Water playground – promoting the North West Cape’s cultural & environmental heritage

A spectacular custom designed water playground in Exmouth, Western Australia

• The expansive 450m² aquatic facility was designed to highlight and promote important aspects of the North West Cape’s cultural and environmental heritage. The water playground helps connect people to the local country landscape by providing a fun and educational experience.
• Natureworks worked with the owners of the water park to design a collection of magnificent marine life animals. These were built to educate and remind visitors of the natural beauty of coastal wildlife.
• We sculpted a life-size humpback whale, loggerhead turtles, jumping dolphins, and a giant carved cave that emulates the local Cape Range.
• All components were manufactured in Australia in the Natureworks workshop at Highvale near Brisbane.

Giant humpback whale tail

Design features – humpback whale tail sculpture

• This magnificent humpback whale was designed as centrepiece with a 4.5m long head and 2m high by 3m wide showering tail
• The whale body and fins are defined by contrasting Poly-soft rubber flooring designed to appear as if the animal is surfacing from the deep
• Extra heavy duty life-size replica of a humpback whale tail sculpture. Includes custom painting and barnacle features.
• Internal steel armature that supports the external form and to raise it from the base of the pool
• Internal stainless steel water spouts were incorporated into the whale’s flukes to allow water to spill over the edge into a waterfall pattern
• Design, fabricate deliver & install all sculptures and cave structure

The flexibility of design options to individually design components that suit our client’s specific needs and themes. Options of approximately 60 marine life animals available, and a custom design surface with the ability to create caves and artificial rocks.

Humpback whale head – 4.5m long

Natureworks custom designed, manufactured, delivered and installed a giant humpback whale head.

Design Features – humpback whale head sculpture

• Extra heavy duty life-size replica of a humpback whale head sculpture, 4.5 metres long.
• Includes custom painting with durable water resistant paint and barnacle features.
• This humpback whale head was designed as a separate sculptural piece to the tail, but joined by the rubber crumb central body design on the base of the pool.
• Internal stainless steel water spouts project water vertically.
• An external steel frame that supports the head and allows children to climb on board.

Dolphins leaping, turtles paddling and frogs jumping

Scope of works

For the water play park, we also custom-designed, manufactured, delivered and installed three jumping dolphin sculptures, two loggerhead turtle sculptures, and one giant green tree frog. These sculptures include internal water sprayers. All were custom designed in the Natureworks Studio.

Design Features

• Jumping Dolphins x 3
  Custom designed extra heavy duty dolphins – set of 3 with internal stainless steel water spouts at top of head so as the water projects directly vertical. External barnacles, and custom painted with durable water resistant paint. Note: rubber crumb design to enhance the 3/4 dolphin sculptures on base of pool..
• Loggerhead Turtle x 2
  Custom designed extra heavy duty loggerhead turtle with internal stainless steel water spout on back of shell so as the water projects directly vertical. External barnacles have been added for extra effect. Includes mounting to concrete pool base.
• Giant Green Tree Frog x 1
  Custom designed extra heavy duty giant green tree frog with internal stainless steel water spout on head so as the water projects directly vertical. Includes mounting to concrete rock cave floor.

Designing and building the water playground cave

Design features – water play cave

• Custom designed, manufactured and installed a unique cave
• Constructed from 140 tonnes of concrete and carved to emulate the local Cape range
• Features sensored mist sprays and cascading water over non-slip steps that lead to the play area
• Fossilised fauna and flora moulded into its walls.

Connection to the local country landscape

The entire expansive 450m² aquatic facility was designed to highlight and promote important aspects of the North West Cape’s cultural and environmental heritage, which received World Heritage status.

Fun facts: The rubber floor is set with 76 randomly sequenced ground sprays to keep kids guessing about where the water might spout next!
A permanent, cyclone-rated curved shade structure ensures year-round access to the play area, which is also fitted with coloured LED lighting.

Concept Art & Planning

Playground Concept Design

Natureworks created a visual concept design to communicate the vision of the completed water playground. The first image below shows the concept design, including the rubber crumb effect.

Open Day for Exmouth Water Playground

• Playground arial view of completed whale and dolphins
• W.A Health Department approved and officially opened on 3 July 2013 with more than 500 visitors on its first day.

Project details

Funding for playground and water park projects

If you or your community have an idea for a play area or water park, you probably need to apply for grants, appeal to potential business sponsors and get support from the local community. Having concept art to support your proposal makes the whole process a lot easier and more likely to meet with success. We can create concept art that not only showcases the creative idea but may also help you get the support you need.

More ideas for water play parks and custom sculptures

Are you looking for custom playground design services? Need inspiration or help to visualise your idea for a community recreation space, custom playground or water splash park? We can create concept art for your ideas, but we also have a few ideas ready to go that you might be interested in…

Interested? Check out our concepts for a “whale of a time” water park installation and a “giant soldier crab” play sculpture.

Encouraging imaginative, nature-based play

With our incredible range of marine life animal sculptures, playground theming and artificial rocks, Natureworks can create all sorts of themed internal or external play spaces. We can add water features to many of our standard animal sculptures, or construct heavy-duty versions suitable for playground use or water park settings – just ask!

For playground design ideas, practical advice, custom project cost estimates or a free consultation with our design team, contact us now!