From Melbourne GPO to Gumbuya, it's 50 minutes (up to an hour) and 76kms.

From Melbourne GPO to Funfields, it's 50 minutes (up to an hour) and 55kms (via Tullamarine).
Alternate routes are the same timing, but shorter distance.

From Melbourne GPO to Adventure Park, it's 1h 15mins (up to an hour 25) and 90kms.

All parks are relatively the same travel time from Melbourne centre. Although Adventure Park is further distance wise, clearly the route is less congested or has a higher average speed.

I have no idea about population bases, so i'll take your word for it, but overall, i don't think that one park or the other becomes unreachable or unfavourable simply due to distance, if other parks offer similar or better products.

I guess in Brisbane terms, if I lived on the Sunshine Coast I wouldn't bypass Aussie World to go to a park in Ipswich  even if it were slightly better, despite them being an hour of the CBD. I'd drive even less for Water Park so I do buy the idea that they each have their own catchments supporting them.

 

Having said that,  I think they don't compete with the Gold Coast parks directly but they certainly would have an affect on the Gold Coast as destination. I mean why base your holiday plans around parks when you've got some in your backyard that pretty well already scratch that itch? It could also be that parents think 'Our kids loved Gumbuya, they'd go friggen nuts with the big parks on the Gold Coast. Let's holiday there!'

 

So in conclusion I have no firm opinion. Sorry for wasting everyone's time, but I've typed it and dammit this is the internet so I'm posting it. 

i get the analogy - and of course, those in Geelong are unlikely to trek to one of the other two, but my point was more that - for most of "central melbourne" they really have the pick of all three.

6 hours ago, aaronm said:

If you had a version of the map that showed population within a 1 hour drive

I was actually curious to see what this looked like, so I did one!

So not much overlap for this one. AP/FF have overlap around Werribee, but FF and GW have a decent amount in the inner -mid south eastern suburbs.

I also did a 90 minute one, which I think is the maximum most people would be willing to drive to go to one of these parks:

So Funfields and Gumbuya end up being within reach of virtually all of metro Melbourne, but Adventure Park only reaches to the inner eastern suburbs and some of the Mornington Peninsula (the map even takes the ferry trip into account!). It's also almost reaches Ballarat. Also interesting is that Funfields almost reaches Shepparton in 90mins while actually reaching the Geelong CBD also. Gumbuya almost reaches Sale (and covers most of SE Gippsland and the Latrobe Valley).

Edited February 28, 20196 yr by melbourne_guy

Thanks, that's definitely interesting - particularly that none of the parks fall into any other's "90 minute" zones. I think this shows that while there's some overlap, they all have solid potential to grow without cannibalising too much of the others' business.

And while West Gippsland has historically been mostly farmland there are suburban developments springing up either side of Gumbuya at the moment so it's definitely in the right spot to benefit from the population boom one that side of the city. 

10 hours ago, melbourne_guy said:

I was actually curious to see what this looked like, so I did one!

This is just showing areas within that drive time, yes?

Does anyone know where you can find a map that shows population areas like a heatmap? (i'm legitimately interested for other stuff too, just keen to know if something like that exists)

16 hours ago, joz said:

It could also be that parents think 'Our kids loved Gumbuya, they'd go friggen nuts with the big parks on the Gold Coast. Let's holiday there!'

The parks (and Gold Coast Council / GC Tourism) would need to see the VIC ones as potential competition for that to work and drive growth and innovation (and planning / permit assistance from council).

There's a bushfire burning immediately to the north of Gumbuya World this evening.

The park is closed today and tomorrow with the emergency warning zone now including the park itself.  The highway that passes the park is closed in both directions.  I've not heard it mentioned specifically, but I'd be thinking the park is now under direct threat from bushfire.

 

Edited March 2, 20196 yr by webslave

On 01/03/2019 at 7:57 AM, AlexB said:

This is just showing areas within that drive time, yes?

Does anyone know where you can find a map that shows population areas like a heatmap? (i'm legitimately interested for other stuff too, just keen to know if something like that exists)

Profile.id.com.au

Animals were apparently evac'd this morning.

Fire-fighters have the park surrounded to try and save it as the fire closes in:

https://twitter.com/tdolling/status/1102014814476353536?s=19

Gumbuya have put out a small update today. The Wave Pool looks finished and will open on Melbourne Cup weekend (Nov 2-3) but no date yet for the new slides (still under construction). They put a short video on their Facebook also spruking the concert they’re holding at the end of November. Here are some screen caps.

 

Edited October 9, 20196 yr by melbourne_guy

So the names of the slides are Red Belly Racers and Tiger Snake Tango.

(Pic from their website)

Thats now 3 slides with snake names.

Edited October 9, 20196 yr by Mc coaster

Nearmap update from early October of the park expansion