Jamberoo Action Park guide for families staying in Kiama

Know the park before you go

Jamberoo Action Park sits in the hills behind Jamberoo village, with the Illawarra escarpment behind it. The park calls itself NSW's largest family-owned and operated water theme park. Destination Kiama lists thrill rides and slides, lazy rivers, wave pools, mini golf and refreshments, and opens it from September to April.

The chairlift is one of its oldest rides, installed for the Australian Grass Skiing Championships in 1980. Today the park is a full day out with big tube slides, a wave pool, a raft river, two bobsled tracks, a mini golf course and separate splash areas for small children. One ticket covers every ride and attraction.

This guide covers:

• open days, hours and ticket prices for the 2026-27 season
• the rides, with height and weight rules
• what little kids can do
• food, BBQs, huts and lockers
• getting there from Kiama
• tips for a smoother day, and what to pair it with

Check the open days and ticket prices

The park doesn't open every day, so check the open hours calendar before you plan around it. It opens Friday to Sunday through October, 10am to 5pm. Tickets for the 2026-27 season are valid on any open day from 26 September 2026 to 26 April 2027, and the park says it is open more than 140 days this season.

These are the park's published 2026-27 prices. Check before you go, as they can change.

Before you buy:

• E-tickets aren't dated: you can use them on any single open day of the season, and they get priority entry. Online orders carry a $4.95 processing fee per transaction.
• Bundles save more for big groups: buy 20 or more tickets and you save 27% on the adult gate price. Bundle tickets can be split across different days.
• Seniors Days: on marked days, seniors can buy gate tickets for $25.
• Ticket protection is ticked by default: standard tickets are not refunded for bad weather, so read the terms and decide whether you want it.
• Under-14s need a grown-up: guests under 14 must be with someone 16 or older, and guests entering without a grown-up must show ID.

For an adult, the Season Pass costs less than three online tickets. It also adds 10% off in-park food and shopping and entry to six Dive-In Movies over the summer holidays.

Pick your rides and check the height rules

The big rides cluster around the hillside, and most have a minimum height. Measure the kids at home so nobody is disappointed at the top of the stairs. These are the limits the park lists on each ride page:

On the bobsled you control the speed. The park suggests starting on the Green Track, then moving to the faster Blue Track. Riders on the three raft rides need at least two people per tube, so pair up before you queue.

Full rules, including advice for pregnancy and medical conditions, are in the park's Rider Safety Guidelines.

Let the little ones splash in their own areas

Children under the 100 cm mark still have plenty to do, and the park has set aside areas just for them. All need adult supervision.

• Billabong Beach: shallow pools, mini water slides and squirting critters like Charlie the Croc, with the Settlers Shack play structure in the middle and rubber flooring underfoot. The park aims it at kids 10 and under.
• Kiddies Cove: shaded shallows beside the wave pool, with a mini tall ship, the SS Jamberoo, for under-10s.
• Mushroom Pool: a small slide, shallow water and two giant mushrooms pouring water from above.
• Banjo's Billabong: a four-storey play structure with slides, bridges, water cannons and a giant tipping bucket. Kids need to be over 100 cm.

Toddlers and anyone in nappies must wear approved waterproof swim nappies or pants over their swimwear. If you want a shady base near the kids' area, the park hires Billabong Beach Shacks for up to six people from $115.

Bring lunch or buy it in the park

You can bring your own food and drink into the picnic areas and shelters. Glass (including jars), knives and alcohol are not allowed anywhere in the park, and portable BBQs are banned. There are coin-operated BBQs in the picnic area, or you can hire a gas BBQ for $50, delivered to your spot with the gas bottle. Book at least 24 hours ahead.

If you'd rather buy lunch, the park lists:

• Bombora Seafood: fish and chips, calamari and burgers
• Bombora Cafe: wraps, sandwiches, salads, cakes, churros and coffee
• Burger Barn: burgers and meal deals
• Splash Snacks: pies, sausage rolls, hot dogs and fairy floss
• Bombora Scoop: ice cream
• Picnic Pizza: personal pizzas on busier days

Most outlets take online orders, which saves queuing at lunchtime. Outlet hours change with the season and crowds.

Book a hut, a locker or a fast pass

A shelter gives your group a base for the day. Bookings are first come, first served and must be paid in advance, up to the day before. Any hut that isn't reserved is free to use on the day if you get there first. The park lists these prices for groups of up to 50 seated:

• Bayview Huts: near the wave pool and entrance, $569 in November and December, $345 at other times
• BBQ Huts: with their own coin-operated BBQs, $569 in November and December, $345 at other times
• Taipan Huts: quieter, on the northern side, $229 in November and December, $175 at other times
• Picnic Shelters: at the front of the picnic area, $345 in November and December, $175 at other times
• Velocity Falls Cabanas: private cabanas for up to 10 with a fridge, TV and safe, $195 to $285 depending on the season

Day lockers use a pin and you can open them as often as you like. Small lockers are $12 a day and large ones $17 at the park, or $15 if you buy online. Lockers sit near Bombora Seafood, the Bombora Pavilion, Splash Snacks, the picnic area, Billabong Beach, Banjo's Billabong and Kiddies Cove by Outback Bay.

On busy days the park sometimes runs a Fast Pass train that stops at the big rides, the chairlift and the Bombora food area. It only runs when demand is high and spaces are limited, so buy it with your tickets if you want it.

Drive from Kiama Ridge Waters in 19 minutes

The park is about a 19-minute drive (15.7 km) from the apartments, heading inland through Jamberoo village. Parking is free, with thousands of spaces close to the gates and mobility-sticker spaces next to the main entrance. If you're coming by train, the park is about a 16-minute drive (13.9 km) from Kiama station.

Public transport is limited. Destination Kiama says Kiama Coachlines runs to Jamberoo on weekdays only, and in October the park opens Friday to Sunday only, so a car is the easy option. From Sydney, Kiama is about 1 hour 45 minutes (134 km) by car. Our Sydney to Kiama guide covers the drive and the train.

The park is set into the side of a mountain, so expect hills. Pathways are undulating, though there are ramps and accessible amenities. Ask at the Souvenir Shop by the entrance if you need help.

Plan the day to beat the queues

The park's own tips, plus a few from us:

• Do the chairlift and bobsled early. Everyone tries to fit them in before they leave, so the queue builds late in the day.
• Dodge the peaks on the big four. Funnel Web, The Perfect Storm, Octo Racer and The Stinger are busiest late morning and mid-afternoon. Eat then and ride outside those times.
• Don't write off a grey day. The park opens rain or shine and every ride except the bobsled keeps running in the rain. Storms pause the rides, and wind can stop the chairlift. There are no refunds for bad weather.
• Wear water shoes. Reef walkers are allowed on every ride, and the Surf Shack sells them, along with sunscreen, hats and towels.
• Swimwear only. Boardshorts, trunks, one-pieces and bikinis are fine. Underwear isn't. Glasses aren't allowed on most water rides, but contact lenses are.
• Pack for the bobsled. Bring a dry T-shirt, shorts and thongs or sandals for the chairlift and bobsled.

The park is smoke-free apart from one designated area behind the BBQ huts. For more ideas on the days the park is closed, see things to do in Kiama with kids and rainy day things to do in Kiama.

Stop for a meal at the Jamberoo Pub

The Jamberoo Pub at 12 Allowrie Street is about 5 minutes (4.3 km) down the hill from the park, on the way back to Kiama. It has a bistro that uses local producers where it can, regular live music and the Johnny Warren Museum, a room of photos and football memorabilia about the former Socceroo and SBS commentator. From the pub, the apartments are about a 13-minute drive (12.3 km).

Our Jamberoo village guide covers the rest of the village, and Kiama pubs lists options closer to the apartments.

Pair the park with Minnamurra Rainforest

Minnamurra Rainforest in Budderoo National Park is about a 13-minute drive (8.5 km) from the park. NSW National Parks lists these details:

• Gates: 9am to 5pm daily
• Rainforest Centre: 9am to 4pm daily, closed Christmas Day
• Entry: $12 per vehicle per day
• Minnamurra Falls walk: 4.2 km return, last access 3pm

Destination Kiama describes an accessible loop track through the rainforest and a longer walk up to the falls, with lyrebirds and water dragons to look out for. A rainforest morning followed by an afternoon at the park works well on an open day. NSW National Parks suggests avoiding the 11am to 2pm peak, as the centre can close at short notice when the car park fills. The national park can also close for bad weather or fire danger, so check the Budderoo local alerts first. See our Minnamurra Rainforest guide for more.

Stay close to Jamberoo at Kiama Ridge Waters

Kiama Ridge Waters is a short drive from the park, on the quiet southern side of Kiama at 2 Surfleet Place. Pack the picnic in your own full kitchen in the morning, and put the wet towels through the washer and dryer when you get back. Every apartment has three bedrooms and two bathrooms for up to six guests, plus secure parking for two cars. Check-in is from 3pm and check-out by 10am.

After a day of slides, Easts Beach is a 15-minute walk from the door. If another family is coming too, book apartments together on the same site at 2 Surfleet Place. Most of our apartments take pets on request, for a $200 cleaning fee. See family accommodation in Kiama, compare the three-bedroom apartments, or check availability.