Aussie Worlds’ Ride the Night

Aimsley81 · January 14, 2018

It had been a very long time since I had visited Aussie World (20+ years!) so I decided to check out their Ride the Night event last night. In the way of rides, I knew it couldn’t compete with anything on the GC, but there were a couple of good attractions on offer.

Gates opened at 5:45pm and I took that opportunity to walk around the park until the rides started at 6pm. I was surprised at how colourful the park was. Yes I’d seen their advertising and web-site but the park looked - and felt - really fresh and vibrant. It also still had some of that ‘carnival/funfair’ feel as there was different music playing at every turn - though the fact there was a local radio station set up there for the night might also have something to do with it.

From 6pm I took on the Redback, Bug Run (counts as a coaster right?), Mayhem Maze, Space Shaker, The Wasp, Voyage Simulator, Mozzie Musta and Professor Bogglesworth’s Illusionarium. Dark Rebel and Ballroom Blitz were closed and they had to close The Plunge as it stopped while going up the lift hill and they had to evacuate the riders off of it. The Ferris Wheel ended up closing early too because of the storm.

The staff all came across friendly and laid-back - although the ride operators seemed very young. There was some live entertainment during the night - a dj, dancing, fire twirling, plus fireworks at 9pm. There were a couple of staff members roving the park offering glow-in-the-dark body paint as well as one covered in glow-in-the-dark wrist bands that he gave out to guests during the night.

Highlights of the night for me were the Illusionarium as well as the Mayhem Maze. The only way I can describe the Illusionarium is a maze of optical illusions and it was really good and a decent length. The Mayhem Maze was also surprisingly good in that the actors gave good frights!! If it was longer, it could give anything at MW’s Fright Nights a run for its money (IMO).

Overall, what the park delivered on the night (and for a mere $25.50) it smashed my expectations. Not a park I could spend a lot of time in but perhaps that will change with what Aussie World has in plan for its future.