The Sunlander

There was a big crowd and the train proved to be very popular all day.

So there you go, all you gloom and doom forecasters. The ride is reopening - Dreamworld has officially reported.

Yes - The Perry was transported from Dreamworld to the Australian Narrow Gauge Railway Museum Society's site at Woodford on 6 November 2014.

Have you looked for one behind the Trainshed? One was there last time I looked not so long ago. Negotiations for the one at Woodford started about 8 years ago and yes, sometimes things move slowly. It did finally go with the Perry.

Yes. 20-odd years ago two trains operated. The carriages running at the present time are the original set from "Day 1" and are exact replicas of the carriages at Disneyland (although running on two foot gauge track instead of three foot.) The van where the conductor rides is known as "The Motz" (Motzarella van) because of its red/white/green paint scheme. It houses an axle-driven air compressor for air-braking through the train and an alternator for the public address system and lighting for night running. The second set of three open carriages - the so-called freight cars - was dispensed with around 20 years ago - one was scrapped, one was donated to Woodford about 8 years ago, and one remains (in poor condition) and resides outside the Trainshed. It has been used on occasions to transport branches from trees trimmed from line-side, to a point where they can be transferred to truck for disposal. Hi, Don't forget to get a good photo of the Perry under repair there.

Yes, an old photo alright - displaying the polished appearance the engines were always presented in. The style of overalls worn by the driver was not used in the last 16 years, It appears to be a specially posed photo (as a publicity shot perhaps??) as there are no carriages attached. Thanks T-bone.

Thank-you Ashley for your help here. So that means that the only rides that are still with us from Day 1, 34 years ago, are The Train, Vintage Cars (although on a different location), and Log Ride.

Thanks, Ashley. A little shaky, but a good look at what was there in 1989. So much has changed. In earlier days there was much about entertainment - the barbershop quartet, bushrangers, magician and card tricks, shooting gallery, Blue Lagoon aquatic area, IMAX theatre, Captain Sturt paddle-wheeler - whereas today emphasis is on new rides guaranteed to make you lose your milkshake. The IMAX was a real eye-opener. Some of the earlier buildings survive, somewhat prettied up, and the original rides - The Train, Vintage Cars, and Log Ride still provide for the guests. Clothing styles have changed too! Short shorts and mini-mini skirts have made an appearance in recent years. A question - Was the River Rapids ride open on day one? If so it can be included in the group of three rides above that have survived. Here is a flash-back video-clip of 1981 by Channel 7 in2010. Admission price in the beginning was $11.50 for adults. https://youtu.be/Z2qwWCyVZxQ

You are both right, Brad2912 and buzzkill13 in your explanation of difficulties in the event of something mechanical going wrong on the ride. These things do happen on occasion - a very good point to ponder. One must always expect the unexpected.

Not everyone examines a website before going to a location such as Dreamworld. I for one, bought a year pass to movieworld/seaworld some time back and went there without examining the website. I picked up a list of attractions when I arrived and had an enjoyable time, with no drama. It is a bit much to expect that guests will find all of these (fine print) details before hand. It would have saved the day for the quests if DW had explained all details at the admission gate and made suggestions about appropriate rides. I believe that the guest knows of her abilities more than some other person who has never seen her, and upon viewing a ride in action, can make up her own mind. I do not believe there should be an issue of the guest being thrown out of the ride in operation, as all harnesses and safety devices lock the guest in place, and once locked, should be foolproof.

did not like the ride -

Seeing DW regularly over the years it is very obvious that East Asian tourists are the money spinners. DW must have a good, aggressive campaign to woo them. Without them, I am sure DW would go broke. After all, tacking on a morning at DW is nothing compared with the trip to Australia/Gold Coast. The sad thing is that souvenirs appear to be almost exclusively made in China. I can imagine a Chinese tourist picking up a koala souvenir and exclaiming - Look, this is what cousin Jimmy makes at his factory.

I vote for Lassiters Lost Mine ride.

Best? It must be the first coaster I ever went on - I must rate it highly. The old woodie at Sydney Luna Park back in 1966. Being my first, it carries a special mention - I went on it a couple of times. Worst? Hard to say - I've been on a few disappointments in my time.