Dig It Tamborine Mountain is Queensland’s first mini excavator park for kids big and small! Here, you will sit in the drivers seat of real excavator machinery and participate in construction-inspired activities. It’s fully instructed fun for kids and their parents too! You don’t need any experience, just a willingness to give it a go.
Dig It is split into four zones, with each zone having 3 mini excavators (aside from the RC Zone). After listening to your safety briefing, you’ll be split into four groups, each with about 9 participants. Each group heads to a different zone and you’ll rotate around the four zones during your 2-hour session. At each zone, 3 participants will be on machinery at a time, getting four minutes to do the challenge before switching to the next 3 participants. It works out that everyone gets one turn per zone, with the possibility of a second turn depending on how quickly the participants switch over. After all four zones have been completed, you’ll get some extra time to head to a zone that you want to revisit. This is ‘generally’ what you can expect, but as with anything – it is all dependent on how quickly people move. Delays moving between zones or if you’re not listening and ready for your turn can mean that time runs out for second turns. You will definitely get one turn at everything, and if an opportunity to go a second time comes your way – jump on it!
Here is an overview of what you can expect in the four zones:
- The Dig Zone – get trained on a 1.7 tonne excavator, digging in the earth.
- The Demolition Zone – the challenge is to use the wrecking ball to knock over the Dig IT towers with a BANG.
- The Croc Zone – on a 1.7 tone excavator, using precision our diggers will be trying to hook a croc!
- The RC Zone – using state of the art remote control machines like dozers, dump trucks, excavators and rear loaders the kids will get to use machines, just like on the work site.
My boys are aged 5 and 2, which meant the 5 year old could participate on his own, and the 2 year old was on the lap. Children aged over 5yrs can operate the machinery solo, and may have a parent supervisor if required. The parent supervisor will stand on a special platform beside the machinery but you are not in any circumstances allowed to touch the machinery – your job is to talk to them and give verbal guidance if needed.
Overall, we had an absolute blast and you couldn’t wipe the smiles off the kids faces. It only opened last week, yet there were very few hiccups or early problems that you might expect from a new operation. Be mindful that there is a bit of waiting around between turns – my 5yo had no problems with this, but the 2yo did get restless. As the participants are completing challenges, it was fun to watch everyone have their turn and everyone was chatting about the best way to tackle their turn. There is a large sandpit in the middle of everything which has toy trucks and diggers and is open to be used at any time during your session. This was a great way for the 2yo to burn off some energy and boredom between his turns. I’d definitely recommend taking 2 adults with you if you have 2 children.
Need to know
Cost: Tickets are $45 per participant, an adult with a child on lap is classed as one participant. Sessions run for two hours and are offered at different times of the day. Bookings are essential.
Location: Dig It, Thunderbird Park, Tamborine Mountain Road, Tamborine Mountain
