Aussie World - quick review

[djmcbell]

So, mid-November we (by which I mean me, my wife, and three boys - 9, 4 and 2) went to the Sunshine Coast and decided while we were there to do Aussie World. Flying into the Gold Coast (as the flights and car hire were a pissload cheaper), we then drove to Caloundra (which took a good while, thanks Brisbane traffic) and did the nearby Aussie World on the first day.

Aussie World is... small. This isn't your Movie World or Dreamworld, nosiree. This is "hey, we've got this area of land, let's cram in as many rides as we can. And of wildly varying quality".

Okay, maybe that last bit is a bit mean.

Look, rides are expensive to buy or build, let's say that first and foremost. There's no use anyone saying "oh they don't have anything like Steel Taipan so they suck" - I'm sure the park would love to have the kind of money for that, or the kind of space. But that's not going to happen anytime soon.

So what you do have is a collection of rides that has something for everyone - and I mean everyone - to spend a good few hours on (I believe it was open 10-3 when we went), and barely a queue in sight. Rather than describe each ride, I'll just do what I remember being the highlights.

The little train, when we got in, was a good little ride for the kids, and our middle child enjoyed the car race (he even managed to steer well enough) and the chair swings.

At the top of the park, the SX360 or whatever it is was a hit with my wife and I, and got some great airtime. It's always good to go on those rides and just relax, let gravity do its thing.

And the Dingo Racer (I think that was it's name) is alright. Our eldest loved it by default, being one of the only coasters in the park. I've done a few of these coasters before, and they're average. There's also a Caterpillar coaster which does two laps, which our middle child enjoyed.

The Wasp however was the ride that got the better of me, as I just felt ill from the moment it started. Probably a great little ride, but I don't think I can stand up to much spinning any more.

But nothing could prepare us for the tiny little roundabouts near the entrance, and how our two-year-old loved them. He'd cackle with glee every time they set off, waving to everyone as he went round. A (maybe overly) enthusiastic ride operator too.

Again, at the time there were barely any queues and the place was nice and clean. However, there isn't anything that stands out - and I guess, considering cash and space, there can't be.

Bottom line - it's an alright park to do once if you're in the area. Nothing special.

Other things we did on this trip - Australia Zoo was good fun, and Noosa was pretty (and very tiring to push a pram around with two boys in it). The beach area in Brisbane's South Bank was good, if a little crowded. Caloundra is nice, the Sea Life Centre good, Bribie Island pretty peaceful. Good holiday - we wanted something more relaxing, ended up being one of our busiest holidays.

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

1 hour ago, djmcbell said:

Good holiday - we wanted something more relaxing, ended up being one of our busiest holidays.

That sums up the Sunshine Coast for me - always seems like it'll be so relaxing and always ends up near-frantic pace.