Live Wire Park director Luke Nisbet walks schools through the process of booking an excursion to the park, from initial enquiry to the last student boarding the bus home.
Live Wire Park is Australia’s newest elevated adventure park and is located on Victoria’s coast in Lorne (one kilometre from the Great Ocean Road). Each year, hundreds of school students walk through its gates on an outdoor excursion like no other.
Spread over 10 acres, the adventure park is home to the Shockwave ZipCoaster (Australia’s most extreme zipline), high ropes courses and a treetop canopy walk.
Established in 2018, the park’s close-knit team are passionate about delivering a unique outdoor experience for school groups, whilst recharging the human spirit and connecting people with nature.
Park director Mr Luke Nisbet heads-up the first completely off-grid elevated adventure park in Australia. Fuelled by solar power, with all water being collected, used and treated on site, Live Wire Park is a sustainable business. Its combination of sustainability and thrill-seeking makes it a desirable destination for many schools – and not just in Victoria.
“Most schools inquire about our activities via our website, where we ask them to add their details, including the number of participants, and their preferred date,” Mr Nisbet says.
“We then respond to each school with an in-depth email regarding all the activities, experiences and relevant information for a school booking. Schools are offered a 25 per cent discount off our advertised prices, with staff entering free of charge,” he says.
The email includes a three-minute video – which has notched up more than 28,000 views on YouTube – showcasing what Live Wire Park has to offer, as well as a detailed breakdown on activities in the park.
“We then arrange a date that suits the school and lock in their session time and activity. Most secondary schools book either the Super Circuit and Zip Coaster combination, or just the Super Circuit. We usually recommend the Short Circuit for primary school students,” Mr Nisbet says.
“Once this is locked in, we send out our risk assessment document, certificate of currency, indemnity and release waiver for parents or guardians to sign, and, if requested, our employees’ Working with Children Check (WWCC).”
Live Wire Park’s Risk Assessment document outlines the likelihood of potential risks such as a major or minor fall if tree support mechanisms fail, the severity of potential consequences such as lower leg injuries, as well as the controls in place to prevent accidents. Daily safety checks of the courses and equipment are completed before opening the park to customers.
“We also explain to schools our risk assessment in the event of a personal medical emergency, sprains and strains, cuts and abrasions, burns and lacerations, as well as environmental risks, such as extreme weather, or snake or insect bites,” Mr Nisbet says.
A First Aid kit is always available, and qualified arborists conduct quarterly checks on the trees in the park.
“All our staff are professionally trained in rescue procedures in case of emergency and have first aid qualifications,” he says.
Once a booking is confirmed, an invoice is sent to the teacher/school, requesting a 50 per cent deposit within two weeks of confirming the booking. The final balance is then due seven days before the school’s arrival at the park.
“Once the school arrives, usually via bus, one of our senior staff greets them in the carpark, directing the bus driver on where to park,” Mr Nisbet says.
“The students are then directed accordingly, based on the activity they have booked. I meet with the staff member in charge, collect the waivers signed by parents or guardians, and ask if any of their students have any medical concerns our staff need to be aware of, such as anaphylaxis, or diabetes for example.”
Following a safety briefing, once all students are harnessed, the staff get them started on their activity. While Live Wire Park doesn’t conduct any formal follow-ups following a school excursion, Mr Nisbet says it does have a high rate of schools rebooking for following years.
For more information, visit livewirepark.com.au.
