Olympic Venue Becomes Favoured Recreational Spot

The Sydney Olympic Regatta Centre at Penrith Lake, Australia has found a new lease of life since the end of the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games.

The venue, which hosted 556 rowers from 51 countries during the Games, has not lost any of its bustling activity since it has reinvented itself into a water adventure park.

The park is enjoyed by a large range of people, from families on a picnic outing or visiting the Olympic memorabilia museum, to the obvious rowers who can fully utilise the 2.3 kilometre competition course and 1.5 kilometre warm-up lake. The park even features attractions such as a bike track, ideal for jogging or roller-blading, sailing, parasailing and windsurfing activities as well as fishing.

Plans for further developments have been made, and the centre will soon not only be Australia’s first fully sanctioned learn-to-row school, but will even feature scuba diving lessons.

According to Darren Peters, CEO of Rowing Australia who was interviewed by SportBusiness International for their February issue, the Sydney regatta course has become the best rowing course in Australia and the facilities provide first class racing technology for rowers, canoe/kayak paddlers and other groups using the course.

The park which is situated 44 kilometres east of Sydney at the foot of the Blue Mountains has been visited by an average of 40’000 visitors each month since the end of the Games said SportBusiness. It was used in February this year for the New South Wales State Rowing Championships.