12-19 – Wet n Wild & the Australian Outback Spectacular

Wet n’ Wild is exactly like it sounds: very wet. First we dissed everything that needed to stay dry in a locker that you can access repeatedly throughout the day w/ groovy wristband/password. And then onto the wave pool, which was WAY cool.

It’s a zero entry pool that mimics ocean waves (trade salt for chlorine).

Periodically the waving action is turned off, making it a very large, very cool swimming pool. Kids seemed to enjoy it most, no complaints by me. I found it quite relaxing and fun, and great people watching.

My observations:

- There is a market for Muslim women’s swimsuits. I was fascinated with the 20+ women I saw in full Muslim garb getting soaked in what seemed to me cumbersome garments. Obviously they’re used to it as it didn’t slow them down or deter them one bit from getting completely wet and dare we say wild?

Meanwhile kids and husbands had regular swimsuits. What’s wrong w/ this picture?

- Bad: Wet, overstretched t-shirts over swimsuits in pool. Better to wear swim suit that simply fits, then no one really bothers to look twice at you unless you’ve got tons of tattoos (then the Avas of Wet n Wild make a point of pointing them out).

- Good: swim shorts, provided they cover the crack. Enough said.

- Bad: tightie whities under said swim shorts. We saw an awful lot of underwear in the pool, particularly later in our trip – what is that all about?

- Bad: husband massaging pregnant wife’s lower lower (yes I meant to write it twice) back in wave pool. Get a room.

- Weird: scarf draped for decorative purposes around neck of woman attired in bikini as she launched into wave pool and got soaked.

- Bad: jeanskirt in wave pool, then removing it, soaked, while in pool.

Kids and I alternated between the wave pool and the water park (can’t wait until they're out of water park fever, I’m not a big fan of having cold buckets of water dumped over my head).

Claire loves these sprinkler fests so she had a blast going down the slides and all, Ava preferred the wave pool. (No parents on slides and A wouldn’t go down alone so the water park business was a bit less excited for her.)

From wet n’ wild we crashed at the hotel – nothing like sun and water to put you into a coma if you’re an adult (how is it the kids powered through without a nap?).

Then we went to the Australian Outback Spectacular for the evening show. It’s set in a huge indoor arena. Upon entry we were given cowboy hats w/ red hatbands (half of the audience had red, the other half yellow).

Once inside our photo was taken and we entered the hall/bar/stage area. Claire beelined it to the horses; four or five were in stalls at one end. The room was vast, with wood and very heavy western décor – old signs, horse, collars, saddles, western photos/paintings on the wall.

Someone was singing country music and eventually one of the cast welcomed us to the show w/ slapstick Australian commentary, then assigned us to our stations (red vs. yellow). We had a bit of a pep rally to get the crowd enthused before the doors to the arena opened and we found our seats – long tables w/ place settings for traditional Australian cowboy fare (salad, steaks, potatoes and gravy, veggies and some kind of light cake/pudding dessert).

The show opened with a rider on white horse circling the arena, then a series of dramatic images, set to music, depicting Australia’s history – gorgeous landscape scenes, drama of weather (sounds of storms, etc.), Aboriginal paintings in a tribute to native people co-existing with the land.

Highlights of the show:

- Original coach used for travel between Brisbane and Gold Coast in 1800’s, restored and pulled by 5 gorgeous black workhorses

- Women riders doing acrobatics on horseback (i.e. riding on one leg, hanging upside down, etc.)

- Women barrel racers (red team) beating yellow men’s team on their 4-wheelers

- Wagon races

- Bucking broncs

- Men riding two horses at once by standing on them, then jumping over a burning log

- Timed competition between riders to pull flags, open gates, back out of danger, circle 3 barrels

- Woman “horse whisperer” – calming horse down and mounting by having horse lay down, then riding it bareback, without bridle, around the arena

- Even a hoky helicopter appearance!

Great show and of course kids crashed on the way back to the hotel.