Bussy

You would be surprised how much work they put into these 'specials'. When Great Outdoors went to Wonderland I was involved with filming and was surprised how much effort they put in. They were filming from about 9am to 6pm and were very interested to learn about the rides. Shelly (the presenter) is actually married to one of the, now ex, marketing managers, who along with Shelly used to work at a Gold Coast park. You people expect too much. First it's I want this ride, I want that ride. Don't worry if they cost way too much. Then it's this theming is crap, that theming is crap, blah blah blah. Now it's TV specials suck, you have to remember that the TV specials are done for the general public who love to see what’s new in the parks but don't care if the whole show is about parks or not. "The Bus is now leaving for ABLCS 9 Television Mast, South Australia"

Of course the don't have any control over that. From my experience I can tell you that the only thing operators do is start the ride and occasionally press the e-stop. Yes it doesn't compare as don't the wages. The staff for the rides in the States get paid very little, around $6USD and hour compared with $15AUD here. Don't forget to visit www.slickswetdream.com Open from November 15.

I would have removed Little Wonder's Land and extended the Wildlife Park into this area. This would include the demolition of Beastie. I would then build a kids/family coaster in the area between Balloon and Action Arena. Then get rid of Bush Beast and build a new steel coaster of some sort and like Bush Beast make it so it made a huge impact on the passing traffic. I would also increase the maintenance budget to allow the overhaul of the rest of the rides so that they were more reliable. "The Bus is now leaving for The Budget, Tasmania"

What? This thread hasn't been active for over a year and yet with all that time to think about your thread you still don't make any sense. "The Bus is now leaving for Sensation Gorge, Tasmania"

Maybe because no one cares. Oh wait, Gazza has replied. Glad to see you care Gazza. You took your time to reply didn't you? Remember piracy is bad and robs the developers of the software. On a serious note you could probably find a crack or a serial for it just have a look around. "Remember if it exists, it's on the Internet"™ Disclaimer: Piracy is bad and it contributes funds to international terrorist organisations, so don't do it. "The Bus is now leaving for Punchs Terror, Tasmania"

Just out of curiosity who are the moderators, if any, of this site? I just find it strange when you say 'staff' when as far as I can tell it's you and only you. "The Bus is now leaving for Pussy Cat Dam, South Australia"

I don't know who you heard that from but I think they were tugging something, and I don't mean your leg. How does hitting the magnetic brakes affect the winch motors (not engines)? I just don't see the link. Now think about the compressed air idea. Keep it in your mind. Think about it. Keep thinking about it. Now that you have thought about it do you realise what a stupid idea it is? Just think about the amount of pressure it would take to launch the cabin all the way to the top. "The Bus is now leaving for Magnet, Tasmania"

There was no programming involved in how tight the lap bars and harnesses went. Both the lap bars and harnesses are on ratchets so that if they come down during the ride they lock in and can only get tighter not loosen for very obvious reasons. The secret to the lap bars was to cross your legs after they had locked in, that way there was little or no pressure on the legs. "The Bus is now leaving for Lappar Tank, South Australia"

Cushions would probably work on Bounty's but the only problem with that is the weather. The cushions would become water logged very easily because unlike, say, Bush Beast there is cover for the ride when it is not operating. One of the main reasons for having a bench seat rather than specific seats is that it allows people of all shapes and sizes to go on the ride. It also allows for people to get to the other side of the ride easily, allowing them to put their loose articles in the correct place (we wouldn't want anyone to drop anything now would we?) and also get off the ride easily and quickly. Bucket seats wouldn't work for the reasons stated above and also it would require a complete re-design of the ride and would reduce the rides capacity by probably 10, from 50 to 40, to allow for sufficient room for the seats. "The Bus is now leaving for Pin Cushion Island, NSW"

Please don't put words in my mouth GoBoi. I never said that no one cares how the rides are presented, I said they don't care if they are on a trailer or not. How do you know that the attractions that are obviously on trailers are going to be in the park permanently? For all we know the management of the park could have plans to change the rides in the park every 12 months, 18 months, whatever, so spending a heap of money on a lot of themeing and signage is a waste of money. According to just about everyone here Australian parks don't take pride in the rides themeing wise or maintenance wise. So don't tell the majority of people on this forum don't have expectations way above what is realistic. If you want a park the standard of a Disney park go to California or Florida, don't ever expect it in Australia. "The Bus is now leaving for Disney, Queensland"

I've been meaning to ask for a while but why is cable used for on Top Thrill Dragster? I’m sure there would be a better, more reliable way of doing it rather than with a cable that can, and has, failed. "The Bus is now leaving for Drag Creek, ACT"

What type of seats would you recommend? There is a reason for the bench, yes it would do with some padding but that ride is a perfect example of safety before comfort and I commend the manufactures for that. A tyre blowing out on Bounty's is nothing compared to the cable snapping at Demon. The operator nearly s**t himself when it happened, luckily no one was injured. "The Bus is now leaving for Bench Point, Queensland"

What a load of crap! Most people who visit theme parks (and I use that term very loosely here) do not care about wether the ride they are about to go on is a travelling ride or not. When ordinary people go to theme parks they are so excited by the atmosphere (people screaming, the food, the anticipation of the wait for a ride) they don't care about minor details like 'is that ride on a trailer or no', they may notice it but don't pay any attention to it. Everyone here has high expectations of parks in Australia that will never be met. "The Bus is now leaving for Trailers Mountain, NSW"

I think your interest should not be in the deaths of people but the injuries sustained by complete stupidity. Unfortunately there is not official public record of these accidents but I would like to know how many of them are caused by loose articles coming off during a cycle. Here are a few nominations for the Darwin Awards that fit here well. The last one is a perfect example of why loose articles are dangerous. Do not wiggle out of a roller coaster. 1999 Darwin Award Nominee Confirmed True by Darwin Source (23 August 1999, Virginia) A New York student was killed Monday while riding in a stand-up roller coaster called Shockwave at Paramount Kings Dominion amusement park just north of Richmond. A spokeswoman for the park said that although the rider was not in the train when it returned to the station, the restraint system had not failed, nor was human error a factor. Rider misconduct was suspected. The 2-minute Shockwave coaster carries passengers through a loop, a side spiral, and an inverted loop. Passengers straddle a bicycle-style seat, with their feet firmly on the platform. An investigation revealed that the youth had engineered his own death by wriggling out of the harness so he could raise his hands in the air. During the first loop, his unrestrained body was thrown from the car to a catwalk, were they found him dead from a massive head wound. I guess you could say he had the thrill of his life. Do not duck under a roller coaster. Source (1998, California) Tales of roller-coaster accidents are the stuff of nightmares. It turns out that such tragedies are less common than folklore would have us believe. In "The Science of Roller Coasters," Ted Oehmke reveals that there have been "only 42 such deaths in the last 11 years." It is tempting to dwell upon whether the number 42 is a coincidence, or just exceedingly improbable. At any rate, such a fate was suffered by one particularly unfortunate middle-aged gentleman on the Top Gun coaster at Great America. The recipient of this Darwin Award lost his red baseball cap on the ride. It flew into an area under the coaster. As if the danger of ground directly beneath a speeding roller coaster was not self-evident, there were prominent "Restricted Area" signs every fifty feet. After exiting the platform, the man ignored both common sense and warning signs. He climbed two fences to retrieve his hat, only to lose his head when a passenger's foot kicked his neck and derailed his plans. The woman broke her leg and lost her shoe, and is suing for damages. Kissing a Roller Coaster 2004 Reader Submission Pending Acceptance August 28, 1998 Source WORKER KILLED AFTER BEING HIT BY A ROLLERCOASTER TRAIN An employee of Joyland Amusement Park located in Wichita, Kansas, was killed Thursday after he was struck by the train on the park's classic wooden roller coaster. According to reports the employee was doing some gardening work near the tracks and just got too close. He died instantly after the train hit him. News reports stated that Joyland Amusement Park did not have any rules banning maintenance work near the tracks, while the Roller Coaster is in operation. The wooden roller coaster has a classic out and back layout, designed by Herb Schmeck. The Roller Coaster opened in 1949 and is recognized as an ACE classic Ok, I remember vividly that day what happened, and this article is missing some crucial facts. The employee of this amusment park was weed eating around the the bottom of the roller coaster, specifically were the trough of the tracks decent is just a mere 5 feet and few inches above the ground. His mind deafend by the combnation of the weed eater, the walkman he was wearing, and the sheer lack of common sense, and the fact never must of crossed his mind where theres track there could be a roller coaster. Its hard to tell what makes some people tick, but in order to more comfortably weed eat in a tight spot without hunching in a annoying crouched postion under the ride, he casually peered is head up between and above the tracks to continue his labours work. Which the timeing could not have been any worse or better which ever way you think. He kissed the roller coaster of death head on, knocked his head clean off, probably didn't even know what hit him, with out a doubt that had to leave a lasting impression on the people in the front of the coaster, maybe even on there shirts. I was suprised I didn't find this incident on your site. I think he's a formidable contender for his long awaited Darwin Award... "The Bus is now leaving for Valley Of The Shadow Of Death, NSW"

Have you read any other thread on the forum scott? Because just like every other thread here it stays on topic for a maximum of 5 posts and then goes wherever it likes. "The Bus is now leaving for Topi Topi, NSW"

Favourite rides: Demon and Snowy. Demon was just heaps of fun, I can't put my finger on why, it just was. Snowy because there was always two operators there and therefore someone to talk to and secondly because people would complain about getting wet, after waiting for up to 90 min with people walking past soaking wet and the signs saying 'You will get wet', you could only laugh at them. Hated rides: Zodiac and any of the kiddy rides. Zodiac was like a giant hot plate during summer with all that concrete. Also stupid kids running out under the ride when it was about 2 meters off the ground. Kiddy rides, where do I start? Teenagers asking if they could go on them. "The Bus is now leaving for Boundary Rider, South Australia"

I have to agree with Richard on this one. It is insulting to the memory of this truly great man to waste $15 or $20 million on a ride. A better tribute would be to spend that money on research into stem cells. With that kind of money the scientists will be well on their way to solving a huge problem in the world. Wouldn't that be a more fitting tribute? While on the subject or stem cells, I think that governments around the world are very narrow minded by not allowing the use of this invaluable human product. "The Bus is now leaving for Cumberland College Of Health Sciences, NSW"

Just out of interest, how was the park looking? Was the lake looking skanky? Were there heaps of weeds growing up through the paths made of pavers? Make up your mind. First you say that it's a fact that the price tag is $150,000 - $250,000 but then go on to say that it could be $400,000, which is it? Which Space Probe sign are you talking about? Also the merchandise from the park is long gone. Anything with the marvel logo on it was sent to Sunway Lagoon, as were the toys from the games and all the staff uniforms, except for the ones that I (and other ex-staff) have. Sorry Shifty I hate to shoot holes through your story (not really, I love to do it) but before you post a load of crap, remember that other people on this site know a lot more about what is going on that you do. "The Bus is now leaving for Melon Shooter Yard, South Australia"

They have to keep up the maintenance on the rides on the off chance that they sell one. It's no good selling a ride that doesn't work. And before everyone starts saying "It's Wonderland and the rides didn't work", they did but not very well. They can't get on with the development of the site because Sunway still own it until January when the new owners (ING) take over and start developing the site. "The Bus is now leaving for Trade Development Zone, Northern Territory"

Zodiac hasn't been operated for about a month or so now. At the moment the ride is sitting in a horizontal position, the reason for this is that the hydraulic fluid equalizes in the tanks and causes the ride to move to the horizontal. This process happens surprisingly quickly, of a morning the ride would have risen about 1-2 meters in about 2-3 hours after maintenance had done their checks. "The Bus is now leaving for Zodiac Cay, Queensland"

GET OVER IT! Do you really think that Bush Beast is worth saving considering it has been sitting idle for 6 months? The quicker they get rid of it the better. Wonderland is still getting calls from people who drive past and see the rides and call to find out if the place is going to re-open. "The Bus is now leaving for Call-Anda Park, South Australia"

Well they have sucked you into going there haven't they? One thing really bugs me about the discussions on this forum is the misconception by many here that Australian parks are of a standard which they aren't. I have said it many times before, Australian parks will never have the standards of North American parks due to many reasons which I couldn't be bothered going through again. If you want great theming, go and live in the States. "The Bus is now leaving for American Beach, South Australia"

I was going to say Dugong as well just because of what was said earlier. The only difference is that it won't be a breeding program straightaway. Is the Dugong young? Because they get up to about 400kg's, a long way from the 160 Joz said. "The Bus is now leaving for Dugong Inlet, Queensland"

I've just looked at the park map and judging the angle the photo is from, my guess is that Hussy's photo was taken from the chairlift using a big zoom. There is probably something in the way that everyone knows about but seeing as I haven't been in to the park for 10 years you can't really blame me. "The Bus is now leaving for Sir Thomas Blamey Square, ACT"

I read a while ago that the seals were getting a new enclosure. I can't remember where it was going to be, or even if the article said where. I don't remember where I read it so I can't provide the article but it was in the last couple of months. "The Bus is now leaving for Sealers Corner, Heard and McDonald Islands"