Jamberoo Action Park Expansion

[Jamberoo Fan]

They were posted on August 24, @Gazza but the image isn't working anymore. They are already in the Parkz photo galleries too.

Edited September 27, 2016 by Jamberoo Fan

[Jamberoo Fan]

The Perfect Storm had it's soft opening on the 1st day of the 2016/2017 season (24th September) but it had it's official opening today I believe as the Illawarra Mercury has finally published an article about the world-1st ride. The article features 5 images & a video of The Perfect Storm in operation as well as an image of The Perfect Storm's logo.

On 20/09/2016 at 6:00 PM, Jamberoo Fan said:

Jamberoo Action Park's 2016/2017 season begins in 4 days but I'm still not sure if The Perfect Storm will opened then too.

But I got disappointing news - Despite soft opening on the opening day of the 2016/2017 season, like I highly suspected, construction was indeed running behind schedule (but enough to be operational). This means not only theming is uncompleted but the whole final large Tornado is still open & without special effects. I can't confirm if the 2nd small Tornado is enclosed or not yet based on the photos/videos I've seen so far. The 1st small Tornado was always intended to be open.

The Illawarra Mercury reports "...some minor cosmetic works still to be completed". If they are referring to the enclosing of the Tornadoes instead of the theming, if anything, they are not 'minor' works - they add pretty significantly to the ride experience.

So unless Jamberoo can finish construction on the weekdays it is closed on, there is a slight chance the full experience of The Perfect Storm might not be ready until December 2016. If not, April 2017 and the worst case (and I think probably most likely) scenario, September 2017.

Maybe someone who knows the construction process of enclosed Tornadoes/Tantrum Alleys better might be able to confirm how easy it is for Jamberoo to finish building The Perfect Storm?

On 24/09/2016 at 6:44 PM, Jamberoo Fan said:

The small tubes shelter is also on an angle - I wonder if it will eventually be themed to a rusted corrugated galvanised iron-roofed wooden building (with a concrete chimney) like in The Perfect Storm's promotions?

Also, in the Illawarra Mercury's video, it mentions at the end "Even a house is in the storm's crasp" referring to the still under construction small tubes shelter. Maybe they got word from Park management that the small tubes shelters will indeed be themed to a rusted corrugated galvanised iron-roofed wooden building (with a concrete chimney) like I speculated above.

Edited October 3, 2016 by Jamberoo Fan

[Gazza]

Quote

I can't confirm if the 2nd small Tornado is enclosed or not yet based on the photos/videos I've seen so far.

You can clearly see the 2nd one is enclosed in the fairfax media video you linked to.

[Jamberoo Fan]

I was comparing it to the 1st Tornado in the same shot and from that angle, they both look very similar - too close for me to call. They had similar-looking parts and so I didn't want to confirm it in case it was an optical illusion from the angle they were filming from.

[WalleyWorld]

Proslide just posted a set of photos of the new slide on their Facebook page. The 1st small tornado is open, 2nd is closed, and the big/standard sized tornado is open.

 

Edited October 5, 2016 by Luke

[pin142]

Have to agree with one of the comments

" That seems... weird. "

[Tim Dasco]

Does anyone think that pro slides will ever make a Tornado Alley or whatever its called and have 3 Tornados 60's in it? Now that would be cool but wouldn't be cheap.

[Aw hype]

Just saying, looking at the pics, they went for pretty much the same colour scheme as fw, but fw's paint job is more run down. At first glance, it actually took a second to find out which ones which. And there right next to each other!!!!

[rappa]

Yeah looking at them side by side it makes no sense to me why they essentially bought the same slide again. 

[Jamberoo Fan]

It is great to see that the 2nd small Tornado was enclosed for The Perfect Storm's opening - that leaves only the large Tornado to still be enclosed.

You all should see the comments on the Illawarra Mercury's Facebook post of their article on The Perfect Storm. There are a lot of people saying "just looks like Funnel Web" etc - which is the exact reaction we were all expecting as a 1st impression. The Illawarra Mercury tried to point out the differences - that it has '3 giant funnels' (which is a clear difference but all 3 aren't 'giant') & that it is longer (again, true but irrelevant as a difference - it is only 10 metres longer).

10 hours ago, Tim Dasco said:

Does anyone think that pro slides will ever make a Tornado Alley or whatever its called and have 3 Tornados 60's in it? Now that would be cool but wouldn't be cheap.

I think they could but it would depend on whether a park could finance/install such a large ride.

7 hours ago, Aw hype said:

Just saying, looking at the pics, they went for pretty much the same colour scheme as fw, but fw's paint job is more run down. At first glance, it actually took a second to find out which ones which. And there right next to each other!!!!

Funnel Web's paintwork is not 'run down' - it is a lighter colour scheme. The Perfect Storm has a darker colour scheme.

I've noticed a few people have been getting confused between the two. Currently, with the framework of The Perfect Storm's large Tornado unthemed, the frameworks of the large Tornadoes do make them look very similar. There are a few obvious differences though (when construction is complete):

1. The Perfect Storm has 2 smaller Tornadoes while Funnel Web has a few extra corners/helices.
2. The Perfect Storm has enclosed Tornadoes while Funnel Web does not.
3. The Perfect Storm has special effects while Funnel Web does not.
4. The Perfect Storm's framework of its large Tornado will have debris theming placed on it whilst Funnel Web has a world-record breaking Funnel Web spider sculpture next to its' large Tornado.

When the framework of The Perfect Storm's large Tornado is themed, the 2 rides should look more distinct - one themed as a Tornado carrying debris while the other themed as a Funnel Web spider hanging onto it's web (The framework of Funnel Web's large Tornado acts as a web).

6 hours ago, djrappa said:

Yeah looking at them side by side it makes no sense to me why they essentially bought the same slide again. 

Like I've pointed out before to a few forum members, according to Jamberoo...:

On 17/06/2015 at 11:24 AM, Jamberoo Action Park said:

...because new ride technologies available...

Edited October 6, 2016 by Jamberoo Fan

[Tim Dasco]

I don't think the perfect storm large tornado will not be enclosed due to the image that pro slides posted you can see they put the edging out on the tornado already. I am sorry if this makes no sense but I don't know how to say it. Compare the enclosed funnel and open funnel in the photo below. Also look at how the slide enters the funnel. Also they would not open a slide without finishing the water slide itself. Did they ever say it will be enclosed?

[Jamberoo Fan]

Understood you but am not sure exactly what you were trying to point out in the photos but anyway, to answer your question, yes - it was on the plans:

24 minutes ago, Tim Dasco said:

 Also they would not open a slide without finishing the water slide itself.

In case you're thinking it, regardless if the final large Tornado of The Perfect Storm was enclosed or not on the ride's opening day, it would still be safe for operation - as long as Jamberoo didn't rush too much on other aspects of it's construction to the point that visitor safety was a lower priority to revenue...but I'm sure that would never be the case.

[Tim Dasco]

Disregard my last post. I forgot about the plans.

[WalleyWorld]

I think I have made some sense of Jamberoo's decision of installing a very similar slide. This is not the first time something like this has happened in the industry. In 2010, Holiday World & Splashin' Safari installed a Proslide Hydromagnetic watercoaster named Wildebeest. When it opened it was the world's longest watercoaster. It was a huge success for the park. 

Based off of that success, Holiday World thought: "We need a high capacity ride to soak up these crowds we did not anticipate, we've proven that the public loves watercoasters; everyone loves this type of ride! Let's build another to improve our capacity and differentiate it slightly by themeing it differently". The new watercoaster, aptly named Mammoth, opened only 2 years later. Essentially it was the same ride experience/ride type but with a different layout, round 6-passenger boats and longer than Wildebeest; becoming the longest watercoaster in the world.

Although I still don't get why Jamberoo chose the same sort of colour palette.....weird.

Edited October 7, 2016 by Luke

[Tim Dasco]

Keep in mind Cedar Point installing Millennium Force in 2000 and top thrill dragster a few years later. I know they are different coaster types but they built 2 coasters within a few years that both broke the record for worlds tallest and fastest. Beating their own record. It does happen in many parks around the world.

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

20 minutes ago, Luke said:

Although I still don't get why Jamberoo chose the same sort of colour palette.....weird.

I'm pretty sure it's been mentioned on here a number of times that the colour schemes were something that was raised by local residents, concerned about gaudy colour schemes being unsuitable for their rural location. It is possible Jamberoo has had to stick with deliberately drab palettes as a result.

[Tim Dasco]

I believe they do have a bright coloured slide tower. However it took them ages to get approval so I think thats why they decided it was easier to go with those colours. @Jamberoo Fan correct me if I am wrong. Plus black/grey colour scheme matches a storm theme. 

[Jamberoo Fan]

@Luke, Jamberoo's master plan, Kangaroo Island, was designed about a decade ago (but only begun construction 3 years ago) and was mainly built around improving capacity so I don't think the sudden decision to swap the Behemoth Bowl with a Tornado was due to a sudden lack of capacity. Jamberoo has at least another 5 rides/attractions it plans to install and all but one of them would easily have met any sudden capacity deficiencies. The boss of Jamberoo once said that each stage of Kangaroo Island would only occur if increases in attendances occurred.

But your theory gave me the thought of another theory - that it was built to compete massively against Wet'n'Wild Sydney. Since Wet'n'Wild Sydney opened in late 2013, there has been a slowly building trend of popularity heading back to Jamberoo (you have to remember one of Jamberoo's main target markets is Western Sydney where Wet 'n' Wild Sydney is located) due to many reasons - Jamberoo has free parking, shade, the scenery/good park design, decent theming, the fact you're allowed to bring in food while Wet 'n' Wild Sydney has paid parking, little to no theming, poor park design/landscaping, the fact you can't bring in food and originally didn't have shade.

I am not sure but there is a chance that ride/attraction queues and Sydney's traffic may be 2 other factors to the ones I listed above.

If you compare both parks' 'major' additions for the 2016/2017 season, you can see a distinct difference -  a $5 million world-1st ride at Jamberoo while Wet 'n' Wild Sydney has Dinosaur Lagoon, which is essentially just dinosaur statues added around Boomerang Bay, their lazy river. The 'world-1st' tag is good publicity globally (even if it is just 2 old & very similar ride types joined together).

Even if it is another Tornado at Jamberoo, it comes down to this - what would attract your attention more? A world-1st ride or dinosaur statues?

3 hours ago, Tim Dasco said:

I believe they do have a bright coloured slide tower. However it took them ages to get approval so I think thats why they decided it was easier to go with those colours. @Jamberoo Fan correct me if I am wrong. Plus black/grey colour scheme matches a storm theme. 

Jamberoo has no slide towers but the colours of the Kangaroo Island expansions did cause a lengthy delay in Council approval of 5 years (2006-2011). The Perfect Storm, however, was a modification made in 2015 to those expansions and that only took just over a month to get Council approval - highly likely due to the fact, the colours chosen were in the originally approved plans so no need to worry over them. Like you said, the theme of The Perfect Storm is an additional reason why they chose those colours for that ride too.

Edited October 7, 2016 by Jamberoo Fan

[Tim Dasco]

By side tower I meant the Banjo’s Billabong. You could technically call it a slide tower. It was just when I wrote the post I forgot its name. But Banjo's Billabong has bright colours red, green, blue and yellow.

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

The original master plan for Jamberoo - many years ago. This is just the copy stored on the forums. I don't have ready access to these images any more - but this will give you an idea of the original colour schemes planned - even though the plan has been completely thrown out the window several times since then...

[Jamberoo Fan]

Those plans I don't think went to Council @AlexB as The Taipan was in a separate development application to Kangaroo Island. 

1 hour ago, Tim Dasco said:

By side tower I meant the Banjo’s Billabong. You could technically call it a slide tower. It was just when I wrote the post I forgot its name. But Banjo's Billabong has bright colours red, green, blue and yellow.

Oh ok - Yeah, as Banjo's Billabong is part of Kangaroo Island, it's development application did cause delays due to the colours but I think it was more to do with the large tube slides on the hillside (like Funnel Web). Banjo's Billabong will eventually be hidden by tall trees etc. due to it being on a flat terrain so colours aren't much of a concern as natural trees will keep the landscape looking, well, natural.

[Jobe]

Just letting everyone know that the large funnel on The Perfect Storm has been confirmed by the park as being definitely enclosed. They have described it as a "work in progress" and its scheduled to be completed after the school holidays. Final theming of effects are still in the process of determination with all internal and external theming plus the capping of the Tornado slated to be finished prior to the Christmas holidays.

I am guessing that the inclement weather over the off season put their timeline out more than we expected. However, this is good news that the final Tornado will be enclosed- it certainly makes much more sense to provide a different ride experience to that of the nearby Funnel Web. The lack of a viewing platform for The Perfect Storm pretty much confirms their intentions regarding this anyway.

Edited October 8, 2016 by Jobe

[Jamberoo Fan]

That's great news! Better than waiting a whole year. I'm really hoping it has white strobe lights in the large Tornado at a minimum but the fact that theming is still being determined gives me the thought that it will be pretty good quality theming.

Regarding "Christmas holidays", I think they meant 1st December - as they are open every day in December & closing The Perfect Storm to visitors during most of a peak period of summer wouldn't look good with such a limited season length, high visitor expectations and large crowds.

I know late September/early October are a major period for Jamberoo but new rides should be opened when they are completed. Loads of recent visitors might be annoyed to find an 'improved' version of The Perfect Storm opening in December. This is a completely different scenario to not having the Funnel Web spider sculpture ready for Funnel Web's opening as special effects/theming & enclosing of Tornadoes directly adds to the overall ride experience (particularly with a ride that looks very similar to Funnel Web).

Edited October 8, 2016 by Jamberoo Fan

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

On 7/10/2016 at 9:55 PM, Jamberoo Fan said:

Those plans I don't think went to Council @AlexB as The Taipan was in a separate development application to Kangaroo Island. 

They did. The master plan was all over the illawarra mercury at the time, and council had approved stage one...

 

this was just their overall plan at the time, which of course changed as they moved on.

[Jamberoo Fan]

11 hours ago, AlexB said:

They did. The master plan was all over the illawarra mercury at the time, and council had approved stage one...

I'm very confident they didn't. I read the Illawarra Mercury very often (and sometimes I'm more up to date than them) & the only place I remember seeing those plans was from you on Parkz. The Illawarra Mercury did have articles written about them though at the time. The Taipan was also the last stage of their original 5 stage plan (which begun with Surf Hill in 2001) so The Taipan was a DA on it's own that was approved in 2007. Shortly after, Kangaroo Island was submitted to Council & took until 2011 to get approved - the 1st stage (being Funnel Web & Banjo's Billabong) opening in 2012. A Kangaroo Island DA modification was made in 2015 to accommodate The Perfect Storm.

11 hours ago, AlexB said:

this was just their overall plan at the time, which of course changed as they moved on.

I agree with this though.

Edited October 10, 2016 by Jamberoo Fan