Jobe

Yeah get what you are saying. However, its still a major missed opportunity for mine for the major rides. Boomerang for the shuttle coaster is so generically bland and bad that its laughable that so little effort went itnto it. This ride could easily have been called the Wild Cat, hearkening back to the earlier Schwarzkopf travelling unit that replaced the Wild Mouse. Calling it the Wild Cat would link it to the Wild Mouse and provide a synergy between the 2 coasters, whilst at the same time reviving a Luna Park name from the past to good effect. Naming the family shuttle as the Wild Cat is entirely feasible IMHO. Similarly , whilst I don not mind the name of Sledgehammer for the Zamperla 360 Discovery Pendulum ride, it also could have easily been named the Flying Saucer. Again, a lost opportunity for mine. But as you say, these are minor quibbles!!

Yeah nice find but nothing really new here. Its been confirmed that the Zamperla Discovery is the 360 Model virtually since it was announced. The other ride names I posted from the Lipman website earlier in the other Luna Park thread. The only new thing is the confirmation of the family coaster name as Boomerang. Have to say, aside from the Little Nipper, the other names are fairly ho hum. I would have thought that they would have gone with some names from classic LPS attractions of the past, just as @19Michael96 suggested earlier. Definitely support the naming of the family coaster as Wild Cat and the Sledgehammer as the Flying Saucer!! That would have been a great nod to the past!! Ah well small gripes but important ones nonetheless!

Yeah I dont feel that Jamberoo needs to go down that route. They need to consolidate on their water park offerings first- let them grow organically without having to introduce expensive dry rides in what is very much a seasonal park. The very nature of what Jamberoo has become and its location means that any plans for the park are very much focused on their water slide additions. That means that they will always be a seasonal park- any attempt to offer more attractions that could be year round would be expensive and utimately take away from any water park expansion. Remember this park isnt owned by a big multi national , its a family owned park and that means they have to be quite strategic in their new offerings. The closest I would like to see them introduce is an Alpine Coaster- the cross between a toboggan and a proper coaster. Jamberoo has certainly looked at installing one of these and there has even been a DA submitted but the park seems to have put plans for one on hold. This would give the park something unique and also flesh out their attractions. Lets hope they get one sooner rather than later!! Whilst we have known about Grand Gorge Falls for some time lets not forget that as part of this plan is also to be installed a small kiddies area called Koala Kove-an interactive waterplay zone with wet deck for children and toddlers. This will be specifically a mini Banjo's Billabong for the littlies and will be the third such area Jamberoo will have for toddlers, giving it a specific charm and making it very family friendly. Koala Kove will be located just in front of the Grand Gorge Falls, replacing the existing small toddlers pools and Log Pool attraction. As for the annoucement of Splash Out retiring, I visited the park on Saturday with a group of 10 families-( approximately 45 people) . Despite the poor weather ( it was very overcast but luckily not heavy rain) there was surprisingly quite a lot of people at the park- there were several large parties that all seemed to come at once. The toboggans were closed of course due to the rain but the chairlift still ran , giving riders a great view up and back down the mountain of the beautiful South Coast and Illawarra area. The attendant at the Splash Out told me that the slides were being retired this month and that the new Grand Gorge was taking its place in time for next season. He was quite chatty about it so it was great to have his open input. Upon leaving the park , given that its the park's 40th anniversary, they had a small homage to their past with restored examples of one of the Go karts that used to ply the track where the wave pool is now and also one of the Skooter Boats that was in the nearby pond. I never saw the park when these attractions were in place , but its great to see a park respect its history like this. Brilliant! Of course lets not forget that Jamberoo has had solid plans for expansion for over 15 years now. Below is concept artwork of what at the time was expected to go ahead. There have been several changes to these concepts already ( starting with the Perfect Storm ) , but I sincerely hope that we see the majority of these come to fruition- especially the Action River that encapsulates the entire area. Given that the Grand Gorge Falls is in an area entirely out of the scope of this concept art, it would appear that the plans for Jamberoo moving forward are highly fluid and not set into stone. If Jamberoo were to implement the offerings as per below WITH the Grand Gorge Falls, then it would clearly move ahead of its competition to evolving into the best water park in Australia.

It was from the Lipmam website, which I posted earlier. It clearly states that ride components willl arrive mid March.

Not really- here is the quote from AlexB. AlexB has heard whispers- nothing concrete- about Parques Reunidos exploring the options of adding a second gate to Raging Waters- ostensibly a theme park to complement the exisiting water park. I have heard the same rumours but of course thats all they are at this stage. But they certainly come from reputable sources and of course, where there is smoke there is fire.

This. ☝️ Anyone who thinks that Sydney cannot sustain a theme park simply does not understand the Sydney area or market or cannot look deeper than a superficial level. AlexB is 100% spot on here. To summarise and completely dispell this myth before it is perpetuated further- Luna Park has survived deathly fires , resident opposition and developer coveting to transforming and evolving in its 85th year of operation with a $30 million dollar expansion. Confidence for the park has never been higher and only Luna Park Melbourne has operated longer in Australia. Wonderland Sydney successfully traded for 19 years and was a tourist magnet for locals and internationals alike. If not for the decision of then owners Sunway in deciding that the land was worth more to them that the amusement park, this would still be operating and thriving today, especially considering its location next to the major freeway that was built after its demise- another factor in why it was sold in the first place. 19 years in operation should not be seen as a failure at any rate and as an example that the Sydney region CAN sustain a large theme park. WNW Sydney promised so much on its announcement but failed to deliver on the original plans. Despite that setback and despite the numerous management and operations issues that plagued its early years, the park still proved quite popular. As AlexB has expertly expounded upon, Parques Reunidos would not have bought the park if they did not see potential in the market or the region. Fingers crossed that once COVID is done and dusted and normality returns, the whispers of Parques Reunidos having plans for a second gate come to fruition. If that occurs then this will give Sydney a much needed large theme park backed and onboarded by an already exisiting large succesful water park- this will be second only to Dreamworld in Australia in being able to offer this at one location. Luna Parks announcement of a $30 million dollar expansion- one of the biggest single park expansions in Australia in recent memory-should only boost confidence in Sydney as an amusement park destination and add fuel to the fire for any case of Parques Reunidos adding a second gate.

Wonderland opened in 1985 and LPS reopened in the aftermath of the Ghost Train fire in 1983. There was no void and both parks coexisted in the 80's until LPS shut down for renovations until reopening in 1995. I get what you are saying though. I have no doubt that if the Big Dipper, the River Caves and Ghost Train had survived then they would now be heritage listed. However, the events of Luna Park Melbourne in the 80's are a cautionary tale and could have been replicated at LPS for the same reasons. In the aftermath of the Giggle Palace fire , the River Caves at LPM were deemed a fire hazard and were removed as a result. The Big Dipper was also pulled down in 1989 , even with a interim heritage order being placed on it. Luckily the 1935 Ghost Train/Pretzel ride survived and is now under heritage protection and one of the few remaining rides of that era left in the world. These events could easily have happened in the 80's to LPS , especially since amusement park history and preservation were almost unheard of, especially in this country. The loss of the Big Dipper , River Caves and the Ghost Train is a huge loss to the fabric of the park. However, we now have a brand new, $30 million dollar investment to look forward to, that will propel LPS into the future for many decades to come. LPS will now be a fine mix of heritage , nods to the past and brand new attractions. The park that really should not have survived the many roadblocks of the past now has outlived and out shone its nearest competition to become a true Sydney icon.

Yea. I certainly did. Have another read! . 👍 Also, from where did you draw the conclusion of the park getting a Kanga bounce? All the new rides had been accounted for from the renderings from the park.

Fantastic pics- just look at that first drop!! Oh my!!

Here is a link to the Lipman website and specifically the Luna Park upgrade. https://lipman.com.au/project/luna-park-sydney-upgrade/ There is not a lot of info on the page but there is some new info and some clarification that can be gleaned. Firstly, the value of works that Lipman are actioning over the total contract are worth $8.35 million. Secondly, there is a new , never before seen graphic, showing the plans for the Gerstlauer family shuttle coaster. Unfortunately, no name for this attraction can be seen attributed as yet .Around the Gerstlauer Shuttle coaster, several other attractions are clearly defined and can be seen clearly named, including The Balloon ride situated in the middle of the overbanked turn of the family coaster will be called Cloud 9 The little kiddie coaster has the great name of the Little Nipper. The kids Ferris Wheel attraction will be called Bug, hinting as to the theme and perhaps the carriages of the ride. The swinging Zamperla Discovery is confirmed as being named Sledgehammer. The kiddies drop tower is to be called Loopy Lighthouse The info on the other graphic also conveys that the first ride containers are due in mid march, as Lipmans move onto the site and prepare the ground in earnest for the construction. Lastly, as we know, the delivery of the project will be delivered in 2 stages. The first will be completed by the end of June and the final stage is to deliver that of the Big Dipper 3.0 opening by end of December 2021. Lipman will also be constructing the Big Dipper as well. Now whether or not the names for these attractions stay as they are reported here is open to speculation, but its a fair bet that this will be close to the final and confirmed names for the attractions shown. Cannnot wait to see the building progress and reach vertical stages. Very exciting times!

Bit of further info for the board members who are interested. The building firm who are doing the major works at Luna Park Sydney are Lipmans. Lipmans also were the main firm used in the construction of Wet 'N'Wild Sydney so they certainly have former experience. The work on the site will start in earnest from today ( Monday the 1st February). Luna Park are also setting up time lapse cameras on the construction site and are planning on sharing new footage monthly. Onwards and upwards!!

70 people pay $50 is $3500. That would not cut it- 100 people paying $50 would equal the $5000 fine. Its the simplest of math. You should work on that. In the grand scheme of things, I think this is a minor blip in the radar. Its not a good look now of course but it appears that that the fine was for NOT adhereing to social distancing rather than their lack of COVID plan- with the NYE fireworks and congregation this let them down. It should have been better managed and with the focus on a lack of people at the harbour by the media this gathering was always going to bring attention. The park will shut down on the 27th January to begin refurbishment- this will be hardly remembered amongst the hoopla of reopening in June. Simple mistake but not a chronic one.

Luna Park has been hit with a $5000 fine for breaching COVID Restrictions on New Years Eve. The report is below: https://7news.com.au/lifestyle/health-wellbeing/sydneys-luna-park-cops-covid-fine-for-nye-c-1948906?fbclid=IwAR1agjohTzqixm6CYsVOVy-jF9FMbBcSEuC23dsKVWbMzcQzgOL2nCX0c7Y

Thanks for the trip report!! I love Toboggan rides - they are a great family attraction. I have never been to Corin Forest before and would dearly like to visit- the ride looks like it is one of the best examples of toboggans in Australia. Here is a few more facts that i posted in the Facebook site Lost Amusement Parks of Sydney and NSW . These cover all the NSW installations - I know and have been on the one at Funfields. I also am aware that Gumbuya World also used to have a toboggan installation but was removed prior to the refurb and relaunch of the park. There are calls for the park to reintroduce this back into the attraction lineup. Funfields- 1 slide uphill tow 400 metres- 700km in length. Are there any more in existence in Australia? It seems odd that NSW appears to have the lion's share of the rides in this country. Here are POV for each of these slides. Of course the Big Banana has just annouced the introduction of an Alpine Coaster to their park- this will hopefully be installed by 2023. These are the natural progression the the Toboggan units and I am surprised that Australia has not seen the installation of one of these before now. Jamberoo was also reported to have been looking at installing an Alpine Slide and even submitted a DA for it, however , the project for this has been delayed and deferred with not projected timeline on installation. The Big Banana plans to call their unit "The Plantation Coaster" and this will occupy the space round the existing banana plantation. The only released graphic so far is below and shows the course and intended site for this installation. The Jamberoo Alpine coaster , as stated , got to the planning and DA stage and would have looked like the below if it had gone ahead. The proposed Alpine Coaster is in red with the 2 Toboggan slides in blue. Yellow inidcates the Chairlift that takes you to the summit for the toboggan ride- something unique in Australia.

Small update on the expansion plans for the Big Banana. There has been another article in the Coffs Coast Advocate and its affiliate papers,but unfortunately it is behind a paywall at this stage. When I can get access to the article I will post it here. However, the little snippet that we can see shows that the new raft ride will be open and built by as early as October this year. There are also the first pictures which accompany the article and they show the graphic for the new slides to be installed next to the existing slide tower. And more importantly, we have confirmation that the Plantation Coaster will indeed be Australia's first installation of an Alpine Coaster- which by itself is quite exciting. The accompanying pictures with the article are attached below: Great to see this project powering ahead!!

Agree 100% here. What is extremely gratifying is that, despite the pandemic, the level of local investment in the industry in Australia is so healthy right now. When you look at the big investments on the Gold Coast with SeaWorld and Dreamworld plus the Aussie World expansion, the $30 million dollar LPS investment that came right out of left field, the earlier Jamberoo additions and now this announcement, its great to see our amusement industry bouncing back from what has been a frightful year. All we need now is a major announcement for Luna Park Melbourne, for the Melbourne trio of parks of Funfields, Gumbayuh World and Adventure Park plus another announcement for Adventure World in Perth to really shake the foundations! And the way things are progressing in the current landscape, it would not be unfeasible to think that one of these parks will also add to the growing list of parks in Australia with major expansion plans. Good for amusement parks Australia, good for confidence within the industry and good continued overses recognition , of which, thanks to the Dreamworld/SeaWorld/LPS announcements, has never been higher. Who knows what the next 12 months will bring for the amusement park industry of Australia?

With the rush of Christmas and other announcements , this one flew under the radar. The Big Banana in Coffs Harbour has revealed plans for a $50 million dollar expansion to be timelined over the next 20 years. The article states; Another article regarding the expansion is here: This is fantastic news for the Mid North Coast destination and shows particular faith in the region by the developer and owner, especially since the Coffs Centre is due to be bypassed and completed by 2024. The attractions that are laid out here add to the already existing attractions. Of particular importance here is of course the Water Park expansion- which is sorely needed. This will add to an already extremely popular attraction and in my personal opinion , should be the main thrust of the park in regards to any expansion. The Plantation Roller Coaster I suspect ( and fingers crossed) will most likely be Australia's first Alpine coaster installation. If this proves to be correct then this will certainly lift the status of the park to a must do destination for those travelling between Sydney and the Gold Coast. Coupled with its already exisiting Toboggan slide , this will add a good variety of attractions for the entire family and will certainly warrant a visit on the way up or down from the Gold Coast or even for a getaway by itself. The Coffs Region has plenty of natural beauty and interests to offer ( such as White Water Rafting on the nearby Nymboida River) and will stand on its own in the amusement park landscape of Australia. Looking forward to hearing and seeing these plans in greater depth and as they unfold. https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/7067929/big-banana-20-year-master-plan-revealed-as-canberra-based-owners-receive-50m-investment/#:~:text=brewery and restaurant.-,Beyond 202 https://www.ausleisure.com.au/news/20-year-expansion-plan-announced-for-coffs-harbours-the-big-banana/

I am pretty sure that there is a plan of works for overall upgrades to themeing and buildings within the precinct. The place will be shut for 6 months- you can bet they will use this time to renew everything while they have the best opportunity they can. @StingRay is 100% right here. The carnivale is a great way to end this chapter of Luna Park and help usher in the new age. Well done LPS!!

Just seen it reported that the Seaworld SkyFlyer is NOT from Funtime. There is a Funtime model coming to Australia however and it appears to be a travelling model. https://www.ausleisure.com.au/news/funtime-star-flyer-ride-coming-to-australia/?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=7th December&utm_content=7th December+CID_1234f70e91dddcbb28

Not many people realise just how important the functions and corporate venues are to Luna Park's revenue streams but there are actually 12 options with varying capacity and flexibility. These function centres make up a large chunk of the parks overall revenue and allow the park to be not reliant on just one resource ( amusement park) for earnings. Without these , the park would be in a far less stable position than it is in and even though these corporate and private functions have taken a battering due to COVID, they remain a core service alongside and in conjunction with the amusement park side of the business. And of course, who wouldnt want to have their wedding reception in a 85 year old amusement park with the Sydney Harbour Bridge as a backdrop or host a corporate event where your entire company can own an amusement park for a day? The 12 corporate and functions venues that are on offer at Luna Park are as follows: Of course the installation of these function centres has come at the cost of the one thing that Luna Park did not have a lot of- and that is space. When the park opened in 1995 with the Arrow Big Dipper coaster as the signature attraction the park boasted 18 rides and attractions but only a small offering of function centres- namely the Crystal Palace and a smaller venue next to the Dodgem's building under the Wild Mouse called Popcorn Hall. They also had a larger exhibition space under the then Big Dipper that was utilised for travelling exhibitions but this space was touted as being saved for a return of a River Caves attraction at the time. Fast forward to 2020, and we see much of the space of the old Big Dipper being consumed by the Big Top Venue, unashamedly the largest function centre with the biggest capacity of close to 3,000 people. Add into the mix the Deck function centre at the front of the park plus the carpark entrance, lifts, gift shop and ticketing centre, and you can see how much room was eaten up from 2004 for viable attractions. True the addition of Maloney's corner gave the park valuable space to work with and it is this area that the bulk of the 2021 expansion will be focused on. Once it is complete, the park will now offer 19 rides and attractions-one more than in 1995- with significantly less footprint to do so than in that year. This brings back balance to the park and lets the amusement side of the business now reach an equal standing with the coporate and events offerings- something that has been severely unequal since reopening in 2004. Once the new expansion opens, and hopefully COVID becomes less of a concern with vaccines available, both cash flows for the park will achieve a synergynistic relationship with more people visiting the park for the amusment park and the new rides achieveing greater public and international consciousness, allowing for greater demand for its function and corporate offerings. This will allow the park to both thrive and survive for decades to come and is the business model that makes the most sense for the 85 year old Sydney icon. The future is so, so bright for Luna Park.

Ha I remember that ad vividly!! I actually loved that ride- it was fairly tame- the commercial did a good job of exaggerating its thrill factor!! Its a shame that this type of ride is so rare nowadays-they certainly hold a large nostalgia factor especially when you consider the original Coney Island Parachute tower is now a city landmark.

And just like that....the last of LPS's Huss rides have been dismantled and now completely gone. RIP Spider!! These rides have now entered into Luna Park history and whilst we lament their loss, we know that over the next 12 months, there is so much to look forward to for the park. Hopefully over the next 12 months, we see the return , in conjunction with the Big Dipper name, other names from Luna Parks historical past! Ride names such as The Wild Cat, The Whirler, The Whip, The Hey Dey as well as the retainment of the Tumblebug , The Spider and the Flying Saucer should all be considered if they are ride appropriate. This would be another great nod to Luna Park's history and would also give some continuity whilst ushering in the new age. Bring on 2021!! To be honest, I dont think Big Dipper is meant to be pitched as a "RMC killer" I think its just being seen as simply an alternative. To be really fair, I think it is actually the perfect coaster for the park. They do not need a high intensity , over the top thrill machine. Big Dipper will still deliver on thrills for sure, but without having the shadow of being a hugely intensive ride hanging over it. The fact that it is Australia's FIRST rail coaster will sit it in good stead for a good amount of time- and unless MW adds in a RMC Raptor as their Arkham replacement, I cannot see any other park in Australia emulating them in the short to medium term. The POV and the simulation I think do not properly convey the sense of speed within each element and I surmise that this coaster, whilst short on ride duration and height, will still pack a sizeable punch. Definitely looking forward to riding it, and judging by the international attention that the announcement has garnered, it appears so are many other people, in and outside of Australia!

Do not forget the Family Gerstlauer Boomerang and the Kiddie Coaster at LPS as well- 6 coasters to be added in 2021!! This has to be a record for Australia in terms of adding coasters in a calendar year!!

Seriously. Think about it. Where are they going to put ANY temporary rides once the new refurbishment is finished?? The temporary rides were just additions for the school holidays as they had the room to do so. Now that Maloney's Corner is a fully fleshed out area and with the addition of Big Dipper 3.0 , there will not be any need for extra rides. The Sydney Harbour Highline is just a project in development and a proposal at this stage- NOTHING has been green lit or signed off. Even if it were so, they would NEVER gift Luna Park any more land from the sidings- they will be in existence for quite a while. Also the recent failed attempt by Luna Park to have a DA for the Lavender Green and the subsequent opposition from residents has put paid to any further expansion by the park down this route. The only way moving forward for LPS to have temporary rides of any sort is to source land/ room within their current boundarys. There are only really 2 options for mine- the grassed area on top of the car park has a significant space that could be utilised for smaller attractions but the problem remains that this must be connected back to the Midway somehow. A solution to this is certainly feasible with a bit of vision. Lastly, during holiday periods, they could utilise the Big Top as an all weather site to base temporary attractions- they did set up rides inside a few years ago to test this concept. This could also work and could be the site of a holiday walkthrough attraction if they desired. This entirely depends on the amount of use and bookings that the Big Top is experiencing, of course. Its a major revenue stream for the park and they would not decrease its use as a function centre for temporary rides.

Do we think perhaps that LPS's surprise announcement this week is what hastened this announcement? Dreamworld needed to bring the spotlight back onto the GC and the park- given that LPS garnered world wide attention?