An adrenaline rush at Heatherton world of activities

Robert, aged 12, writes:

I loved our Wales holiday and my favourite part of it was going to Heatherton World of Activities. There were so many fun things to do and we tried to cram in as many as possible.

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Firstly I tried Walking on Water (zorbing), which turned out to be one of the most exciting and cool, yet tiring things at Heatherton. After a long queue (this was a very popular activity), I got into a massive bubble that a staff-member filled with air. They then zipped me up inside and I was ready to go, so I rolled onto the water. For the next five-ish minutes I tried to stand up and walk about. Unfortunately I was in a spherical bubble on a pool of water which resulted in me falling down. It was hilarious and fun but also a hard challenge: to try and stand up for as long as possible. Personally, it was one of the best activities I’ve done all year and I didn’t want it to end.

[caption id="attachment_3960" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Robert loved zorbing![/caption]

Next I had a go on Bumper Boats. This was like dodgems just on water. You travelled round in a circuit, controlling your vehicle and crashing into anyone who got close. I loved twisting the steering wheel to one side and spinning around in circles. I enjoyed Bumper Boats but it did get quite boring after a few laps, I would recommend this for younger kids.

[caption id="attachment_3961" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Sarah was dreadful at the laser clay shooting![/caption]

After that, Mum and I had a go at Laser Clays. This is when a staff-member shoots a Frisbee in the air and you have to try and shoot them with a laser gun. It was awesome. There were three rounds, all with different ways of scoring points. Although I was shooting aimlessly most of the time, surprisingly I did quite well. I can’t say the same about Mum though! Laser Clays barely ever had a queue and I would recommend going as it was quick and fun.

After lunch I went on the Tree Tops Trail, tree climbing that lasted around two and a half hours. I went on the Adult extreme trail that consisted of four courses, the power fan and a bonus zip-wire. After learning how to stay safe and use our harness we went through the practice course before starting the big ones. There were times when you walked across a balance beam, swung on ropes and went through tunnels as well as times when you had to walk backwards, catapult yourself forward and jump from plank to plank. It was incredible. Sometimes you had a choice of which way to go, there were signs saying Easy, Difficult or Super Difficult, I always went the hardest way. Each course ended with a zip-wire, each one being longer than the last.

After the three courses in the woods, our small group (of three) travelled back into the heart of Heatherton for the highest course yet. This involved a giant Tarzan swing, two tunnels and see-saw planks. After the zip-wire we travelled back to the wooden structure and this time had a go on the power fan, also known as a 13m drop. It wasn’t scary or very fast so you should try it even if you don’t like heights. We then went back up again for the finale, a massive 165m zip-wire which was great. The whole thing was thrilling throughout and was probably the highlight of my holiday.

Next dad and I had a go at water wars. You could trade in a token for 10 water balloons, we got 20 but others had loads. Then, when it was your turn you filled them up with water from the taps and went into your own firing station. Dad and I both had 10 balloons which we tried to catapult at each other. You had to get the balloons to go through a hole in your station and then through another in your opponent’s station so sometimes you would end up hitting a wall and soaking yourself. Dad had a great aim and got nearly all of his balloons on target. I didn’t do as well and dad got off completely dry. I had a fantastic time and you don’t get very wet.

We then had a go at baseball/softball. I tried the latter. Firstly we put on a helmet and gloves then picked up a bat. A staff-member came along and turned the machine on which then started chucking balls at us which we tried to hit. It was fun although the helmets were far too big and sometimes covered our eyes.

I went on the giant pillows next which were massive trampolines. I didn’t enjoy them though as they were hard and not very bouncy.

The maze at Heatherton was one of the best mazes I’ve ever been in. This maze was made from 5,500 beech trees and was super difficult. As well as the classic dead-ends and break-off paths there were also one-way doors. This meant that if you went through and realised you had com the wrong way you could not turn back. Also there were question boards where each answer pointed to a different direction; this made it even more fun. I loved the maze and it felt great to get to the middle.

Finally we tried Pirates of the Caribbean Crazy Golf. There were 18 holes, all being quite difficult full of bunkers, rocks and pools of water. It was really fun but quite frustrating!

Overall I loved Heatherton. There were loads of things that we didn’t try but what we did try was great. Around Heatherton there were loads of quick activities that cost no tokens, like giant draughts or snakes and ladders. I would recommend this for all ages as there were so many things for young kids as well as loads of things for teenagers. I loved going to Heatherton.

Disclosure: Heatherton is free to enter, and you take part in activities by using credits (for example, the laser clays and zorbs cost one credit each and the adventure golf costs two each). You can buy books of credits or top up passes. We were given a family book of credits to use while we were there, as well as a complimentary session of the Treetops Adventure Trail, which costs £27.50 and is for people aged 10 years upwards.There is also a junior course.

Heatherton is situated near Tenby (where we ate a delicious supper afterwards!) - you can call on 01646 652000.

There's loads to do in Pembrokeshire - read about our trip to Pembroke Castle and see Visit Pembrokeshire for more information too.