Jobe

Yeah i do not have an issue with this. The trackwork being done one Wild Mouse is extensive and it is not scheduled to reopen until Summer 2024. What better way to store the cars than make a static display of them? This then ensures that they are weather proofed whilst giving them a fucntion and turning them into a talking point for visitors and also hyping up the eventual return of the Wild Mouse. Its a shame that the heritage games and pinballs seem to have been removed from Coney Island though-they certainly do give some energy to the periphery of the site. However, its important to note that these were not owned by the park and perhaps the owner has decided to end their loan or they may be required for an exhibition elsewhere. Here is hoping that they make a return or the park sources soemthing else similar for the space.

Hmmm....I wonder........

Here is some great vision of the park . This is found on YouTube.

I would actually contend that the park needs 2 or 3 flat rides before another coaster. With the removal of Rampage, this is even more urgent. Having 3 new signature flats is what is needed to balance this park out IMHO. Think a Zamperla Nebulaz, or a Zamperla Endeavour or a Zamperla Gryphon. Any of these would fit the bill. Then they can look towards their coaster options. Shame about Rampage ( she was fairly unique and this type of ride is getting rarer ) but a package deal with Zamperla for 3 of their best new additions would be the best annoucement the park could make to dull the disappointment of losing the Rampage. Just do not take too long to make the replacement's announcement!

There was obviously an issue or a reason with Aussie World's Wild Mouse that made keeping the ride untenable and unviable. They didnt sell it, they scrapped it. Given that the other 2 Hopkins Pearce Mice were sold to overseas parks, I was merely lamenting its loss and proposing a scenario where they could have obtained a working mouse. Plenty of parks scrap rides and then replace them with exactly the same ride to provide continuity. LPS did it with Tango Train. Attaining a Hopkins Pearce Mouse for Aussie World when their current Mouse was retired for what ever reason would have been far preferable than the installation of the Dingo Racer. However, it appears that would be one of the reasons that Dingo Racer was chosen- as an update on what was there before.

Yeah ok it’s a distinction I guess.

How do you separate the 2?? They are exactly the same ride. I guess it comes down to factors like location and operations if we really have to split hairs.......

Hmm a colloquial term for a group of coasters doesn’t make that name an officially sanctioned model. RCDB get things right 99.9% of the time and I am inclined to believe them here. They are all custom looping jobs.

💯. Those Larson Drop towers pack quite the proverbial punch!! I reckon it feels more forceful than Giant Drop whose only saving grace is it’s great height.

Yeah in retrospect you are probably right. I think Australia can handle another Flying theatre attraction but probaly not another on the Gold Coast. Lets substitute that for a heavily themed Vekoma Mad House inside the castle. Something unique and would be a great family attraction. The Halfpipe at LPS - yeah I chose that more for the available room and that could actually fit in the space presented in the above plan. Maybe we could stretch the Intamin relationship even further for LPS with a clone of Sandy's Blasting Bronco. I am rather attached to bringing a dark ride back to LPS and have it well themed to a Ghost train style atttraction. I know that might be a little controversial for some but it would be a great nod to the past and I know that there was serious thought in bring a Ghost train style attraction back to LPS previously. Nah the Galaxi is old hat. As are the other old flats. Enterprise is due for replacement Twin Dragon and Pharoah's Curse are both junk to be honest. Better off without them. The Spider I would entertain in keeping as it certainly has some historical value. Really though, some modern versions of these rides would be better for LPM moving forward. Older rides are harder to maintain, harder to find parts and more expensive to run. Given that they have the Scenic Railway and Carousel as already vintage and costly and VERY maintainence heavy rides, a roster of new ,reliable rides would do wonders for LPM. I would however, redo all the effects in the Ghost Train- make them much more effective with new lighting, sound and jumpscares with lots of blasts of air whilst still retaining the charm of the original ride.

Interesting thread. For what its worth here are my 2 cents worth: Movieworld-A new dark ride for mine is an absolute priority however I would also change the specs for the Wizard of Oz precinct from a Vekoma SFC to the Vekoma STC. Think this makes more sense and whilst the new STC's are thrilling and a step up from the SFC model, they are not as extreme as the previous Arkam Asylum. Would make a better progression for younger thrill seekers to aspire to ride. Dreamworld- Beyond what is coming with Jungle Rush coaster and the Wave Swinger, once these are installed the obvious choice is either a dark ride or a water ride. I would combine these to have an indoor water attraction in the same veins as the much lamented Bermuda Triangle. It will have some outdoor sections of course but having that indoor element would be the clincher for mine and also give it some point of difference to the mainly outdoor offering down the road. Seaworld- They desperately need a new flume ride that can encircle the old Vikings footprint. Give it some dark ride features. I would also look at the possibility of using the castle site in some way for a Flying theatre attraction. I would also replace the Sky rider gondola ride with a new example but run it the full length of the park if possible and reinstate the Monorail- an iconic feature of Seaworld that needs to remain. AussieWorld - They have plans for future flat rides but they also need a signature coaster. Dingo Racers is a good support coaster but some smaller offering from the Vekoma line up would be ideal- such as a Vekoma Blitz like Lech Coaster or the Launched Space Warp. This would be an absolute gamechanger for Aussie World. The Big Banana Fun Park- This smaller regional park has just recieved a new tower for its water park and will also recieve a Alpine coaster. The investment needs to continue with more offerings for the water park with another tower complex with at least 3 new slides. This will lift this smaller park into a must do pass through destination. Luna Park Sydney- There is not much room left in this park so I will be a little left of field here and probably pie in the sky. I would move all kids rides to the top of the car park roof which is currently a grassy space. This may need to be strengthed to take the load and will need a ramp and access to connect to the midway below. This will create an excellent kid safe space for the younger park goers and will free up space for other attractions. I would move Hair rasier into the footprint currently occupied by Loopy LightHouse. Where Samba Balloons currently is I would install a Zamperla Nebulaz and where Little Nippers and The Bug resided I would place a Intamin Half Pipe coaster. Where Hair Raiser currently operates I would install a Fabbri Aladdin's Fly carpet ride. As a follow up to these changes at a later date, I would also investigate the possibility of removing the Dodgems to a purpose built site where Silly Sub resides now and then look at installing a Dark ride in the former Dodgems footprint- perhaps a Ghost train return? Wouldnt that be something! Jamberoo Action Park- I think this park would benefit from 2 new attractions- one water and one dry. The installation of a Alpine Coaster here is a no brainer and would easily utilise the current footprint of the dual Toboggan and infrastructure of the Chairlift. For the water attraction, they certainly had plans to install an action river near the Funnel Web/Perfect Storm section. This would be a lazy river on steriods and woud be an Australian first- think the Action River at Volcano Bay for inspiration. ( which is hands down bloody unreal!) Luna Park Melbourne- This park needs so much to happen to it its not funny. Basically it needs virtually gutting with the exception of the heritage rides and starting again. I echo the need for another coaster and a Premier Rides Skyrocket II or a Zamperla Double Heart Coaster would fit the bill nicely here and also within the footprint allowed. Funfields-This one is a little difficult to judge. I think that they certainly need to expand their dry attractions offering since they have just expanded their water offerings. Something like a Gerstlauer Sky Roller would be a good addition with perhaps a Alpine Coaster added to their lineup on their Toboggan footprint. Adventure Park Geelong- I think one or two quality family thrill flats would be an excellent choice here to round out their offering- Think Gerstlauer Polyp or Chance Freestyle. Wet'N Wild Gold Coast- The addition of a Slide Wheel here would turn the Gold Coast and Australia on its head. Make it happen already!! Whitewater World- A well themed action or Lazy river is the order of the day here. Gumbuya World- This park needs to continue to round out its attractions. I would say that it needs 2 quality flat rides to round out its dry offerings and then another tower complex to add to the water offerings. Would love to see a Zamperla Gryphon and Endeavour call this place home. A Space Bowl slide here would be a great addition Raging Waters Sydney- A Polin Space Race tower would be a great family attraction to add to this park. I would also add theming and effects to the rather sparse lazy River offering , making it much more immersive and enticing. Adventure World Perth- The only park on this list that I have not visited yet. After looking at their attraction offerings I think they are fairly well served in the water attractions department for now. I would go for something a little different. Certainly they need another one or 2 quality family thrill flats. Either a Zamperla Disko Coaster , or a Zamperla Twist and Bounce or a Zamperla Super Air Race would fit the bill quite nicely. Adventure World used to have a train in the past and I would look at bring this back in some shape or form. It would need to have a footprint around most of the park and woudl be a great family inclusion. I would also look at installing a modern chairlift to replace the one they have recently decomissioned.

I find that very interesting. You would have thought that having a double cycle would improve guest satisfaction for the ride not deacrease it! Giving people a longer ride normally means that customers see batter bang for buck and perhaps an improved perception of Buzzsaw. I wonder if they enacted 2 cycle operations at Gumbuya would the satsifaction ratings and perceptions stay the same?

A fume ride?? Surely that's just smoke and mirrors!!!!!! Sorry mate could'nt resist!! 😆

Its a railway. Not a coaster. Its descent is controlled not by gravity but by mechanical means.It does not have side friction nor up stop wheels.

Out of the Wave Swinger type rides that are currently operating in Australian parks these are the major ones that I could find. Volare at Luna Park Sydney- Preston and Barbieri 64 seat model. This unit has been met with mostly positive reveiws and it certainly is well presented and of this list probaby has the best location of any Waveswinger in the country- above the eatery at LPS and flying out into the harbour. Of note is that Volare is heavily promoted still on the Preston and Barbieri website under their Waveswinger's category. Ballroom Blitz at Aussie World. This is a Zierer ride and one of their 48 seat capacity models. It must be noted that Zierer only offer 40 seat or 56 seat models currently, having discontinued the 48 seat and 64 seat models some years back Ballroom Blitz was added to the park in 2014 but has suffered some downtime in recent years. It was involved in an incident which saw 4 people injured in 2017 and as a result was shut for a lengthy complete overhaul. Happy to say that it is now open and operating normally at the park. Tree Swing at Gumbuya World is a SBF Visa Unit with 24 seat capacity. It was added it 2017 with the revamp of the park. Its probably not as exciting as the other Waveswingers on this list as it does not have the "wave motion" that marks the classic swinger but it is notable for how far the chairs swing out, giving a fairly enjoyable family ride sensation. Tree Swing is currently down for major refurb and will reopen later in the year. Wave Swinger at Adventure Park Geelong is a Zierer unit and was added to the park in 2012. Capacity is unknown at this but it certainly is not one of the larger models and i would surmise that its at least a 40 or 48 seat model. There is also a permanent Wave Swinger at The Hunter Valley Gardens near Newcastle. Try as i could, I was unable to get any information as to the manufactuer of this unit or specifications. If I was to hazard a guess it looks like either a smaller Preston and Barbieri or SBF Visa model. If anyone knows anything more then please feel free to update the info. This unit was added to the Gardens in 2018. I think that this lists all the permanent Wave Swinger rides that are located in Australian parks, this of course does not take into account the travelling versions of these rides on the show circuit of which there are more than a few. It also does not take into account the Sky Flyer rides such as Trident at Seaworld and Supernova at Luna Park Melbourne as I consider them different rides. If thats the case then I would predict that the ride manufacturer will either be a Preston and Barbieri or a Zamperla unit- since either of these manufactuers still produce 64 seat units. I would lean towards Zamperla especially given Dreamworld's relationship with them and the fact that they are already getting a new junior coaster from them. This could be part of a package deal.

Yep, keep it simple is always the best motto....

Hahaha Shawn didn’t rate it very well unfortunately. When I visited Busch Gardens Tampa a few years ago, I went on their Looping Starship and the nostalgia certainly flowed!! This unit has also since been removed and retired and further examples of Intamin’s Looping Starship are getting rarer and rarer. As an aside , I enjoyed watching the Sunway Vlog but was wondering when the Dragons Flight Waveswinger from Wonderland was removed? I knew it was set up and operated there for quite a while. Are there any other rides other than Bounty still operating at Sunway or anywhere else?

Could have been? It WAS the wooden Wild Mouse capital for a long big time when we actually had FOUR units available with Aussie World’s unit. Again I reiterate the Hopkins Wild Mouse that went to Indonesia should never have been allowed. What is such a rare model could only have resided in Australia. That’s why LPS’s unit is so important and historically significant and why enthusiasts will travel to add this rate coaster credit.

Yeah that point was raised quite a few posts ago- it’s annoying when reply’s obviously don’t read the posts that come after . Interesting fact regarding the other 2 exisiting Wild Mouse coasters. When Luna Parks Ops manager Hoppy went overseas to secure new rides for the park, he purchased the rights to the Wild Mouse coaster. He came back and under license built not one but three units- one for Luna Park and 2 others for sites across Australia- namely the Melbourne and Adelaide show grounds. The 2 in Indonesia are these units. Both of them should never have been allowed to leave Australia. Either of them would have been a great fit in one of our 2nd tier parks- Aussie World should have bought one to replace their unit which came from the US via Perth. A hugely missed opportunity.

100%. The legislation can change. No doubt. But i think comparing the historical value of the Luna Park precinct to SW's heights issues is a little disingenous- they are 2 vastly different items. Changing things on the historical register and of state significance is quite hard- not impossible of course- but difficult nonetheless. I am quite comfortable in saying that Wild Mouse's future for the short to mid term is quite assured. But hey yeah things can happen. Ha- if you think I am over excited now you should see me after 4 or 5 schooners in!! Now thats excitement!! You're welcome.

No not at all. To clarify, you are sort of correct but not entirely. The whole park is not heritage listed rather there are items within the park that are placed on the state heritage listing and together they form the Luna Park Precinct. These include ( from the Conservation Management Plan Luna Park December 2019) Further more, these items withing the precinct are also on the State Heritage listing and collectively appear on the National Trust of Australia register In discussing Wild Mouse's historicial aspects , it is considered of significant value , as can be seen by the below heritage analysis. As can be seen, this does not leave much room for it to be altered or changed intrinsically in any significant way. Of course, safety will always trump heritage and there may be some future safety items that may needed to be added to ensure its ongoing operation. These will always be enacted with complete regard for heritage issues and its value- much like how the Scenic Railway currently operates at LPM The heritage values of Luna Park Sydney are protected under a range of legislation, both state and local. Below provides an overview of the pertinent legislation. The below shows that the Wild Mouse MUST stay in its current site and cannot be ammended or significantly added to. There are areas within the parks where attractions can be added/removed ( hence how we just had 9 new rides added to the precinct , but this does NOT include removal or altering of the heritage signifcant items such as Wild Mouse or Rotor) The below snapshot of the site shows exactly what can be done with each area , including Wild Mouse and Rotor. This shows where new attractions and indeed any attractions can be located within the park and quite clearly states that Wild Mouse and Rotor may be moved within the park boundaries and can have fabric replacement BUT they must remain Luna Park rides. So to summarise- Wild Mouse cannot be altered or intrinsically changed. It MAY be moved with the park and can have new fabric replacement added to it to ensure its operation.( which being a wooden coaster is going to have to happen) Undere the CMP, it MUST remain a Luna Park ride which means that anyone holding the lease MUST maintain it and ensure of its future operation. I would urge you to track down the Conservation Management Plan to study as it is a very interesting read. This should quell any calls of the future of Wild Mouse into question and any speculation of its removal and finally any overreactions or "excitement" calls being elicited.

Ok lets put this misinformation and speculation to bed. Wild Mouse at LPS has a heritage order placed on it. It can not be altered and must be maintained as part of the operations of the site. Even if they WANTED to do something on that site, they simply cannot. ( But why would they? The park knows the value of such an historical attraction and its uniqueness given its long and varied history) There may be some issues that may require some new fabrication of parts ( of course given its age and its rarity, these parts are not simply ordered online and there the next day) It is one of only three wooden wild mouse left in the world. The heritage order alone makes this a signifcant historical ride and LPS knows this. If you believe REDDIT posts that state its being removed due to flooding ( if you even know anything about the ride how does that even happen??) then I am sorry, if you cannot dimiss that sort of blarney immediately, then more fool you. It is definitely Australia's 2nd oldest Roller coaster and only one of 3 wooden coasters left in the country. Simply put , Wild Mouse is not going anywhere and to even suggest that it is should be met with increduilty. All of the above information can be easily verified through simple Google searches. 100% this.

Given the main topic of conversation is Australia’s first ever Alpine Coaster, with a length of 872 metres, it’s ironic that Coastercrazy would post a video of the Top 10 longest Alpine coasters in the World. Number one looks like a doozy!!

For all of those that didn’t get to see the Big Banana Monorail in action ( a misnomer really as it ran on two dual concrete rails) here is a VERY 80’s clip of the park showing the train in all its glory, with including shots of the Bunyip and the Billabong. Thanks to Facebook user Chris who recently posted this on the Lost Amusement Parks of Australia Facebook group.

Here is some more info on the Big Banana Alpine coaster- straight from the DA documents found online. Thanks to New Display Name for the link. This proposal seeks Council’s consent to the construction and operation of an ‘Alpine Coaster’ within the confines of the Big Banana Fun Park. The proposed ‘Alpine Coaster’ represents a significant investment by the Big Banana Fun Park, enhancing its reputation as one of Australia’s most iconic tourist attractions. The proposed ‘Alpine Coaster’ is a track guided, gravity driven, above ground toboggan ride that can be operated all year round. It is perfectly suited to undulating terrain and is well suited to the subject land. The infrastructure which supports the proposed ‘Alpine Coaster’ comprises the track system, a terminal building for embarking and disembarking ride users, a storage building, access ramps, winch systems and coaster ‘toboggans’. This proposal is in keeping with the tourism activities occurring within the Big Banana Fun Park. These include water slides, water play areas, mini golf, indoor laser tag gaming and a toboggan ride and dry slide. Most especially, this proposal complements the existing toboggan ride which operates on the western hillslope of the site. The proposal includes the demolition of the existing toboggan ride building. In its place, a new building is proposed which provides an integrated entrance for both the existing toboggan ride and the proposed alpine coaster. The proposed Alpine Coaster track system is a gravity driven, tubular track that is supported above the natural ground surface by a steel subframe structure. The subframe structure sits on the ground and does not require foundations. Instead, the structure is held into position by its interconnecting components and is secured by earth-nails driven into the natural ground at intersecting ground points. The ride experience is enjoyed on a purpose-built toboggan which is independently speed controlled by the ride user operating a brake lever. A speed limiter is however incorporated into the toboggan design, limiting the speed of the toboggan to a maximum of forty (40) kilometres per hour. The toboggan has capacity for two riders only and minimum user heights apply. The front rider must be a minimum of 0.97m and is restrained by a two-point pelvis safety belt. A centre grip is provided to the rider for comfort and stability during the ride experience. The rear rider has control of the toboggan’s speed which is regulated by dual braking handles. The rear rider is also restrained by a shoulder and pelvis safety belt. The proposed Terminal building will be the access point for the proposed Alpine Coaster and the existing toboggan ride. Only within this building will riders be able to access the Alpine Coaster or the existing toboggan ride. Ride operators will guide riders into the toboggan or Alpine Coaster at the start position ensuring that safety harnesses are appropriately secured. Health, safety and ride operating instructions will form part of this process. At the completion of the ride, riders will return to this same location and alight their toboggan or coaster under the supervision of the ride operators. The proposed storage building is integrated with the proposed terminal building as shown below and in the accompanying architectural plans which are included in Annexure B. The storage building is an enclosed structure which will be used to store equipment for the existing toboggan ride and the proposed ‘Alpine Coaster’. Access to each ride will be via a series of pedestrian ramps and landings extending from the existing footpath that is currently utilised for the toboggan ride. From the proposed terminal building, the Alpine Coaster toboggan cars, inclusive of ride users will travel along the ‘uplift track’ which relies on a ‘funicular’ system to pull the toboggan to the top of the slope where the ride commences its gravity driven downhill run. Figure 13 below shows the location of the uplift tract and the point at which the toboggan commences its downhill run. From the point at which the ride commences its downhill run and ending at the proposed terminal building, the proposed route incorporates several curves and straight-line sections weaving between existing vegetation on the subject land. The proposed route will require a very small area of existing any native vegetation. Both, the uplift and downhill tracks are mounted on steel support frames which will be anchored to the ground using earth nails. Notably, the height of the track determines the width of the steel support frames. Except for a small section (25m) of track within the RU2 Rural Landscape zone, the height of the remaining track system will not exceed the building height plane for RU2 Rural Landscape zone or the R1 General Residential zone. Once ride users are securely fastened into the toboggan and checked by the ride operator there is no opportunity for ride users to leave the ride until they return to the terminal building. Access to the area comprising the ‘Alpine Coaster’ ride is prohibited for ride users or visitors to the park. Appropriate exclusion fencing and or signage will be established prior to the opening of the proposed facility. The operation of the proposed ‘Alpine Coaster’ will be subject to risk audits in accordance with the manufacturers recommendations. Prior to the commencement of each days operation, the entire track route will be inspected by the ride operator(s). Given that the proposed development is to be integrated with the existing fun park attractions, it is appropriate that the operational hours remain consistent with the opening times of the park being seven days per week between 9.00am and 6:00pm. There will be no additional staffing required to support the proposed development. Instead, the proposal integrates with the existing toboggan ride such that ride participants will queue, enter and exit within the same terminal building for both the existing toboggan ride and the proposed ‘Alpine Coaster’ ride. The new proposed Alpine Coaster will include 34 Wiegand-Toboggans running along an 872m Steel Track. The realistic capacity is about 50 people per run and every hour. All in all this will be an excellent addition to The Big Banana Funpark, and at an investment of just over $3 million dollars, represents excellent value for this park and being an Australian first, will certainly put this park on the map and in the spotlight for local enthusiasts to visit. Fingers crossed that other Australian parks will see the value for money that one gets for these type of attractions and hopefully think about installing one. Realistically I could see Jamberoo Action Park, Funfields or even Adventure World in Perth think seriously about adding one of these to their attraction lineup. Yeah the article states that the ride will come with 34 new Wiegand Toboggans. The DA info confirms this. It does not mention anywhere nor state that there will be 34 cars zooming down the track at any given time. Plus whilst all 34 cars could be accomodated on the track at once- that does not mean that they will all be cycled to run at the same time. I am sure that at least 10- 15 cars would be held in a holding pattern and released for riders in a safe manner. Just my thoughts on this.