While many zoos strive to present their attractions through scientific objectivity, Australia Zoo takes a different approach. Yes, science is important, even paramount, but there’s no attempt at objectivity. The people at Australia Zoo absolutely love animals, and they want you to love them, too.
In reality, you’re experiencing the animals and their habitats through a personal lens, the infectious enthusiasm of the great Steve Irwin and his family. Animals are named, you can pet kangaroos, you can even cuddle with a koala. Where many zoos seem designed around separation and observation from a distance, the animal enclosures at Australia Zoo are open and sprawling. The point is to forge a personal connection to the animals as individuals, to develop the passion Steve Irwin was known for, and experience the environment not only with your eyes, but with your body and your heart.
For this reason, it’s no surprise that Australia Zoo created a beautiful splash pad at the center of their Laughing Lolly Shop and Water Park, a place where kids can not only play and cool off in the blazing Queensland sun, but also explore beautiful sculptures of Australian animals, designed by the Zoo’s artist team. True to their environmental mission, they use water recycling components to reduce waste. But the splash pad needed the final touch of a surface that would keep their young guests safe, active, and fully immersed in the fun of nature and water.
“The floor added some bright, attractive colours which have certainly added to the fun and excitement. It allowed us to be flexible and creative in our design and planning which created a wonderful finished product. Life Floor has given us a soft, non-slip surface which has received fantastic feedback from our guests. The installation has made it far more enjoyable for children, rather than the more common, abrasive surfaces that are used. The safety and comfort of our guests is paramount, so when choosing a surface one of our priorities was something safe and knee-friendly. Many hours were spent considering this and we found that Life Floor certainly ticked all our boxes!”