Aotea Square Ice Rink opens to the public from today.
This year, the addition of twin 35m multi-level ice slides, which sliders ride down in inflatable tubes, will mean that both fun seekers and leisure skaters are catered for.
The rink will be open from 10am in school holidays and12pm at other times, to 10pm, seven days a week.
It is fully covered so Aucklanders and visitors to the city can skate in any weather.
At night, when the lights come on, Aotea Square joins New York's Central Park, London's Somerset House, Vienna's Rathaus - and, of course, the courtyard of Queen Elsa's Arendelle kingdom in Frozen - in giving city dwellers a truly delightful winter wonderland experience.
For littlies, the Kids Zone gives beginner skaters a chance to find their feet in a smaller, enclosed area, before they graduate to the main rink. Helmets are available free of charge and skating frames are available for hire.
The ice rink, owned and operated by Paradice Ice Skating, also offers a fun-filled programme of special events and themed weekends, including a DJ on Ice every Friday night, Student Skate Nights every Tuesday, a K' Pop night Wednesday evenings, ice hockey and competitive skating demos, and a Frozen party for young Disney fans. The full schedule is here.
The event is hugely popular with over 20,000 people attending every year. In 2014 we built New Zealand's first real ice slide and with lines out the door we are bringing a new larger one this year to cope with demand!
Aotea Square Ice Rink will open Thursday 11 June and close after a final weekend Best of the Rink Finale on Sunday 19 July.
