Outdoor high ropes and 130m zip line across creek to be built on the Sunshine Coast
Australia’s first outdoor high ropes course at a regional shopping centre has been given development approval and is scheduled to be built by mid 2019.
The attraction will also be the world’s largest ropes course on poles.
It will be part of a $420 million redevelopment of Lendlease and GPT’s Sunshine Plaza in Maroochydore on the Sunshine Coast.
The course will include a zip line stretching 130 metres across Cornmeal Creek – the longest of 16 zip lines that will be at the course.
There will also be a 22-metre high viewing deck and 150 challenges.
High ropes specialist Trees Adventure will design and run the course.
Gary Horwitz, managing director of retail at Lendlease, which also manages the mall, said the inclusion of the high ropes course was to ramp up the experience factor at the 24-year-old shopping centre.
“The future of retail will not just be about shopping; we must be innovative and offer customers a range of experiences in one great place,” he said.
“The high ropes course will add another dimension to the new Cornmeal Creek casual dining and entertainment precinct, ensuring Sunshine Plaza remains a must-visit destination among locals and tourists.”
He added that the attraction’s connection with the creek and Maroochydore’s nature adds to the experience.
Trees Adventure managing director Nicolas Dansin said the “world-first” facility would be suitable for people on every level of fitness.
The Sunshine Plaza redevelopment’s first stage is set to open its doors on November 15, and will incorporate a 34,000-square-metre retail expansion.
It will spread out from a 73,000-square-metre mall to more than 107,000 square metres, making it the largest retail centre north of Brisbane.
New retailers include the region’s first David Jones, H&M, as well as a dining precinct along Cornmeal Promenade and more than 100 specialty stores.
