Jobe

I am going to throw my 2 bits in here. 100% agree that the Flyer would make probably the biggest impact. These are fairly rare credits overseas in any case and to have one here in Australia would be an absolute game changer. I think we are all thinking B&M here but what would people think if we had the new Vekoma Flyer? Not sure of the cost difference but this might be an easier way for our parks to gain a flyer? FLY at Phantasialand looks fantastic but part of that is the incredible theming which an installation here is not going to have. If it proves economically cheaper then perhaps that would prove the more feasible option. B&M Wing Coaster- again I think this would have a greater visual just like a flyer- its uniqueness would be a huge selling point. Dive Coaster- Not my personal favourite -I find them a bit of a one trick pony- but I get that the public would be enraptured by one and they provide such a strong visual aesthetic. Definitely would be a good option. Inverted Coaster- this provides the similar connundrum as to the flyer model- which to choose between a B&M or a new Vekoma Suspended Thrill model. Personally I would love to see a B&M invert here- Montu at Busch Gardens Tampa remains one of my favourite coasters of all time- however, once again if it came down to economics, then the new Vekoma models do look the goods. RMC-I think that a ground built new RMC should be on the cards as Dreamworld's next major coaster. One of our parks should get one in the coming years. Their installations have been almost universally praised and any park that recieved one would indelibly stamp their presence on the world stage. I think a large Spinning coaster from either Mack, Gerstlauer would be an excellent addition to any of our parks and would fill a need for a coaster that still has plenty of thrills but would also be a great family ride. I am not putting into this category the Mack extreme spinner- I feel that would be better served as a thrill offering than what the other spinners would do. One of them would definitely be an excellent addition though. Other than Scooby, we really do not have a decent indoor coaster and I think if the parks could fit one in, it would be met with positiveness from the public- think something like The Mummy or Escape from Gringotts from Universal. Absolutely the same for me. I dont wish to see an RMC Raptor now we are getting Big Dipper but my reasons are a little more selfish- I enjoy the excluvisity of LPS having the only single rail In Australia. Interesting that you think it will be a more polished ride than a Raptor- on what criteria do you think that this will be the case?

Yeah you are correct here- the Xmas Lights Spectactular always sees huge crowds and is what gave me the impetus for the idea in the first place. Its probably never going to be a fully fledged theme park in reality, however, the region itself is diversifying and offering attractions and events that are quite popular. The winerys are looking for other attractions and events to keep the tourism dollar pumping into the region and concerts and events have been steadily growing in patronage and scope over the last 10- 15 years. Last August, a new $107 million dollar new out door concert ampitheatre with 22,000 capacity has been announced and is currently being built. The scope also includes a 100 bed hotel and specialist food and beverage dinining options. This is extremely close to the HVG site and will join the Mecure Hotel situated next door to the HVG and also the Crown Plaza resort in the area that is nice and close- adding in amusement park attractions to enhance an already popular attraction such as the HVG seems like a feasible thing to do. As for screams and noise, the site is well enough contained on its own entirety to remove that as an issue for mine. Here is the details for the new investment- sitting very close to the HVG site which can only help the broader appeal and visitiation of the surrounding attractions. https://themusicnetwork.com/cedar-mill-hunter-valley-venue/ The HVG is already a gated cost structure. They also have acquired over the last 3 years a permanent Ferris Wheel, a Wave Swinger, a Giant slide and several other smaller kiddie rides that are located in the back area. These are extra cost to the gated admission but if they were to go down the route and offer several more rides and attractions, then I feel that a wristband option would not be an unreasonable way of looking at pricing. As the park grows organically and the amusement section becomes just as big a drawcard as the Gardens itself, it could perhaps change to an all inclusive gated pricing structure. Wow. Well I did want to generate some discussion. Thanks at least for posting. As @DaptoFunlandGuy has already answered above quite eloquently, Wonderland's closure and sale were not for reasons of "failure"- there were a myriad of events that led to its demise and none of them could really be linked or overlaid on the success or failure of a new venture such as this. As for your other mind boggling statement regarding the rides choices chosen- well of course they are my picks and my opinions on what I think would work. However , to not call them brand names or rides that any sane person opening a theme park would buy, is one of the more preposterous statements I have ever seen on Parkz, if I am honest. Which of these ride manufacturers have you not heard of? Zamperla? Zierer? KMG? Fabbri? Technical Park? All of these manufacturers are VERY well known within the amusement industry and all of the examples of the rides chosen have multiple units located within amusement parks across the globe- with the exception of the Zamperla Gryphon- which as a new concept has not had an install yet. Remember I also put in very large type the word "Hypothetical" but I feel for added realism that any new regional park couldnt offer Intamin or B&M or any other top tier manufacturer immediately. However , I feel the rides chosen would make for a compelling offer for any park to open with. Yeah you are quite right here mate- I think that the natural evolution of the place is ripe for this sort of organic expansion. To add all this in one go is not something that will likely occur but the fact that the HVG already have sourced and installed a small collection of permanent rides such as the aforementioned WaveSwinger, Ferris Wheel and Giant Slide means they are looking at diversifying and enhancing their existing attractions. In 10 years they could quite reasonably have a decent collection and could become an nice , well themed regional park. For a brand new theme park this is absolutely the way to go and I think is the best case and site for NSW to receive a fully fledged , ground up and purpose built theme park. 100% agree here mate- I too have long thought that this site is very conducive for a future theme park. Its right on the M1 an hour in between NSW's 2 biggest cities with the Central Coast at its doorstep- in terms of population reach you cannot get any better. The Australian Reptile Park next door has shown that an attraction like this can survive at this location and if a theme park was located next door , then the 2 attractions definitely offer a compelling reason to visit for NSW residents. It has a lot going for it.

Ah!! Excellent!! That’s pretty much the way I surmised it would go. Bet they now will build an exit staircase from the unload platform to the Midway below. The Big Dipper entrance will ne for just that- the entrance to the queue line. That bridge will be an awesome photo opportunity!!

For a bit of fun, while we are experiencing lockdown blues, I thought I would pose the question to the group of where do you think a new Amusement park could be establised in NSW and there are certainly a number of places where this could work. I have given this some consideration and I feel that one place it could work is at the Hunter Valley Gardens. The Hunter Valley Gardens, for those who do not know, opened in 2003 and are in the Hunter Valley about 15 minutes from the town of Cessnock. The gardens span across 14 hectares of land, containing 10 differently themed gardens, accommodation, a shopping village, small rides/events and dining. The gardens are a popular venue in the Hunter Valley for weddings and events. Hunter Valley Gardens is the largest display garden in the Southern Hemisphere. I feel then the establishment of an amusement/theme park here with a host of attractions with some elements of thrills but focusing on family friendly attactions would be an absolute hit. Most of the attractions would be placed sparingly around the gardens with emphasis on a new back area where the majority could be situated. There is plently of room to expand and as the Gardens are already a successful attraction in their own right, this is the next evolution of that idea and follows in the footsteps of other similar parks around the world that offer similar dual attractions such as Alton Towers in the UK , Tivoli Gardens in Denmark and Efteling in the Netherlands. I have included 2 aerial shots of the Gardens to give context to placement and to also show the expansive room that we have to work with. In deciding on rides and attractions, I have tried to keep things fairly unique- the majority of these rides you will not find elsewhere in Australia. I think this is important for any new amusement park as the need to stand out and offer a point of difference is strong. Similarly , with the coasters I have selected, I have steered clear of any Top tier manufactuers such as Intamin, B&M or RMC. This is to keep it grounded in some semblance of reality and also to keep the focus on family thrills and not over the top , first level thrills that the top tier manufactuerers offer. I have selected 7 coaster which I feel fit the bill. These include: • Vekoma Invert- New generation • Preston and Barbieri Family Duelling Coaster • Zamperla Moto Coaster • Zamperla Thunderbolt • Zierer Elevated Seating Coaster • Reverchon Drifting Coaster • Technical Park Water Coaster For the flat rides I have included once again, a selction of rides that are not present at most other Australian parks and most are rides that offer elements of good thrills but are mostly also family friendly. There are some attractions that are old school but also some that are brand new concepts- so much so that a couple of them do not have an installation currently. I will also include a video concept of every ride below so that each ride selection can be seen in action to give a good grasp of context as to why the ride was chosen and what it would offer to the overall park. The flat ride selection that I have chosen include: • Technical Park Aerobat • Gerstlauer Dancing Pavilion • Gerstlauer Bavarian Express • Larson Tilt a Whirl • Larson Flying Scooter • Chance Freestyle • Gerstlauer Polyp • Zamperla Disk O • Zamperla Endeavour • RES Parachute Tower • Huss Airboat • Huss Condor Hybrid • Zierer Wave Swinger • Sartori Roto Techno • Sartori Twister • KMG Afterburner • Fabbri Alladin’s Ride Giant • Zamperla Hydro Lift • Zamperla Gryphon • Sartori Roundabout • Larson Drop Tower • Technical Park Big Wheel The Gardens are an already established attraction with an accompanying Village/Retail precinct and nearby adjacent hotel and there are also plenty of other wineries, attractions and dining options nearby to add to the value of a trip. I think this concept could definitely be a success , especially as the infrastructure for a major amusement park attraction such as parking and other ancilliary considerations are mostly there. Very interested in seeing what you guys think of the concept overall and whether you think it could work, what are the strengths of the proposal and what are the roadblocks that may stop it being a success. Also keen to hear feedback on the ride selection and whether you think the mix is good, or what changes you feel could work. Have a look at the video presentation for each ride to give you a better feel for how they could fit into the Hunter Valley Gardens theme park concept. Hunter Valley Gardens from the air: Coaster Possibilities Apart from Vekoma, I have avoided Top tier manufacturers for reasons stated above All of these coasters are envisaged to have respective theming and will be park models with permanent installations. I think a stage 2 could possibly add a small family wooden coaster and or a Vekoma Family Boomerang. Vekoma Suspended Thrill Coaster Preston and Barbieri Family Duelling Coaster Zamperla Motocoaster Zamperla Lightning/Thunderbolt coaster with 2nd generation trains Zierer Elevated Seating Coaster Reverchon Drifting Coaster Technical Park Water Coaster Flat ride attraction selection: All rides would be park models. All are rides that are currently being offered or produced by their individual manufacturers. Of course these rides would evisaged to be accompanied by respective theming. The videos selected are meant to show park models and examples of theming that could be possibilities with any install. Technical Park Aerobat Gerstlauer Dancing Pavilion Gerstlauer Bavarian Express Larson Tilt A Whirl Larson Flying Scooters Chance Freestyle Gerstlauer Polyp Zamperla Disk 'O' Zamperla Endeavour Intamin Parachute Tower Huss Airboat Huss Condor Hybrid Zierer Wave Swinger Sartori Roto Techno Sartori Twister KMG Afterburner Fabbri Aladdin's Ride Zamperla Hydro Lift Zamperla Gryphon Sartori Roundabout Larson Drop Tower Technical Park Big Wheel Of course this is all hypothetical but with very real considerations. The fact is that NSW is in desperate need for a major theme park in the long wake of Wonderland's lamented demise. Luna Park and its impending opening of its $30 million dollar investment will be brilliant but what the state needs is a destination park. These rides are all my own opinion of course, and I am sure that everyone will have an opinion or personal views on what rides they would like to see. As it stands, if a park offering these attractions were to open at Hunter Valley Gardens with reasonable themed elements then I think we would all be mostly pleased. The only thing that could be added for a Stage 2 would be as mentioned above , A family Wooden coaster, a Family Boomerang and some sort of Dark ride- be it a straight scare attraction or a shooter. I think the location would be a great fit, as the Hunter Valley Gardens are a great attraction in their own right and the addition of a theme park is not meant to detract or dilute this experience in any way whatsoever- in fact , in my mind , they are meant to be inclusive and be seen as a sum of the whole park eventually. Anyway a bit of fun, I look forward to seeing what discussion is generated from the overall idea and I would love to see what any of your ideas that you think could enhance it. Cheers!!

From what I have heard these trains have done amazing things for this SLC. The reveiws I have read have all pointed to how smooth the ride experience is and also zero headbanging or any issues that plague other SLC's. I guess it proves that the SLC layout is actually excellent- it never lets up for pacing- and that quality trains can make a huge difference. If Arkham had received these trains its likely Movieworld would be facing a different scenario to the situation it is now in with this ride.

Yeah I cannot agree with you here. Respect your opinion , but the Gold Coaster is nowhere near the worst Arrow layout ever made. Yes it was designed for and specifically built for LPS and whilst I do kind of agree that it was best in that location, as it stands now at Dreamworld, its actually a good fit. When it was first placed up there in the early 2000's it was a carpark coaster and quite bereft of anything that made it special at LPS- namely the closeness of the cliff and the out and back feel of the helix floating behind Coney Island. All this was pre Whitewater World. Now that WWW has grown organically around it, the coaster feels so much more settled and "permanent" in nature and there is a true sense that it belongs there. The helix around the slide tower provides excellent kinetic energy for WWW but it also provides a sense of journey for the riders of Gold Coaster, as they travel around its layout. Gold Coaster's worst and unforgivable feature is the queue line which successive rethemes have not completely fixed to be honest. Yes the relocation has made it much more rougher than what it was when it was at LPS however, with the newer Vekoma trains and the much better vest restraints, this is somewhat mitigated. (However in saying that , I do miss the original trains with the red LED lighting down the side- they looked sick at night when it ran at LPS). So in summary I would definitely remove Buzzsaw before even considering removing Gold Coaster. I do agree that its a shame that it will more than like leave Australian shores- thats the unfortunate harsh reality- and no one likes to see coaster counts reduce , especially in a country like Australia where our coaster count is not huge. I would be happy to see one of our smaller parks pick this ride up ( its an absolute bargain, given its age etc) but its not looking likely by any account or people in the know.

Ok!!

Ok. Any more details? Info?

In the midst of the exciting things and construction happening at Dreamworld, Seaworld and Luna Park Sydney, its easy to forget there is also major construction happening at Jamberoo as we speak! Things are coming along nicely and it appears that the new attraction and precint is on track for opening later this Summer! More updates to follow as they come to hand!

Excellent!!It looks great!! They aree obviously gearing up to open as soon as they can!! Great stuff!!

Here is an interesting post that Warwick Doughty, Director of Luna Park Sydney , posted in response to a question about the Big Dipper trains and their generic look. As most of us suspected, the choice of trains was limited to financial constraints by the park to design custom trains. Since this is a first install of this ride type, I get that this must have been part of the deal with Intamin and overall I can live with it. Its good to see that there will be theming and decals to be added to the trains in the coming months that will at least give some local park flavour and uniqueness to the trains and the ride itself.

Great vid mate thanks for sharing. It still doesnt answer the question of how the entry and exit queues will be installed- more and more it looks like there will need to be a stair and platform leaving over the intitial launch track to the main queue on the other side.

Yes- why wouldn’t it be? It’s not the first coaster to be built locally using manufacturer specifications. Just because it has new trains does not intrinsically change the design and the fact that it was designed by Arrow Dynamics and built to Aussie specifications. This coaster may have got rougher over the years , especially since moving to Dreamworld, but it is actually passing into being a historical example of the ride type- especially in Australia. Let’s enjoy it for what it is. 👍

Once again agree 100%. It’s had a good maintenance period, it’s been repainted, rethemed and it’s had new trains. The mechanics for this ride are fairly simple and parts should never be a problem.There are far older coasters than this still running perfectly well. It should have many good years left in her - that’s the short version.

100%. There is just no room for Buzzsaw in the first place and their $30 Million dollar investment means they are pretty much done with second hand rides. The ride is not even required at LPS- the Intamin Hot racer will be far superior to it in every way - heck I reckon Boomerang is probably bang for buck a better coaster. It just doesn’t fit into either their aesthetic or the type of ride they are looking for. To be honest, there is far more chance of it going to LPM ( and even that is slim to none.) At least they could actually fit the thing in the park , have available space and actually have a urgent need. It makes much more sense being installed at LPM more so than any other park in Australia with the exception of either Funfields or Gumbuaya.

Or a cow that looks like one. Or is that a frog? 😆 Then we will be getting somewhere!!! 🙂

How do you know it doesnt cut it without riding it first?

Hahaha funny..I like it.😏 Although it did take 6 months to formulate that reply.......🙄

Haha 😂 yep “is it Magician source reliable ?“ has now entered Parkz vernacular!! 😂

Yep......I think we are getting somewhere!!

Spot on for me as well. Perfect Storm is probably at the moment the best themed and wel presented slide in Australia for mine. The added elements of the the 2 smaller funnels really builds the anticipation of the main event- having the first funnel open air then the second enclosed and the main funnel also enclosed and with all the audio visual effects makes for a brilliant exciting ride that is very rerideable. There is a reason that the line for The Perfect Storm is always longer than the Funnel Web....

You mean the Eurofighter here Joz? That’s interesting. Most reviews I have seen or heard have always called them solid rides. There are now models that have lap bar only restraints and I think this has made a huge difference in ride experience for the better. There is no denying their popularity with parks across the world- there are 25 examples of the model worldwide. I think the Big Dipper trains , for all their generic aesthetics, do look comfortable and I think this is one area where they will even outshine Raptor trains- which are by all accounts , one of the weakest parts of the ride experience. Disclaimer I have ridden neither a Eurofighter or a Raptor and this damn COVID pandemic is preventing me from the opportunity to do so!!

The Orphan Rocker was the brain child of Phil Hammon and then in the early to mid 2000's the flame was picked up by his daughter, Anthea Hammon. At the time she was coaster obsessed and was actively working towards getting the Rocker open. However, the hurdles were numerous and due to a shift on her and Scenic World's priorities, the Rocker was never completed. They put considerable investment into first building the Scenic Cablecar, which journeyed to the bottom of the Jamieson Valley below, installing brand new "Red Devil" Trains on the Scenic Railway and installing and updating the Scenic Skyway, firstly by having it stop at a station on the other side, allowing you to make the picturesque walk back around to Scenic World and then finally by installing a larger , bigger capacity car that also had frosted glass technology, allowing the riders to view the valley floor below. They were also instrumental in building the walkway on the Valley floor , which gives riders of either the Scenic Cablecar or the Railway something to do- and it is a highlight and a must do. Parkz did an excellent article on Scenicworld and the Orphan Rocker about 8 years ago when several track pieces of the Rocker were removed. https://www.parkz.com.au/article/2017/07/12/522-Orphan_Rocker_roller_coaster_crumbles_at_Katoombas_Scenic_World.html Its such a shame that it did not open- it would have been a unique and awesome ride experience just for the location alone. Enthusiasts from all over the world would have travelled just to have a ride on this thing- it would have been even more infamous than it is now if it had actually opened! I think it is highly unlikely that Scenic World will ever build a proper coaster on the site- their priorities have shifted to more attractions that involve the mountain setting more than thrills. Also, residential opposition would be extremely strong and is also one of the Orphan Rocker's final nails in its coffin, with issues surrounding noise from the ride being cited as quite strong in the community and out of place for the site. At the very most, I could see them installing an Alpine coaster that could certainly be eco friendly, make excellent use of the terrain and would be a thrilling and appropriate installation at the site. However, I do not think that the Hammons would look into this type of attraction anymore. Something like this would be excellent however and is in a similar mountain setting in Switzerland.

Sorry but thats a big call not having seen the layout or the POV. Like I said I havent either but you have to remember that this was a unique layout that was designed with Luna Park's small and unique footprint in mind. I do not think you can confidently say whether it was good or not. However, we do know that Eurofighters are usually solid rides, they can pull off some excellent elements and they can be designed and fit in small or tight spaces just like Luna Park. Would it be as good as the Hot Racer? Unknown as NOONE has ridden an example of one yet nor the Big Dipper. Would the Eurofighter that was designed be just as good, just as iconic and as good a ride? I would argue yes indeed it certainly could have, especially what we have seen of Eurofighter models that have been installed worldwide. I am not sure how you could arrive at the opinion of it being "lame". However, as I have stated in a previous post, my preference is for the Intamin model for exactly the reasons I have laid out. However, I would not have been upset if the park had pushed ahead witht the Gerstlauer coaster. It would certainly not have been lame.

I havent found it. As I said I have not viewed it. I know of its existence as I have a close friend who was involved with the planning of the new rides and concepts. He has told me of the video and its existence ( he has it) and will show it to me in due course. I do not think that it will be for public release and consumption though and I respect that immensely. I was just replying to the post of which coaster would have been selected had it not been the Hot Racer- I can definitively say that it was a custom Gerstlauer Eurofighter.👍