bluman

The Spider has been relocated to the top of the park next to the Enterprise and the Twin Dragon. LPM seemed very busy considering it was also the 2nd day of the Melbourne Show. There was a queue at most attractions. However some of the theming is a bit suspect. Am wondering what Fox will be doing to rejuvinate the Park.

The $60 deal at Adelaide is good value considering it also includes entry to the Show as well. Unlimited rides between 10am and 6pm including No Limits (which was $15 a ride here!) However, I believe Adelaide needs to look at the layout of the carnival and side-show alley for the 2007 show. I was also surprised a couple of rides did not go to Melbourne from Adelaide. eg: Mega drop, Slingshot and we all know about Twin Flip!

Prison Break Live is situated on the former Spider site next to the Carousel. I didn't go on it, but there were a few willing to wait. From what I gathered it's a dark walk through attraction like a maze with people inside acting as prisoners and guards. There seemed to be lot of smoke coming from the attraction. The attraction is small with an approximate 6 metre x 12 metre footprint.

The Ferris Wheel is the one from the Docklands. I believe its been in Australia for about 12 months or so. The claim it is the largest of its type in the Southern Hemisphere. It will probably go back there after the Show has finished I wonder what happened to the Durkin Skymaster Wheel? Any clues? In Adelaide they keep the frame and wheel up all year round but remove the gondolas. This year they were removed by lunchtime Sunday.

An article in today's "Sunday Age" has a picture of the ferris wheel being contructed. It looks like the one that was at the Docklands. Does anyone know if the Durkin Sky Master will still be used? I'll be at the Melbourne Show on Wednesday 27th September. B

It wasn't a bad day. Had some morning showers. I reduced the size of the photos, I can increase the size when they go into the Gallery. Cheers, B

Was at the Adelaide Show today. The carnival layout is much the same as previous years. The sligshot has been moved slightly with the Extreme G Force ride taking its place. Didn't like the placement of this ride It should have been placed in the main section of the carnival. The Space Roller was attracting a bit of interest. Though the queues for most rides wasn't long. The Rockin' Tugboat looked like an interesting ride for the kids! Work Safe SA Inspectors spent a good part of the afternoon looking at the Twin Flip, with a security guard posted at the ride with all entry points secured with incident tape. I don't know how rides like the Mega Mix survive. At most there was only 3 or 4 people on it at any given time today. I would like to see the return of some of the older rides to Adelaide like the Zipper (a favourite!) I'll be heading across to Melbourne in a couple of weeks and have planned to attend the new look Showgrounds. I've atttached a couple of pics from today. Cheers, B

Hoping to get to the Adelaide Show later this week. Will try to take some pics for you. Cheers, bluman

Has anyone got a pic of te Space Roller?

Yes it is the same one that has been touring for a couple of years. It was only in melbourne for the Commonwealth Games before heading to Sydney for the Easter Show.

Hi All, Has anyone been to the Ferris Wheel at Waterfrony City. They claim it's the largest in the Southern hemisphere? Though the park was closed the day I went down, a sign said it is opened on the weekends. That will account for two of the gondolas missing! In addition, there were a few trailer based rides scattered around including Wittingslow's Pirate.

For those history buffs out there. This month's edition of SA Life has a 4 page article about Luna park Adelaide. It also includes a number of black and white images of the Park and rides including the Big Dipper. I'll endeavour to upload in the next couple of days.

I don't think MLT will be investing in more parks on the Gold Coast during 2006. Maybe Kyle was confused about the Dreamworld Water Park. MLT is spending $56 million on this stand alone park.

Is Big Brother changing format this year? Previously, BB has had a daily nightly show at 7pm. Recent ads for The Biggest Loser (which starts early February) state that it will be on weeknights at 7pm for the next 4 months. If thats the case, BB will either start later or the daily show will move to another timeslot. Has anyone heard anything?

There is a heavy duty rubber based system that is made out of recycled tyres that have been utilised by some local councils. It can be coloured to blend in with theming requirements. As it is rubber based, it reduces the risk of injury from falls, as it is waterproof and skid resistance. It is reasonably flexible in its application to pathways and can be used to cover extensive areas.

Didn't Wittingslow's manage LPM at one stage in the 80's?

Is it possible it is now at Melebourne's Luna park - they have a very similar ride that was installed in the 80's?

What a silly idea, closing in the middle of the peak season. Alot of us Southerners usually arrive around this time of year (I myself had plans to venture north in late December). Does anyone know the reasoning except that BB will start on air a little earlier than previous season. I hope SSE, Channel 10 and Dreamworld re-visit this closing date! Cheers, B

The Big Dipper Station was located where the metropolis is now! From the station it was on a slight incline and self propelled until u hit the motorised chain pull to take you up the hill. The first drop was quite extreme with a couple off head choppers throughout. The Big Dipper ran behind the building that originally housed The Whip downstairs and the Dodgems upstairs. I remember one night we were there, it was raining quite heavy and the brakeman (the brakes to the station were manually operated) forgot to engage, so we went flying through the station. I will say it was a very fast ride and one of the best experienced at LPM. Unfortunartely, the Scenic Railway is not what it used to be! Safety contrainsts have been applied with the second lap of the park being quite slow - i think this is due to the age of the ride ( and Workcover). I have many fond memories of LPM, as we used to go there alot

Isn't DW re-commissioning it to re-open in February 2006?

Action Events owns a Zipper! www.actionevents.com.au They offices in Sydney, but I think the Zipper is based in Victoria. Wittingslow's Enterprise was sold overseas, not sure who has a traveling one these days. The Taipan was at the Melbourne Show but wasn't at the Adelaide Show. Does anyone know if it was at Ekka??

This should help you: http://www.bellsamusements.com.au

There was an intersting article in one of the weekend papers regarding HK Disneyland and how it will be good for the economy (the government has supported the venture financially) and relying heavily on tourism to support. However, the funniest part was the journalist trying to be cynical with the line about bugs eating the outdoor furniture and Disney Cast Members having to deal with stray dogs. There was also mention that at the preview there was a lack of furniture (which ws to be rectified before te opening) and that the food menu was to be revised to a more Asian feel. They also mentioned that Shanghai was on trak to open in 2012.

I don't think MV should replace The Police Academy Show with the Dukes of Hazard. The the PA Show has been there for many years, it is still quite popular and still gets the laughs.

Twin Flip looks wicked and has been quite popular. The fun park looks great at night, however, the ride operators should take more care with maintenance. Many of the rides have lights that don't work. The Mad Mouse trains look as though they have had a make-over. Overall it looks great, though a little nostalgic for some of the wittingslow rides eg: the zipper, turbo, which don't seem to travel!