Just as Penrith's Ice Palace became a casualty of the COVID pandemic with its final skate session on Wednesday June 29, Jerry Schwartz's Blue Mountains Ice Skating Rink is getting set to open at the Fairmont Resort.
Hotel mogul Dr Schwartz thought up the idea of an ice rink after his own children Dane, Lara and Amber discovered the sport on a family cruise.
And while the kids are now "in a horse phase" - hotel guests and the Mountains community will soon get to enjoy the winter wonderland all year round
Dr Schwarz's plans to council to build the $694,000 rink, measuring 26m by 20m, over the resort's upper lake was approved in March 2017. Later that year, a second development application increased the size by 50 per cent. In 2018, he gained approval for a $486,000 rink roof. The final cost of the rink is now about $4 million.
"We have worked around the clock to have it ready for school holidays," Dr Schwartz said, adding the Mountains will "love a new ice rink, especially since the one in Penrith just closed!"
"Our plan is still to open for hotel guests, on a lower key to test how well we operate this new venture, and then to open to the public in another month or so. There are some compliance issues which we need to overcome, and we are trying like mad to overcome these."
Those last minute compliance issues - one is a steep outside ramp - stopped the planned July 1 opening.
Ben Mellor, Fairmont Resort general manager, said on "June 28 consultants certifying the facility advised that an unexpected task would need to be completed that was previously advised as being unnecessary prior to opening. Projected opening date is in four to six weeks".
The 600 square metre rink is suspended over the existing lake. The rink can accommodate up to 200 guests and kids party rooms are at the side of the rink.
Blue Mountains Ice Skating Rink will operate seven days - Monday to Friday from noon to 8pm, Saturdays from 10am to 8pm and Sundays from 10am to 6pm. A family ticket is $85 with skate hire and 'penguins' (an assisted way to get around the rink) $8 each.
A Winter Sports World facility in Penrith is expected to open by 2026 and Mr Mellor said they will try to accommodate some teams who have lost their training facility.
"We will initially open to locals, guests, visitors, and figure skaters, then assess and start speaking with sporting teams."
"There's a big ice skating culture," he said, adding the engineering staff and others had been lining up for roles at the rink, including manning the Zamboni ice-clearing machine.