City Slider shuts off Belconnen street as people slide away the heat

Cohen Street was transformed into a three-block long, two-lane City Slider on the first weekend of summer, with thousands of people grabbing their swimmers and taking respite from the heat.

The string of warm, sunny weather continued into Saturday, giving sliders plenty of motivation to try out the 325 metre slide.

Several of the six sessions sold out, with the greatest demand coming in during the early afternoon. The slide ran until 8.30pm, finishing with a special disco-light themed session.

For younger children who weren't quite ready to take on the larger slider, a free, slower 25 metre slide was available on a side street.

Community groups took advantage of the event, setting up sausage sizzles and other pop-up stalls along the length of the slide.

The City Slider moves from town to town across Australia during the warmer months.

The day usually brings huge crowds, though council regulations and a lack of suitable sites have prevented the City Slider from visiting places like Brisbane and Coffs Harbour.

Co-founder Sam Harris said the idea of setting up a massive water slide in the middle of the Belconnen town centre took a while for people to absorb.

"If you tell someone you want to set up a 325 metre water slide in the middle of the city, they think you are crazy," he said.

"We want the whole city to have a good time, we want to create a huge, family friendly street party with a 325 metre water slide as the centrepiece."

While children, teenagers and young adults made up the bulk of the sliders, the slide was open to anyone willing to have a go.

The slide will next move on to Sydney's Hills District on December 27, before heading south to Wollongong in the new year.