Jobe

Potential? No one is arguing that they do not have the potential. But that is not what we were discussing. The big issue is would they at this current time? And the answer is a resounding no. None of the expansion plans they have put forward have even looked at any dry rides or attractions, with the exception of the Alpine Coaster. And even then the plans for one have been put on hold or indefintiely deferred. To be honest, this is the only dry attraction that would make sense at this time. Jamberoo are expanding their water park operations because that is exactly what they need to do. My information was that they had submitted the DA and then voluntarily withdrew it. Either way its on hold or not in their short to medium plans. Seriously? Look I love the Illawarra and South Coast region immensely however to compare what it offers to the Gold Coast and say they are nearly competing on even terms shows a bias that is clearly clouding better judgement. ☝️ This is all that needs to be said.

Yeah this was mentioned and noticed in the other post on launch day. Given that the train only holds 7 riders and the fact that this will probably be the most popular ride in the park, its a given that Luna Park would have and need 2 train operations. Not too sure about having 3 trains though- not 100% sure given the shortness of the ride if this is possible and it would probably be overkill , to be honest.

Definitely possible but in my estimation not likely. We may see track arrive by the time Stage One is ready to open but since there is nothing underneath the non inverting loop or sidewinder I am thinking all attention and effort will be on working on Luna Land. Sure footers may be done by then and there maybe preliminary work , but I am betting that track will not appear until after the June reopening.

Hahaha I am betting Sledgehammer to win that contest. SX360 will open , eventually. Actventure- now thats a big open ended question. I HOPE it does- it has the potential to be awesome for the Sunshine Coast. Its still very much a wait and see at this point.

Yeah saw this last night - it was a good video. Pretty well researched and could not discern any notable discrepencies or inaccuracies. I like his channel- he has some good stuff. Love his intro theme tune though- that always puts a smile on my dial!! 😄

Yeah thought so. Best to say where pics come from really though. We are all connected in some ways as enthusiasts over various platforms and it’s not cool to rip someone else’s work off and pass it as our own. Just a small acknowledgment is all that’s needed . It’s the fairest way. 👍

Yeah agree. The Grand Gorge Falls was a bit of a mouthful and Velocity Falls gives greater connotations of speed! Looking forward to it!! Bring it on!!

You wont though. As reported in the other thread, Big Dipper is part of Stage 2. It will not be opened until December this year. All other rides will be opened by June and that is when the park will be reopened. We just have to be patient and wait a little longer for the new Big Dipper. Hehehe...or you got it from a Facebook group where it was just posted? Its ok man, it doesnt really matter but just be honest on where they came from- unless of course you are friends with the guy who posted this?

Interesting. Source?

WTF???? Those comments are entirely innapropriate and disrespectful to the poor victims that lost their lives on that ill fated night. Ha!! Awesome!! Well at least we know the final fate of the poor old Tumblebug!! Great find mate!!

Thats interesting. I had thought that the Tower of Terror would have proved to be a bigger investment but I stand corrected. I am guessing this is also taking into account land clearing and theming costs?

For any that might be interested there is an upcoming investigative documentary on the ABC regarding the 1979 Luna Park Ghost Train fire. Award winning journalist Caro Meldrum - Hanna is investigating a 42 year old mystery - the ghost train fire at Sydney Luna Park in 1979 #ExposedABC starts 16 March 8.30pm (NSW time) This is not to be missed as the full extent and investigation of the rumours surrounding the Luna Park Sydney Ghost Train fire are laid bare!! This is a must view if you love Amusement park history- especially the tragic circumstances surrounding this terrible event in our most beloved amusement park. Set you recorders or watch on Iview I am sure this will be very interesting viewing!

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