck and water playground sit alongside standard leisure pools.Parakiore houses everything from toddler pools to Olympic-standard diving platforms, with facilities designed to be accessible to people of all ages and abilities.The hydroslides featuring the trapdoor slide, tube slide and three body slides. The three body slides offer different speeds – warm up on the slow one, level up on the medium, or go full throttle straight to the splash zone. Sliders must be at least 120cm tall.'/>The hydroslides featuring the trapdoor slide, tube slide and three body slides. The three body slides offer different speeds – warm up on the slow one, level up on the medium, or go full throttle straight to the splash zone. Sliders must be at least 120cm tall.Five slides including a trapdoor freefall tower over the complex. The vertical drop opens when you step on – 'you versus gravity,' as the marketing puts it.Treadmills, weights, and functional training equipment line the gym floor. It opens at 5.30am weekdays for the early morning crowd, with personal trainers available.Spin bikes ready to go for people who enjoy a “fun and challenging ride”.Seating for 2500 spectators retracts when not needed. The broadcast-ready courts fill the gap between Cowles Stadium and Wolfbrook Arena, with camera spots and media tribunes already installed for televised events.The Moorhouse Ave facility houses 11 pools ranging from 0.3-metre toddler pools to a 50-metre competition pool with moveable floors and booms.Parakiore's diving setup includes the country's first 3-metre wide platform at the 5-metre height, allowing synchronized divers to jump from the same platform simultaneously – a first for New Zealand facilities.
The hydroslides featuring the trapdoor slide, tube slide and three body slides. The three body slides offer different speeds – warm up on the slow one, level up on the medium, or go full throttle straight to the splash zone. Sliders must be at least 120cm tall.'/>
