Purpose built for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, Penrith Whitewater Stadium was the competition venue for canoe/kayak slalom events. The construction of the Stadium was a joint venture between Penrith City Council, the International Canoe Federation and the Olympic Co-ordination Authority.
The whitewater course is one of only a few man-made rivers of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere, and was constructed using a combination of both natural and man-made materials to recreate the characteristics of a wild river.
The river is 320 metres long and drops 5.5 metres from top to bottom and is constructed in a ‘U’ shape. A moveable obstacle system makes it possible to change the whitewater channel which is concrete and varies in width from 8 to 14 metres.
14,000 litres per second of raging whitewater flowing over a moveable obstacle system has proven to be a challenging and exciting ride even for the best paddlers in the world. The water is drawn from the nearby warm-up lake by six 300kw submersible pumps. Each pump delivers 2,800 litres (2.8 cubic metres) of water per second to the start pool at the top of the course, from where it flows down to the finish pool. A conveyor carries rafts, canoes and kayaks along with their occupants from the bottom of the course to the top start pool.
The venue caters for whitewater rafting, kayaking, swiftwater rescue training and hosts local, national and international slalom competitions.
About Penrith, NSW Australia
Penrith is located one hour west of the Sydney CBD on the picturesque Nepean River at the foot of the Blue Mountains. The lifestyle is marked by a harmony of urban and rural lifestyles. Penrith enjoys a climate of relatively mild winters (average temperature 8-18 °C) and warm to hot summers (average temperature 17-29 °C). The population is approximately 180,000 residents.
Find out more www.visitpenrith.com.au
Whitewater rafting
