Whanau Way, the old view

Here's something you can't see anymore. This view of Whanau Way from its tower is now blocked by Omaka Rocka, which was built atop these slides (and uses the same stairs/tower). Kudos to Aquatica for adding to its park so quickly!




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Omaka Rocka at Aquatica

Say that five times fast: Omaka Rocka at Aquatica! Opened in 2010, this unassuming slide might appear at first to be a bit of a leech. After all, it uses the same tower and stairs as the four older slides here (Whanau Way), which are fun in their own right.

But Omaka Rocka has new twists. There are bumps in the bottom of the flume, giving you both rapids (visual fun) and minor airtime (physical fun). Those funnels you see are moments when your one-person raft rides up the side, skateboard style. In that same area are weird devices in the floor that usually (but not always) flip around your raft's direction, so your next segment of the ride will be backward. At the next funnel, you'll be flipped around again (or not, depending on chance). Sometimes you race out the bottom to the dedicated splash pool going quite fast... backward.