Jobe

@Jamberoo Fan the footage is a mixture of Scenic Railway scenes ( at the station) and then definitely interspersed with footage from Melbourne’s Big Dipper , which ran the length of the park and sat adjacent to the Scenic Railway on the far end. The River Caves we’re situated at one end of the Dipper, under the far turn. The Melbourne Big Dipper and the Sydney Big Dipper we’re identical in layout.

Yep population of the greater Newcastle/Lake Macquarie area is about 560,000- making it Australia's 7th largest city. However , if you couple the fact that the Newcastle catchment area also encompasses the populations of the Mid North Coast up to Coffs ( population of 310,000) and the Hunter/ New England area ( Tamworth (61,000 population) and Armidale ( population 25,000) all who are will to travel to see international acts , then staging a concert in Newcastle/Hunter Valley becomes a very lucrative and viable proposition in its own right, distance from Sydney not withstanding. Not sure what you are referring to here @iwerks. Bohemian Rhapsody was released in 1975 and Queen then toured Australia in 1976 in what was only their 2nd visit to Australia ( their first was an ill fated appearance in 1974 at the Melbourne Sunbury Music festival). Perth was definitely on the stopover for the '76 tour. I do agree with you however. Most international acts certainly include Perth on their itinerary for any tour- Perth is usually the first stop of any Australian leg. This has been proven time and time again and distance from the east coast isn't really a huge deciding factor in deciding these things- the population is large enough to warrant it almost always being included on any tour. The only thing that would prevent Perth from being included on the tour is where exactly that particular tour is headed- normally East coast tours encompass dates in New Zealand or continuation onto Asian countries like Indonesia or the lucrative tour market of Japan. Of course , it also depends on the popularity of the touring artist in Australia-I know several bands that have a niche fanbase who have only done Melbourne and Sydney shows as their Australian leg. The city that tends to miss out the most of any tour stopover is Adelaide. This city is frequently missed out by numerous touring artists and with a population of only 1.2 million it is comparable to Newcastle without the added advantage of being 2 hours from the largest city in the country. That's good to hear. Perth deserves a bigger theme park industry and hopefully there are good signs of this expanding. Having never been there, its certainly on my list and I an keen to visit Adventure World. Having another good sized park or attraction will only hasten that decision to go.

Yeah you are right- this is used frequently. However, it is not for vehicular access but rather just a storage area from what I could see. The staff seem to use it as an access to the offices-this access could be redirected to the access point near the carpark lift entrance. The storage area COULD theoretically be used further down the park such as in between area between the Big Top and the Cliff face .which would then free up this ENTIRE space for another attraction- the Hair Raiser would then fit in here quite nicely. Not saying that this is ever going to happen but I guess if the park wanted to do something like this- they could probably make it work. I dont believe this space, however usable it could be , will ever be utilised for a new attraction. In addition to your points, the space in question is the open entrance to the boardwalk and also the open space where small shows are held - with the steps forming a mini ampitheatre. As much as I could SEE an attraction here, I dont think this space will ever be utilised in this way. Yeah the ride footprint where the Hair Raiser currently resides is not huge. They have utililsed it in the past for several other rides- a Miami I believe and a Hurricane was situated there in years past before Hair Raiser's time. Any ride that is positioned here would need to be of a similar footprint. I honestly dont think Hair Raiser is going anywhere in the park anytime soon but it is fun trying to come up with some possibilities. Yeah @GoGoBoy you would be absolutely correct in saying that. The Original Rotor had moved around the park several times- it started life situated adjacent to the Wild Mouse and then the Wild Cat. For the 1980's incarnation, it was moved slightly to be sited next to the Crystal Palace. In 1995, the new replacement Rotor ( slightly smaller than the original) was placed halfway down the Midway , next to the Tango under the then Big Dipper. It was moved in 2005 to its current location. Yeah we are just having a bit of fun, moving rides around in a vain attempt to maximise space. Moving rides around the park is not unprecedented, rides and attractions were moved around the park quite regularly even in the early days. This was mainly done in the off season ( Luna park used to shut down during the Winter Months) , especially when a new attraction was coming or to just give the park a refresh or new outlook. I think the process to move an attraction back then was not as involved or expensive as it is now. Another idea I have been throwing around is the utilisation of another area in the park that is virtually bereft of any use at all I am referring to the area of the park that is the roof to the underground carpark.( See below pic for the red arrow). Currently, this area is a green area of quite a decent size. It is quite an elevated position but I think that this area would be an awesome area for the relocation of the kids rides that are currently situated in Maloney's Corner. With one or 2 new additions, this could turn into a fantastic themed kids area. Of course , the area would have to be paved but it could still retain its greeness via suitable gardens and a ramp or access would have to be built to allow access from the park itself. This space is self contained and is locked after the park is closed, making it ideal for an attraction space. Kids rides are non invasive and would not upset the nearby residents. If done in a very sympathetic and amenable way, it could be highly themed and would allow greater space for the installation of significant attractions in the Maloney's Corner area of the park. It will probably never happen and under the new proposed legislation, this area of the park would require a land application and DA approval to build here , but its only a thought. Parks with small footprints like LPS need to think outside the box in regards to land utilisation and how to install attractions to the best available use. I think we can all agree that Luna park currently does not make the best use of the land it has at its disposal. It will be very interesting to see what ideas the park will implement in installing new attractions in the near future.

Yeah I thought that too AlexB , however I did approach the park regarding this , hence the info that I received. The info points to one of those "new ride coming" as being the Typhoon, the other the new Wild Mouse Spinner ( due mid 2019) and the other is a yet unspecified new ride that could be any of the 5 already announced. It was hinted that this could be coming sooner rather than later. Three new rides in one year is a big investment , however , they have already announced the 5 new rides in addition to the Typhoon and Wild Mouse Spinner. The plans are already well advanced and either the rides are purchased or on order, the DA's have been approved and plans are announced. I guess the timeline on their installation is the only thing we dont know for certain. Any number of things can happen to stretch this timeline, and whilst I am a realist , I am very much in the same thinking as you. I want to believe.......Time will tell how this pans out in 2019.

This new ride is going to be huge!! As per Aussie World's map, they have 3 new rides coming soon. Presumably, one is the new Typhoon 360 degree Inversion ride. The other 2, as we know from the DA's that have been submitted are for a new spinning coaster and a collection of flats. The new coaster is due mid 2019 and the other ride, according to Aussie World, could be much sooner. Aussie World are tight lipped about which ride this could be at this stage but it is certainly one of the 5 rides that have been approved- a Drop Tower (40m high, 12-person capacity), Air Race (10m high, 24-person capacity), Windstarz (9m high, 24-person capacity), Star Fly (40m high, 24-person capcaity) and the Aerobat (6-15m high, 14-person capacity). 2019 is certainly going to be a very big year for this excellent little theme park!!

There is more space here than you think. Here is a closer shot for you to compare. The room provided has about as much space as the current spot in where the Hair Raiser resides- queue included , which isnt really a large area to begin with. I do like your idea of moving it next to the Ferris Wheel though and think it would be excellent to ride the Hair Raiser and eyeball the riders on the adjacent Ferris Wheel, but if Luna could make it work in this spot, then that would leave that larger space as an option for another attraction. Ah yes..the long lost art of installing a bridge.......lets hope that Luna remembers some of the fantastic bridges that have adorned Luna Parks rides from yesteryear. They have stated that they have plans for their new installs to have extensive theming and facades and if the new Light House /Helter Skelter theming is any indication then that is heading on the right direction.

Quick update to Luna Park Melbourne: The aforementioned new kids rides are now installed in park and will be unveiled in the coming weeks. The spinning coaster appears to be , as previous speculation surmised, a clone of the SBF Visa spinner at Adventure Park in Geelong. This has yet to be confirmed , however.The LPM unit will be called Speedy Beetle. The other new ride is a kids Ferris Wheel called Moon Balloons. What is good to note is that neither of these rides are replacing any existing attractions- these are completely new ride installs. It would not have been unreasonable to expect that the Silly Serpent may have been updated or one of the older kids rides but this will not be the case. The park cannot confirm at this time whether any seasonal rides will be located in the park for this summer period. Not a huge update but its always nice to see new additions in any park. Younger families will most certainly find them pleasing when visiting LPM

Thanks for clarifying Huss. Great for the park.

Ha you are right. However , a ride of this scale means a great deal more for a small park like Gumbuya World than it does for an established and much older park like Seaworld. The irony is that if the Skyflyer was announced for Gumbuya World , then we would probably all be praising its installation. Seaworld has the capacity and has done in the past to do so much better. Its an understandable reaction I guess.

The park has confirmed that the Rebel World is a permanent attraction beyond just this season. However, it may still be a temporary attraction with a tenure of a 2 + years given the language that they used to respond. Good news for the park and its aim to position itself as a major player in the Victorian market.

Yeah. Nah. Not going to happen.

Good question- its one that has not been clearly defined. Its quite possible that this is only a seasonal attraction., although at this stage the park has certainly not marketed it as such. Lets assume its a permanent ride until we learn otherwise.

Yeah I love the Big Dipper name but i think that name should be reserved for a coaster befitting its status. If that can be accommodated for a Gerstlauter Eurofighter install or similar then I would absolutely support that!! However, for mine, it doesnt feel right to couple it with a Maurer Spinner install and if thats the case, then I would lean to using the name Wildcat instead. I definitely did not like the cinema option for Luna- it felt way out of place for mine. However, the idea of a flying theatre style ride would be IMHO, a great addition to LPS. I sincerely hope that this can be revisited at some stage and I think it would be a very popular attraction with the general public and enthusiast alike. Yeah like the idea of the Hair Raiser ride being moved- in front of the park- in front of the Ferris Wheel would definitely work but I do think that next to the Rotor would also be a good option, to make as much use of the available space as possible. A more permanent Horror walkthrough attraction would also be a welcome addition, and I think that the popularity and adaptability of the Mystery Manor attraction has proven that. Great call. Power Surges are great rides but they are fairly common attractions- there are two park installs in Australia at Adventure World and Luna Park Melbourne. and at least one travelling unit, I would rather see something more unique come to the park. Any thoughts as to what flat rides you would like to see replace the aging Huss rides at LPS?

Gumbuya World have announced on their Facebook site the installation of a brand new ride for the Summer season. They are installing a KMG Inversion ride identical to the travelling version XXXL that makes its way on the east coast for Goldenway amusements. This marks the first real thrill ride for Gumbuya World and is the first major investment in the 12 months since it has been refurbished and reopened. This represents a positive step for the park and is a good indication that the park is travelling in the right direction and is a massive vote of confidence in the ongoing viability of the park. Coupled with this is the fact that Gumbuya still have the recently purchased Plunge slide from Seaworld yet to be installed and things are looking quite good for the park and its immediate future. Whilst this is a great confidence booster for the park, I do think that this ride installation may not come at exactly the right time. This is a high thrill ride that for mine does not really fill the demographics of the target audience that the park currently attracts.I think that one or two more family thrill attractions would be a better fit for the park at this stage in its life cycle. However, it may hint at more attractions to come and if so, then this could be the spring board to continued investment in the park. This could be a very good thing for the Victorian theme park landscape and could be the catalyst for continued investment for not only Adventure Park and Funfields, but also finally for some major reinvestment for Luna Park Melbourne.

Hmm yeah you are right mate. Interesting. One wonders if this was removed when the issues with the DA process and compliance reared their head not long after this was first put forward in January? I have a feeling that LPS may revisit this plan at some point.... Yeah I agree 100%. The Tumblebug space would be best utilised with another coaster. Its possible, with some alterations to the site, that a Maurer SC2000 could fit here. It all depends on how imaginative they can be with the site- ie does part of the coaster structure sit over the slab etc. I agree that utilising Big Dippers facade for a coaster makes much more sense. It will be interesting to see that if they do put a coaster here, WILL they name it Big Dipper? Personally, I would like it to be named the Wild Cat ( after the former Schwarzopf coaster from the 70"s) . I think that would be a good selling point to have the Wild Mouse and the Wild cat facing off against each other across the Midway. Ah yes given that data you are correct on that it would be difficult to fit in to either space. The removal of the Helix would definitely accommodate the width, its the length that's the main issue. I think that working with Gerstlauer on a custom layout would work in the space behind Coney and even the possibility of moving the kids rides and running the length of Maloney's Corner from the start of Lavender Green could be a possibility. Good stuff. Still no sources on this?? Just curious.

You have not read the State Environmental Planning Policy correctly. It states that: Complying rides are restricted to 118 feet or 36 metres as you have correctly stated, however, the park is allowed SIX rides ( including the existing Ferris Wheel, The Hair Raiser and the Moon Ranger) of being between 18 metres or 59 feet and 36 metres and 118 feet. This gives plenty of scope to add some rides and attractions of a decent height in the future, especially considering we know that Moon Ranger's days are numbered. Interesting that you rule out a Hydrus clone. I looked for this coasters dimensions everywhere and could not find the length or width of this coaster. The height is well within the parameters and looking closely at it, IMHO, it is conceivable that it is able to fit in Maloney's Corner behind Coney Island. If you have the actual dimensions then I would love to know where your source is as even the Gerslauter website does not have that particular model's dimensions, nor does RCDB. Happy to be proven wrong though. Its not a stretch to say that LPS has looked at a Maurer Sohne SC 2000- I have reported that very thing at least 12 months ago. Brad Loxely , the Senior Amusement Park Manager has stated they are the best bang for buck compact coaster going around at the moment ( barring a Eurofughter, which he has ruled out). Given that, plus this evidence from the Pitt and Sherry website, I would say its a fairly strong indication that LPS will get a SC200 Maurer coaster in the very near future. This will probably be located behind Coney Island as the Tumblebug site is just a smidgen too small to accommodate. This also leaves the reported "Flying Theatre" concept that LPS have filed a DA for. This has been shown to be an amendment to an existing DA and is set to be built on the Flying Saucer site and to replace the current offices adjoining that site. Whether this is a long term project or one that is in their current plans, remains to be seen. In this case , a DA is definitely required as the attraction requires a building and under the proposed amendment, any new attraction requiring a building needs a DA to be lodged. Given that there is very tight room restrictions, the proposed SEPP outlines where rides and attractions can be placed within the compliant zone that does NOT require a DA. If they were to change any of the other structures such as the Big Top, then this would require planning approval. The placement of the Hair Raiser ride has always puzzled me, as I have never thought it to be the optimum site to place the ride. If we are looking to maximise the park's existing space , then I would envisage it could be moved in the highlighted section on the map, adjacent to the Rotor. The Hair Raiser would fit in nicely in this space and would then free up its current site for a larger , more substantial attraction. Alternatively , it could also be placed next to the Tumble Bug ( of which this site is under utilised) but its close proximity to the nearby apartments and neigbours would probably rule this out. Time will tell but as long as the park gets back on track with its plans then this can only be positive. Where are your sources that say the Big Top does not make money as it once did?? Once again, interested to see this data........ And as AlexB has already eloquently explained further on, the will be no chance of removing or modifying the BIg Top- its far too important to the park as a revenue stream and a function centre.

The State Governments proposal to change the State Environmental Planning Policy for the Luna Park heritage site is nearing its end time for exhibition. This concludes on the 9/11/2018. The proposal will then move to the consideration stage where hopefully it swiftly moves to the Final stage of policy being made. The policy can be found here under exhibition on the state planning site : http://planspolicies.planning.nsw.gov.au/index.pl?action=view_job&job_id=9674 The full proposal and document can be found in the below PDF: Luna Park EIE 2.pdf The main points of the proposal are: Interestingly, the document outlines also with a plan on where development of rides and attractions can take place in the park ( see the PDF for this. ) This , hopefully, is a huge positive step for the park to move forward and resume its plans for ride reinvestment and renewal. This legislation should address any concerns that management of Luna Park has cited as being onerous towards any new development. Win win for all.

Surfrider should have been put in Seaworld in the first place IMHO. I still think it would be a good option to move it. A you say, small compact ride , small footprint but provides a good thrill. It wold be a good move and could help alleviate SeaWorld's lack of ride issue.....

Ha. Yeah you are quite correct. And yes agree the current website is not great. Had a brain fart and thought it was a brand new site for NEXT year. Thats what 14 hour work shifts will do to you. Cheers

As an aside, Luna park is set to receive a whole new website in 2018 , launching around Easter. Here is the link to the article : http://www.campaignbrief.com/2017/10/luna-park-set-to-launch-new-we.html Very interesting and good signs showing the ongoing commitment to refreshing the park and overall experience. For those who are a little unsure about the current state of play that Luna Park is currently in, here is a very informative summary of the situation by law firm Carroll and O'Dea. The link to the article can be found here: https://www.codea.com.au/sub-publication/taken-for-a-ride-development-consent-troubles-for-luna-park/

You're so right. This is getting very unbearable......

You could be correct but I am not 100% convinced based on that evidence.It could also be the same ride with a new roof and a re-theme. The rides themselves look incredibly similar Yeah i have The Spirits of The Carnival DVD- its a great doco. Its a while since I have seen this though- will have to hunt around and get it out for a viewing. I visited LPS in the 80"s a couple of times- yeah it certainly was a shadow of its former self. Still, it did have a couple of redeeming qualities ( The Schwarzkopf Jet Star was an interesting ride - unique in Australia and it was not a bad collection of rides overall) but it did nothing to match the atmosphere of the original nor even the current incarnation.

There is no need to get grizzly about it........I reckon the look on your face at this instant would be a Kodiak moment.....

Yeah Nimble all the info I have points to the 80"s Luna Park Unit being the same one that was later bought by Wittingslow and was installed at Darling Harbour where it briefly became a travelling unit before settling back at LPS in 1994 when Wittingslow operated that particular incarnation of the park. It certainly looks the same!!!

Also correct me if I am wrong but the ARM Ali Baba has over the shoulder restraints as well?? I havent ridden one of these but know of their infamous reputation. I have ridden a Rainbow many times and the feeling of the being free and that floater air as you describe is brilliant!! What a shame there are none running in Australia at the moment- I do understand that their reputation took a hit when their was a fatal accident on one in Sweden I understand? Is one likely to hit the road any time soon?? This is becoming like the fabled Turbo!!!