Part 2: Tallebudgera recreation centre doesn't skip a beat
Planning for the Australian bid to host the 2004 World Rope Skipping Championships began in late 2002.
One of the first decisions made was to secure the Tallebudgera Outdoor Recreation Centre as the venue for the championships.
Why did the organisers choose the Tallebudgera Outdoor Recreation Centre?
How did Sport and Recreation staff support the staging of the event?
What did the event involve?
What kind of facility is the Tallebudgera Outdoor Recreation Centre?
What did the redevelopment of the Tallebudgera Outdoor Recreation Centre involve?
What were the main benefits that came from hosting the event on the Gold Coast?
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Why did the organisers choose the Tallebudgera Outdoor Recreation Centre?
Like thousands of Queenslanders, Jan Somers, the president of the Australian Rope Skipping Association, knew the Tallebudgera Outdoor Recreation Centre from attending camps there in her youth. After looking at numerous other locations throughout Australia, the association could simply not go past Tallebudgera on the basis of its high standards and the fact that the accommodation, dining, training and competition facilities were in such close proximity. The fact that the centre had successfully hosted the Queensland Open Skipping Championships earlier in 2002 confirmed it as the preferred location for the international event.
How did Sport and Recreation staff support the staging of the event?
Departmental staff assisted organisers in a range of ways. Not only did they work to ensure the new accommodation and facilities were completed in time for the championships, they also provided advice in relation to the allocation of the accommodation blocks and leisure activities for the visitors to enjoy when they were not competing. The majority of planning meetings were held onsite at the Tallebudgera Outdoor Recreation Centre, with staff playing an active role in the proceedings. One key area that staff assisted with was the development of a menu to cater for the varied tastes of participants from around the world.
What did the event involve?
The 2004 World Rope Skipping Championships involved close to 400 participants and well over 200 officials, administrators and supporters from around the world. Countries represented at the event included Denmark, Hungary, Germany, Sweden, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, Belgium and the Netherlands. The competition, incorporating individual and group events, was held in conjunction with the Gold Coast International Rope Skipping Championships for under-15s.
What kind of facility is the Tallebudgera Outdoor Recreation Centre?
The Tallebudgera Outdoor Recreation Centre has been an icon on the Gold Coast since its beginnings as a rest and recreation camp for service personnel during World War II. Located right on the beach at the mouth of Tallebudgera Creek, the centre helped generations of young Queenslanders to discover the benefits of participating in sport and active recreation. The centre now offers group accommodation (with in-house catering) for up to 420 people as well as a range of indoor and outdoor sport and recreation facilities and activities.
School groups, clubs and community organisations are among those who regularly take advantage of the leadership, learning, team building, sports training and other physical activity programs that the centre offers.
What did the redevelopment of the Tallebudgera Outdoor Recreation Centre involve?
The $18 million redevelopment of the Tallebudgera Outdoor Recreation Centre was undertaken in three stages. The first stage involved the construction of the Tallebudgera Leisure Centre, which includes a fully-equipped gymnasium, three multipurpose courts, a 'bouldering' room (for rock climbing), squash and table tennis courts as well as meeting and conference rooms. Stages two and three involved the construction of new accommodation blocks, a central dining hall with a commercial kitchen, an administration centre and new sport and recreation facilities.
What were the main benefits that came from hosting the event on the Gold Coast?
The 2004 World Rope Skipping Championships provided a range of benefits to both the rope skipping fraternity and the Gold Coast community. The championships have been widely described as the 'best ever', largely as a result of the ideal facilities and location of the Tallebudgera Outdoor Recreation Centre. Many participants and their families took the opportunity to extend their visit beyond the duration of the championships, providing significant economic benefits to local businesses and tourism operators. The event organisers, the recreation centre and the wider Gold Coast community benefited from the significant television and press coverage that the event generated.
Want more information?
For more information about the Queensland Government's outdoor recreation centres click here or contact the Department of Communities
Additional information about the World Rope Skipping Championships (and rope skipping in general) is available on the Skipping Australia.