Great Escape closure

[Aw hype]

Well I drove past Hilary's today, and it definitely looks like great escape is closed. Just an empty park and closed gates, no employees or anything, and it doesn't look like any deconstruction/redevelopment is going on as of yet. It is sad to see it go though, in such a nice area for a park like itself. I'm sure many people have had memories there,and I for one had my primary school graduation living on the twister. Is it just me or does every park in Perth just seem to close?? At least we've still got aw, but are now left with nothing north of Perth. Sorry no photos my phone died.

[Tim Dasco]

@Aw hype we have the Maze. However the local council are trying very hard to stop the Maze from expanding as they should be half way though their 10 year plan now and they have only done half of stage one out of their proposed 10 stages. Maybe the Maze could purchase the great escape slides even if they are only temp until they can get their new slides. But it is sad to see it go.  

[Aw hype]

Yh it's annoying that the maze only have a waterslideplayground when they should have half of their park completed, and the only new thing they've got since stage one is that little blow up slide there getting this season, when that waterpark comes back to ascot with massive slides. Anyway, about a year and a half ago, I messaged the maze on fb asking when stage 2 would open, and they said "we are at the final stages of approval from the city of swan". That was over a bloody year ago and even though it would be cheap for the maze to buy from great escape, they won't get much attention for slides that are down there with Kalamunda,and that have been open since mirrabooka action park. My question is, what does the city's of swan have against the maze opening slides, when all it will do is bring people and tourism to the area

[iwerks]

Whilst it's nice to give The Great Escape its own thread, we've kinda covered a lot of this, starting from here:

It sucks that we've had to wait for the development of The Maze.  Whilst I first thought they were just trying to save money by stalling their plans to develop, it does seem like they've really been up against it with the few neighbours they do have there complaining bitterly about the noise and the concern about the fact that the park actually crosses over the Dampier to Bunbury gas pipeline.

[iwerks]

Interesting meeting appears to have taken place at The Great Escape, today.  I just happened to be hanging around waiting for another whale watching cruise, when these guys passed me by.

[Aw hype]

Any ideas of how much the lease is on the land? Don't exactly look like there interested in keeping rides there. Hopefully they don't just turn it into apartments and/or a retail precinct. That raises the question, would the slides be sold to another park/aquatic centre? Any ideas other than the maze? Craigie centre outside pool area?

[iwerks]

It does seem like they're genuinely trying to find another tenant. I don't want to think about other options just yet. It'd be a shame if they just turned it into another pub or restaurant.

[Aw hype]

This is a pretty interesting article. Could have Wyllie group given Mark a higher paying job as ceo of the Great Escape?

http://www.watoday.com.au/wa-news/hillarys-great-escape-to-reopen-for-summer--minus-the-waterslides-20161104-gsijch.html

[grrofunger]

No......but Mark might run his own company as the tenant (or work for someone else)

Edited January 4, 2017 by grrofunger

[iwerks]

This as of last week.

[Aw hype]

Went up to hillarys boat harbour yesterday, and its not looking good. The trampolines have all been removed, along with the two kiddy rides and the playgrounds/bounce houses. The waterslide had no running water, and the pitch black slide (don't know name) had tarp covering the exit. Also, the 'jungle' climb attraction had had the elastic ropes cut, and people were working on the 6d cinema, presumably setting it up for demolition 

Edited March 18, 2017 by Aw hype
Typo

[Gazza]

Why would the water slide have running water anyway?

[iwerks]

Apparently someone has done an Andrew H at the Great Escape and posted it on You Tube. The place is looking run down and the kids are doing some pretty dangerous things. They also have a drone.

[Aw hype]

19 hours ago, iwerks said:

Apparently someone has done an Andrew H at the Great Escape and posted it on You Tube. The place is looking run down and the kids are doing some pretty dangerous things. They also have a drone.

Link?

[Adam C]

I was passing the Great Escape yesterday.  No surprise that it’s still locked up.  What’s the thinking on maintaining the water slides?  Will there come a point where they’ll only be good for scrap?

[Flynn_Smith]

9 hours ago, Adam C said:

I was passing the Great Escape yesterday.  No surprise that it’s still locked up.  What’s the thinking on maintaining the water slides?  Will there come a point where they’ll only be good for scrap?

Im not sure what the slides are like, because I've never visited before. However I'd say it could be because another park is going to/has purchased them.

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

...or they're still on the market.

Most things at Wonderland were kept running months after closure, right up until they bulldozed it.

[Tim Dasco]

From the video that was on YouTube from a guy who did an Andrew H I would say they are not being looked after at all and will likely be scrapped.

[dukeofwhales]

The GRP itself isn't even that old.  When I was going as a little tacker they were all green.  I coudn't put an exact date on it but a complete replacement of the slides was done maybe 10 years ago? Maybe a little less?

Edited October 31, 2017 by dukeofwhales

[Tim Dasco]

32 minutes ago, dukeofwhales said:

The GRP itself isn't even that old.  When I was going as a little tacker they were all green.  I coudn't put an exact date on it but a complete replacement of the slides was done maybe 10 years ago? Maybe a little less?

They never replaced the slides they simply repainted them blue form the original green. I found a video of the slides from 1995. I haven't been able to find when they opened but they have been there at least 22 years since 1995. 

[grrofunger]

There is no maintenance happening

[Aw hype]

7 hours ago, Tim Dasco said:

They never replaced the slides they simply repainted them blue form the original green. I found a video of the slides from 1995. I haven't been able to find when they opened but they have been there at least 22 years since 1995. 

Pretty sure they're the slides are the old ones from mirrabooka action park (now defunct)

[dukeofwhales]

22 hours ago, Tim Dasco said:

They never replaced the slides they simply repainted them blue form the original green. I found a video of the slides from 1995. I haven't been able to find when they opened but they have been there at least 22 years since 1995. 

Oh yeah? My mistake.  I haven't been since they were painted so I hadn't seen them up close.  They were pretty rough when I was riding them 15 years ago so I guess I just assumed they'd been replaced.  Does this mean the formerly translucent slides (three of the four) are now pitch black?

[Tim Dasco]

Not sure. I personally have never been on them. But I watched them repaint the slides. They are still green on the inside.

[Tim Dasco]

Here is the add from 1995 about the slides.