There’s already a vineyard, clay-target shooting range and mountain bike track, and now another attraction is coming to Majura.
The Treetops Adventure Park promises to be the “ultimate outdoor adventure”, suspending 80 obstacles and 10 ziplines among the pine trees to create courses between one and 15 metres off the ground.
It’s like the treehouse you always dreamed of. And it will suit anyone aged three and up.
Operating since 2010, Treetops Adventure has welcomed more than 2 million visitors across 15 locations Australia-wide.
Up to this point, the closest location to Canberra is St Ives, on Sydney’s upper north shore. But CEO John O’Sullivan says a circle has been drawn around the nation’s capital since before he took over from the previous owners of the business in 2021.
“It was a market with a family demographic and increasing focus on outdoor adventure activities like mountain biking and outdoor attractions like the Arboretum,” he says.
“We felt it was a natural point for business expansion.”
Talks with the ACT Government began in 2022, and it was a few months of planning and approvals before an agreement was reached on a parcel of land in the Majura pine forest.
The site will feature four children’s courses suitable for ages three to seven and another six for those aged eight and above. And yes, that includes adults. All start from a “home tree”.
“There’ll be ladders you have to climb, cables you have to walk across, and you’ll be able to look up and see people metres above you.”
To rule out any height-related accidents, participants are tethered to a rope that runs the length of the course.
“What that means is that you’re fixed to the course, and can’t detach yourself until you safely at the end.”
Apart from a lot of fun with none of the risks, John says the design is “low impact” on the trees, too.
“There are no bolts or permanent fixtures in the trees – it’s all done with specifically designed cables that wrap around the trees and adjust with their growth. If we were to leave the site, you can basically remove the course and you wouldn’t know it was ever there.”
The plan is for the adventure park to open ahead of the school holidays in April 2024.
“We’re getting a lot of people starting to inquire about when it will open and when they can host their child’s birthday there – things like that. It’s another outdoor attraction that can bolster Canberra’s reputation in that space.”
The cost for an adult will be $59, concession $54, a child (8-15 years) $49 and a junior (3-7 years) $32. Visit the Treetops Adventure website for more information.