Big Banana To Expand With Waterpark

[JacobSibbald]

A pool for $20-$30k? Backyard pools are more than that...

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

Having just priced one for my own house, i'm fairly confident the pricing is relatively accurate... A commercial installation may extend the price a little more, however since you didn't take issue with my ~$500k slide structure, i'm fairly confident that a splashdown pool of even triple my estimated cost would still keep them easily within the budget referred to.

[downunder]

Ha, I was in Coffs last week, and I go there at least once every year, but I never go to the Big Banana - though I am too busy playing sport. Will be back for more sport in 6 weeks, but probably no Big Banana. Could be a cool little place if they build it up.

[Gazza]

There's a toboggan run there you could go irresponsibly fast on however.

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

yeah but it isn't long enough - Jamberoo or Corin Forest's Wiegand Toboggan runs are way faster!

[Richard]

My memory of Big Banana's toboggan is that it's short. I think I only rode once so never worked up to trying full speed.

As I recall, Jamberoo is the only park to feature "slider" toboggans which feature two wheels and two nylon pads that slide, rather than four wheels. The result is they navigate banked turns easier but also tend to max out at a lower speed. Still great rides, but definitely less skill involved.

Corin Forest's is the only one I've fallen off on though I came close at Merimbula, which is my pick of the lot.

I've always thought that the Big Banana would be one of the best locations in Australia for a Wiegand alpine coaster. Really would love to see the place fleshed out into a decent destination.

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

I must say Richard - i've never noticed a difference in the wiegand toboggans used by Corin or Jamberoo. I've achieved similar (feeling) speeds on both - although Corin certainly does appear faster due to the proximity to the trees. I've always thought Jamberoo ran 4 wheels (the typical 'clunk-clunk' as it goes over joins in the track)... but i'm happy to admit i'm wrong on this one if it is so - I must say i've not really paid them much attention...

Big Banana's toboggan isn't short... the lift hill is interminably long!!! but the route itself after the lift is a 180 right turn, short downhill, 180 left turn, longer downhill, 180 right turn, then a meandering downhill slope back to the station. It's not possible to do the first turn at any speed, the second is only mildly better. The third turn can be achieved with a reasonable pace, but after coming out, it's almost immediately into the 'slow slow slow' signs to bring you back to the station. Did it once. Don't need to do it ever again.

[downunder]

I went to the Big Banana unexpectedly last week, we had a day's play completely cancelled at the Touch Footy World Cup due to the apocalyptic weather, so a bit of team bondage was in order. I would have loved to have done the Toboggans, but they were closed for the day. The indoor ski slope is still there, though it only operates as an ice rink, I think the slope was closed the last time I was there in 2002.

What we actually did was the Laser Tag, which was pretty good fun. I'm not a Laser Tag aficionado, but I thought it was solid.

It would be cool if they put more stuff there, a waterpark would be nice, and while they're at it throw in an Intamin hyper - only because I think everywhere should throw in an Intamin Hyper, or relocate the Orphan Rocker lol.

[AllegroCrab]

^ "Throw in an Intamin Hyper"

Just another typical suggestion on the forums. Why not a B&M floorless looper while they're at it?

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

a bit of team bondage was in order.

The indoor ski slope is still there, though it only operates as an ice rink, I think the slope was closed the last time I was there in 2002.

I really hope you mean "Team Bonding"

The ski slope, and the ice rink are in fact two different operations - set about 200 metres apart. The slope is built down the hillside whereas the ice rink has a nice flat spot with a large open carpark...

[downunder]

^^Dude, I am joking, apologies if I wasn't clear about that.

^I just drove straight to the Laser Tag, so I assumed the ice skating was in the flat part at the bottom of the ski slope, but that is more interesting - does that ski slope building get utilised for anything at all now? I wish I'd had time to explore, but I was with my team.

"Team Bondage" was a deliberate misspell as a joke - I can assure you no floggings occurred.

I think I'll stay away from comedy, I'll happily concede - Monday morning (now PM) ughhh.

[rappa]

I really wish if they are going to expand there they at least either open the existing attractions or demolish them.

It really looks a right shanty town there with all these things that have signage and you can see but are never open.

Do they still have the monorail?

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

They had a monorail???

[themagician]

I've only been there once when I wa younger and all I remember about it was the monorail/train. I remember it went up a hill past this lake where some mechanical creature came out of the lake and sprayed water. Once it got to the top of the hill it went around a couple of corners and then we got off and walked around the banna trees

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

I do remember a train trip through the plantation... didn't think it was a monorail though...

are we talking monorail as in Sydney Sea World Disneyland type monorail or just a ground based tracked tour through the bananas?

[strop]

There was definitely a monorail in the early nineties. It stopped at the top of the mountain and there was some kind of future themed walk-through. From memory you then got back onto the monorail and taken to a second stop which had a food court, amusements and a sundae parlour.

The magician is spot on with the creature in the lagoon, but unfortunately I don't remember exactly what it was either.

[Brad2912]

Always thought it was a train..

[T-bone]

Mono means one and Rail means Rail. The old plantation tour had 2 rails. The rails did look similar to a monorail track, but I can assure you it was no monorail.

[Richard]

As others have suggested, it was definitely two concrete rails. Its train had a very monorail look and feel about it, and I've heard it fairly commonly referred to as a monorail over the years. Seems like a piece of backyard engineering where they wanted a monorail but couldn't figure it out with one rail, so they just went with two. Like most monorails it ran with pneumatic tyres.

I have some photos of it somewhere from the last time I saw it in action back in 2003. They were on the old Total Thrills site back in the day... I'll see if I can dig them up again.

[rappa]

I called it a monorail because they did.

The first thing even me in my young age and my dad commented was that it had two rails.

It also ran on diesel.

The creature in the lake was a bunyip. There were other half cooked animatronics along the route too.

We first went only a couple of years after it opened and already nothing worked at the 'space station' and from memory much of the food court place was closed too.

The station was the building where this theatre thing they have is. The reason it's so long is that's where the train pulled up. You watched a pre show and then doors on the other side opened to board the train.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=eDtv-lMLt_g

Edited May 4, 2015 by djrappa

[Jobe]

Interesting. When did it cease operation? Havent been there for a few years, but I do not recall if the track is still standing. Is the reason it ceased operation due to being unpopular?

IMHO, the Big Banana has huge potential as aa small fun/water park. Lets hope that the owners realise this. The installation of the small water park is definitely a step in the right direction.

[downunder]

I saw the two concrete rails are still there last week, like a lot of things no longer in use.

[rappa]

It opened in 1988 with the massive rebranding as a 'theme park'.

Was in liquidation within a year!

[Jobe]

 The Big Banana Water park has opened. Although small at this stage, it looks quite good and will make The Big Banana a great destination for families on a stopover to the Gold Coast.

If this does well , I would say that the potential for expansion is huge. Good luck to them,

[jjuttp]

Just waiting for the GP to start thinking the park did a Zack Snyder and can speed up/slow down time.