Yarralumla Play Station’s new maze is open for your enjoyment. Photo: Supplied.
Just over a year since a mysterious Facebook post promised “something big is coming”, Yarralumla Play Station’s epic maze adventure is open for Canberrans and visitors to lose themselves in.
Owner Jason Perkins has been trying since 2015 to bring the old Weston Park maze (opened 23 August 1980 and closed in 2005) back in some form, and the care, creativity and collaboration with local talent and businesses have finally brought the vision to life.
Manager Pradip Shrestha told Region behind-the-scenes applications and work had been underway for the past five years, and the final product was more than a stroll in a labyrinth.
“It’s not just a walk-in maze, it’s filled with activities,” he said.
“You’ll need to unscramble puzzles, explore the forts, collect flags from the four corners … there are five or six different things to do, and if you complete them all, we’ll just give you more activities to do.”
There’s no time limit on how long a person can spend in the maze, which has been erected from thousands upon thousands of wooden poles — including some of the original structure.
It’s estimated the fastest run through the original maze took about six minutes — in this maze, a speed run (where a person doesn’t complete all the puzzles, interactive challenges and activities) is expected to take about an hour (challenge accepted).
“If you do everything, it could take longer than two hours,” Pradip said.
And right in the centre is the ”Infinity Room”, which Pardip described as stepping into a “completely different world”.
“It’s a room filled with mirrors and lights, and there are new sculptures coming to the space soon,” he said.
Capital Glass ACT helped install the mirrors, and former nightclub owner and lighting specialist Bryan Fitzpatrick’s artistic talent brought the room to literal life, as the art keeps changing the longer you stay inside.
And this is just the beginning.
The Hive Maze is yet to be completed.
The beehive-inspired structure is expected to contain doors leading to other sections and it’s hoped this will be ready around April.
“It will be a crazy thing,” Pradip said.
It costs $25 to access the maze, or you can pay $50 for an unlimited pass to the maze, farm and mini golf.
Pradip said he hoped every visitor would have their spirit of fun, curiosity and adventure sparked when they visited.
“Let your kids play around, get happy [from the exploration] … you’ll always be engaged in something.”
The Yarralumla Play Station is at 9 Pescott Lane, Yarralumla, and is open Monday to Friday 9:30 am to 4 pm, Saturday and Sunday 8:30 am to 5:30 pm.
