What would you like to see happen to the Bush Beast?

[GoGoBoy]

I disagree. Bush Beast got to a point where it was physically painful for a lot of people and caused a lot of distress. I don't think any ride should cause actual pain. My last ride on Bush Beast was over 10 years ago so I can't personally comment but I can imagine how uncomfortable it was judging by various reports. I rode the Scenic Railway at Melbourne's Luna Park a couple of years ago and it was hideous. What could have been a fun ride with great views was just really unpleasant. I can understand your point about wooden coasters being noisy and giving that out of control feeling but there should still be a level of passenger comfort. On top of this, ask any of the guys here that have ridden some of the decent woodies in the states and they will tell you that they can actually deliver a really smooth, but still totally fun ride. You need to come to terms with the fact that Bush Beast was comparatively a poor ride and certainly not maintained properly

[rappa]

Its funny because whilst it got a bit violent towards the end it certainly never gave me any 'injuries.' Funniest thing is on the last day of operation I actualy found the front seat to be quite smooth! :eek: I will however say that yes it was shockingly maintained, you only had to look at the giant 'holes' in the track after you came out of the station to see this. Same goes for the way it would lock up in the the banked turn after the second drop. Its 100% true what you say though, Ghostrider is one kick arse woodie which has that roughness but it a very comfortable and good ride. Compare this the Psyclone at SFMM which is painful and rough and not fun at all.

[Bussy]

Bush Beast got to a point where it was physically painful for a lot of people and caused a lot of distress.

Having operated Bush Beast literally hundreds of times I only heard about maybe 5 complaints about the roughness of the ride. Considering that’s 5 out of thousands it’s not too bad. Again it’s a case of 'coaster geeks' vs. 'casual riders'.

I will however say that yes it was shockingly maintained, you only had to look at the giant 'holes' in the track after you came out of the station to see this.

Were these holes just before the transfer section? If they are the holes I am thinking about they were used for maintenance on the brake fins on the trains. Basically the train would be sent out of the station and the stopped on the transfer brakes, one of the maintenance boys would then go up underneath and check the fins. "The Bus is now leaving for Fin Reef, Queensland"

[rappa]

Nah Bus I'm not talking about gaps in the boarding between the tracks I was refering more to 'pits' in the track itself, where you could physicaly feel the train sink in and out of. It was mostly at its worse (then again it could just be because that's where you were moving slow enough to see) just after you left the station on the turnaround into the lift. All that being said I always found it still fun to ride and my last ride on that coaster is certainly one of the most memorable I've had on any ride ever.

[T-bone]

I agree with goboi. Yes the Bush Beast was at some area's painful, but the ride was comfortable. It had decent seats which were properly cussioned, and enough leg room. Now if you want a rough coaster which is indeed painful, uncomfortable and indeed should have retired thousands of years ago, Go to LPM's Scenic Railway.

[zordmaker]

You need to come to terms with the fact that Bush Beast was comparatively a poor ride and certainly not maintained properly

I dont think anyone has challencged that statement. All I was saying is that in my opinion.. the less attention the better. Im sure when I get aroundot riding a well maintained woodie I'll also enjoy the experience. However it won't be like the Bush Beast. Now.. on rides that hurt.. that bloody Bounty's Revenge. Now THAT was a killer. ZordMaker

[zordmaker]

Its funny because whilst it got a bit violent towards the end it certainly never gave me any 'injuries.' Funniest thing is on the last day of operation I actualy found the front seat to be quite smooth!  :eek: .

BB's best car was always the second last... IMO. ANd of course everyone knew the Red Train was the one that broke bones. The Yellow Train was a cushion ride in comparison. ZordMaker

[stdragon03]

I recently had a change of heart about the Bush Beast.Like most of you i agree especially in its later years it was a poor ride but when it first open it was a great coaster.It's sister coaster Grizzly at Kings Dominion which was built around the same time.Is still a great wooden coaster today it's smooth and gives pretty good pops of airtime.This suggest to me that the Bush Beast could still be useful in the right hands. The Bush Beast could be added value to any park,they could have it relocate to their park adjust the track Heights and Angles buy new rolling stock and tidy it up in general.

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

or they could just buy some more wood, bolts, nails, brakes and controls, along with the new rolling stock in general, and built a much more stable, newer, softer riding woodie, that isnt made out of half rotted southern yellow pine that was milled in 1980. personally, im all for preserving bush beast. i am however against relocation. not worth it, and not a fitting end to its life..

[Bussy]

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"

[mercedes]

I have to agree. The longer the rides at the park sit idle, the more likely people are to get a false impression that it will reopen at some point in time. I had the opportunity to walk through the park a couple of days ago and everything is so neglected. For example, the tassie devil is still sitting out the back dismantled, the tarps that were covering the ride have blown off and it subject to the elements. Clearly the park are asking too much for their rides as most remain.

[GoGoBoy]

Wonderland's Malaysian owners don't want to bargain. They have already made millions out of the park and are obviously not going to be happy until they squeeze every last cent out of the place. I hope it backfires

[DaveB]

Wonderland's Malaysian owners don't want to bargain. They have already made millions out of the park and are obviously not going to be happy until they squeeze every last cent out of the place. I hope it backfires

On a tangentally related note... A month or two ago I noticed the Zodiac either in operation (ie gondolas actually moving) or having recently operated (ie different arm raised cf last time) when on my frequent morning drives westbound along the M4. I note that previous discussions here suggested that such operations were likely related to maintenance. However, driving along this week (after a break of a few weeks) I have noticed that the Zodiac appears to be permanently part-raised... of course it's difficult to tell at 100+ km/h, but the Zodiac doesn't seem to have the same height profile and the higher arm seems to be in a less vertical plane. Daveb.

[stdragon03]

Yeah i do considerate it worth saving even if it is to be relocated. A little History in 1980 a Park in SanAntonia Texas called PlayLand closed its doors.A wooden coaster called The Rocket originally built in 1948 remained idle for five years.In 1985 Knoebels Amusement Resort at Elysburg bought it for 1.5Million dollars.It was dissasembled and rebuilt by Charles Dinn it became known as the Pheonix. Today its one of the best wooden coasters on this planet.Enthusiast who have ridden both say the Pheonix is better than the original Rocket coaster at SanAntonio. This is probaly the best known relocation of a coaster that i know of and is my reason why i think the Bush Beast could work again. Like i said previously in the right hands the Bush Beast could still have some potential and be an assest to another park

[Nightshifter]

it would be great to relocate the bush beast to say movie world to add to their wil west collection, there is only the wild west there so it could make a good impression on the park and i mean when u re-esemble it i think it will be better because the tracks would be more looked after and possible smoother, like the cyclone which when it was reopened in dreamworld it was much smoother becasue it was facelifted. The bush beast is a classic roller coaster and Australia's only proper wooden roller coaster. Both beastie and bush beast should be bought and relocated in Australia.

[Slick]

Movie World is a park of dignity, so don't get your hopes up about anything that starts with the letter B and comes from WLS coming up here. I think that unless it was newer, and bigger, Movie World wouldn't take it for a second.

[Bussy]

A month or two ago I noticed the Zodiac either in operation (ie gondolas actually moving) or having recently operated (ie different arm raised cf last time) when on my frequent morning drives westbound along the M4. I note that previous discussions here suggested that such operations were likely related to maintenance. However, driving along this week (after a break of a few weeks) I have noticed that the Zodiac appears to be permanently part-raised... of course it's difficult to tell at 100+ km/h, but the Zodiac doesn't seem to have the same height profile and the higher arm seems to be in a less vertical plane.

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"

[coaster_crazee]

Why are they still doing maintanance on the rides at WL? why dont they just dismantle them and get on with whatever they're gonna do with the site?

[zordmaker]

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. "

Well they wont have to worry in another 4 months because the phone will be disconnected. ZordMaker

[Bussy]

Why are they still doing maintanance on the rides at WL? why dont they just dismantle them and get on with whatever they're gonna do with the site?

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"

[Nightshifter]

my friend went to the park, becasue they are selling off any last merchandise, and any thing from the park such as the space probe sign, demon sign, and any scenery and anything they can sell is being sold, he said the rides are being fixed becasue there are many buyers both in australia and overseas willing to buy the rides. If the space probe and demon arent sold to anyone, any there is a ruomer that a small park in america wanted the demon (only a ruomer) that both rides will be sent to the malaysian theme park. At this stage the large beach tower and slides are on sale for $150 000 - $250 000 that is a fact, i know for sure the price is in between that park or maybe just a little outside that mark, but it is well under $400 000. The space probe sign is on sale for $20 apprantly, everything is really cheap there at the moment.

[Slick]

Bit over-priced for the water tower from knowledge really. Can someone pick me up a sapce probe gondola?

[Bussy]

I had the opportunity to walk through the park a couple of days ago and everything is so neglected.

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?

At this stage the large beach tower and slides are on sale for $150 000 - $250 000 that is a fact, i know for sure the price is in between that park or maybe just a little outside that mark, but it is well under $400 000.

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"

[Nightshifter]

no man, i respect what you have to say, i'm posting just reinforce what you said, but i didn't say the price was $400 000, i said it was inbetween the $150 000 - $250 000, but if i was wrong if it is a little under or a little over i wrote that it is under $400 000 for sure, its not $400 000 its under that mark definately. But no i know im not the only person here who knows more, im telling everyone now, i dont know everything as a certainty and i will never be certain until its on tv or something. Im not a fan of rumours but there have been stax. As far as im concerned i think no rides will be moved around australia and nothing new will happen in any park in the near future, if there were anything, dremworld would be the first to make a new ride for sure suprising us with new attractions every year.

[mercedes]

The park was looking really derelict. Yes there were weeds growing through the paths, many plants had died due to lack of water. In respect to anything that held water, everything had been drained. People were on site pulling up pavers and removing fencing. Everything was being removed while the rides sat idle.