Big Banana plans $50 million dollar expansion over the next 20 years

[Jobe]

Here is a quick update on The Big Banana’s water park expansion. The new tower has been in place for some time now. What is new is that the slide parts have been on site, have  now been moved down to the lower carpark and will soon be installed. This new tower could be open by January in ready for the school holidays and the bulk of summer. Hopefully once this is completed the park will look at installing their Alpine Coaster attraction by the end of next year!!

[Jobe]

Latest pics from the Big Banana Water park sees the new slide tower nearly completed!! This will be ready for action by Xmas and should prove a popular addition to the water park!!
 

 

[Stevie]

That is a very nice slide area for a small establishment like Big Banana. I hope they get some decent visitation now that the bypass has gone in 

[TBoy]

Awesome pics. Great to see that the VIC and NSW parks are starting to play serious compared to 20 years ago.

[TPoseOnTantrum]

And the red hot Aussie coaster streak continues;

https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/coffs-harbour/big-banana-lodges-plan-for-new-rollercoaster-at-coffs-harbour/news-story/13734a848b08dd26bed436ad2bb0d82b

Quote

Big Banana lodges plan for new rollercoaster at Coffs Harbour

The ride will be almost a kilometre-long, with as many as 50 thrillseekers travelling per run. Here’s what you need to know about the proposed super attraction.

Chris Knight

 

2 min read

December 26, 2022 - 9:06AM

 

Indicative image of The Big Banana's fantastic plans for a new rollercoaster.

Plans to build a $3 million rollercoaster at The Big Banana theme park have been lodged with Coffs Harbour council.

The proposed Alpine Coaster will operate on an 872-metre long steel track and key elements of the development application include the construction of a terminal and storage shed building, a winch system and pedestrian access ramps.

The project would see the demolition of an old shed and the disused monorail track, and the removal of some vegetation.

The Alpine Coaster would run a course in part adjacent to the existing toboggan ride.

A development application for the new rollercoaster was lodged with City of Coffs Harbour this month, and is one part of a $50m masterplan for the largest theme park between Sydney and Queensland.

NAC Painting repainting The Big Banana earlier this year.

Thirty-four Wiegand-Toboggans would run on the new track, with a capacity of about 50 people per run.

Some 300 square metres of native vegetation would make way for the Alpine Coaster, including two turpentine trees, one pink bloodwood and one grey ironbark (all with trunk diameters of no more than 80cm).

Aerial image of the proposed Alpine Coaster route (marked in blue). Picture: Idyll Spaces Environmental Consultants

The Big Banana theme park operates from 9am to 6pm seven days per week.

A report into the parking and traffic implications of the proposed Alpine Coaster has found existing carparking infrastructure is adequate.

With the assistance of a local engineer and builder, The Big Banana was first opened by Californian expat and banana grower John Landi in 1964 as part of a bid to draw attention to his roadside banana stall.

The new coaster would bring a final end for the old monorail track.

The two trains which plied the monorail were sold by Lloyds Auctions this year for an undisclosed price after being placed on the market with no reserve.

Lloyds Glenn Aylward said one buyer was a Queensland man and the other a firm in Coffs Harbour which for now remains anonymous.

Plans for the cabins as outlined in the Big Banana's 20-year Masterplan.

The trains had fallen into disrepair after making their last run at the theme park in 2005.

As well as being memories for tens of thousands of visitors, the monorail carriages had a story or two to tell in themselves.

When shiny, new and willing they cantered around the park, past the Bunyip in the lagoon, through the culture centre and up to the hilltop restaurant.

But in their final year of service - perhaps annoyed that their time in the limelight was nigh - they were a source of drama.

One of the carriages ploughed into the lagoon - thankfully the train was empty. Only 15 minutes earlier, the carriage had been at the station with plenty of passengers who were told to disembark when it broke down.

Last year, council approved a plan for 40 new cabins, allowing for on-site accommodation at The Big Banana as part of the 20-year masterplan.

The amusement park - which includes laser tag, mini golf and an ice-skating rink - will host a new music festival in the New Year.

The two-day event (May 6-7) will showcase live music, local food, breweries and wineries.

 

[Mexican Joker]

https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/coffs-harbour/big-banana-lodges-plan-for-new-rollercoaster-at-coffs-harbour/news-story/13734a848b08dd26bed436ad2bb0d82b?amp

[New display name]

The Big Banana has finally lodged the application for the 1km alpine coaster with Coffs Harbour Council.

https://chcc-icon.saas.t1cloud.com/Public/Pages/XC.Track/SearchApplication.aspx?id=349170

 

[REGIE]

That layout looks very promising. I have never been out side Australia so having an alpine coaster here would be super cool.  Perfect fit for big banana. 
 

what’s the lines that come out of that white tunnel and go through the layout of the alpine showing?

[jjuttp]

It's the "monorail track" (you can just make it out if you zoom in.) I never knew they had one, and honestly in person it looks more like an aquaduct.

[REGIE]

Oh I thought the monorail track was all removed. Is the track still in good condition? Are there any plans on reopening the monorail or is it just there. I remember the trains were sold in auction a few months ago

[TBoy]

Disappointing to see there is no fast/slow track. One could be for people who want to go slow while the other could be intense/no brakes.

[Jobe]

9 hours ago, New display name said:

The Big Banana has finally lodged the application for the 1km alpine coaster with Coffs Harbour Council.

https://chcc-icon.saas.t1cloud.com/Public/Pages/XC.Track/SearchApplication.aspx?id=349170

 

 

Great find!! Thanks for sharing. Intersting to note this was first lodged back in Aug 2022. Looking forward to following this progress as it is built. It appears that the total cost of the Alpine coaster is an investment of $3 million dollars. Thats not bad pricing for the ride they will eventually get- an Australian first- and the accompanying spotlight that having this installed will bring the park. It will also have 2 lift hills for just over 872m of track- but it appears that length will include both lift hills so the ride component will not be overly long. The manufacturer is Wiegand and the proposal will include 34 ride vehicles with a realistic capacity of 50 riders per hour- so not a huge throughput.

6 hours ago, jjuttp said:

It's the "monorail track" (you can just make it out if you zoom in.) I never knew they had one, and honestly in person it looks more like an aquaduct.

Yeah it was an old attraction that took you in a circuit around the Banana Plantation and traversed a small billabong/pond whereby an animatronic Bunyip would rise from the waters to greet you. The track is fairly unique insofar that it utilised a dual cement track for the ride vehicles to ride upon. The trains were recently sold from the storage where they have been kept for a number of years. The DA for the Alpine Coaster also details that any remnants of the monorail in the proposed Alpine coaster area will be removed with its construction.

4 hours ago, TBoy said:

Disappointing to see there is no fast/slow track. One could be for people who want to go slow while the other could be intense/no brakes.

Ostensibly, an Alpine Coaster does not need a fast/ slow track. There is no real need to brake on the course as there is no danger of coming off the track, unlike a toboggan ride. I have looked at several Alpine Coasters installations across Europe and the US and not one has a fast/slow track. The attraction does not need it.

 

The attraction was reported on in The Coast Advocate, which is an affiliate paper of the Daily Telegraph. Here is a link to the article  but it is behind a paywall. It may detail some more info. If anyone has access could you please copy and paste the article in this thread please?

https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/subscribe/news/1/?sourceCode=DTWEB_WRE170_a_GGL&dest=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailytelegraph.com.au%2Fnews%2Fnsw%2Fcoffs-harbour%2Fbig-banana-lodges-plan-for-new-rollercoaster-at-coffs-harbour%2Fnews-story%2F13734a848b08dd26bed436ad2bb0d82b&memtype=anonymous&mode=premium&v21=dynamic-groupa-control-noscore&V21spcbehaviour=append

Edited December 27, 2022 by Jobe

[TBoy]

Big Banana lodges plan for new rollercoaster at Coffs Harbour

The ride will be almost a kilometre-long, with as many as 50 thrillseekers travelling per run. Here’s what you need to know about the proposed super attraction.

Chris Knight

 

2 min read

December 26, 2022 - 9:06AM

 

Indicative image of The Big Banana's fantastic plans for a new rollercoaster.

Plans to build a $3 million rollercoaster at The Big Banana theme park have been lodged with Coffs Harbour council.

The proposed Alpine Coaster will operate on an 872-metre long steel track and key elements of the development application include the construction of a terminal and storage shed building, a winch system and pedestrian access ramps.

The project would see the demolition of an old shed and the disused monorail track, and the removal of some vegetation.

The Alpine Coaster would run a course in part adjacent to the existing toboggan ride.

A development application for the new rollercoaster was lodged with City of Coffs Harbour this month, and is one part of a $50m masterplan for the largest theme park between Sydney and Queensland.

 

 

 

Thirty-four Wiegand-Toboggans would run on the new track, with a capacity of about 50 people per run.

Some 300 square metres of native vegetation would make way for the Alpine Coaster, including two turpentine trees, one pink bloodwood and one grey ironbark (all with trunk diameters of no more than 80cm).

 

 

 

The Big Banana theme park operates from 9am to 6pm seven days per week.

A report into the parking and traffic implications of the proposed Alpine Coaster has found existing carparking infrastructure is adequate.

With the assistance of a local engineer and builder, The Big Banana was first opened by Californian expat and banana grower John Landi in 1964 as part of a bid to draw attention to his roadside banana stall.

 

 

 

The new coaster would bring a final end for the old monorail track.

The two trains which plied the monorail were sold by Lloyds Auctions this year for an undisclosed price after being placed on the market with no reserve.

Lloyds Glenn Aylward said one buyer was a Queensland man and the other a firm in Coffs Harbour which for now remains anonymous.

 

 

Plans for the cabins as outlined in the Big Banana's 20-year Masterplan.

The trains had fallen into disrepair after making their last run at the theme park in 2005.

As well as being memories for tens of thousands of visitors, the monorail carriages had a story or two to tell in themselves.

When shiny, new and willing they cantered around the park, past the Bunyip in the lagoon, through the culture centre and up to the hilltop restaurant.

 

 

 

But in their final year of service - perhaps annoyed that their time in the limelight was nigh - they were a source of drama.

One of the carriages ploughed into the lagoon - thankfully the train was empty. Only 15 minutes earlier, the carriage had been at the station with plenty of passengers who were told to disembark when it broke down.

Last year, council approved a plan for 40 new cabins, allowing for on-site accommodation at The Big Banana as part of the 20-year masterplan.

The amusement park - which includes laser tag, mini golf and an ice-skating rink - will host a new music festival in the New Year.

The two-day event (May 6-7) will showcase live music, local food, breweries and wineries.

 

 

Personally in my opinion I think having 50 people on the track at one time is not safe and will cause injuries. If Meiders Alpine Coaster in Austria etc. had 50 people on it it would be ok as the track is 3x longer than the one at BB, however I actually think it is less IIRC. Unless people go at the exact same speed people who slow down will get injured by people not using brakes at all and some people will be idiots and do something like this:

 

[Jobe]

32 minutes ago, TBoy said:

Personally in my opinion I think having 50 people on the track at one time is not safe and will cause injuries. If Meiders Alpine Coaster in Austria etc. had 50 people on it it would be ok as the track is 3x longer than the one at BB, however I actually think it is less IIRC. Unless people go at the exact same speed people who slow down will get injured by people not using brakes at all and some people will be idiots and do something like this:

Thanks for sharing the article and pasting it from behind the paywall- much appreciated!

I think that the  50 people capacity figure applies to how many cars and riders can realistically ride safely in any given hour- this is known as throughput. I do not think that it means that there will be 50 people on the track at any given time at all- that to me seems excessive? Also, since the toboggans themselves can theoretically seat 2 riders, this could mean that only 25 cars in an hour is the expected capacity for safe operations.

 

Edited December 27, 2022 by Jobe

[TBoy]

4 minutes ago, Jobe said:

this could mean that only 25 cars in an hour is the expected capacity for safe operations.

The article says 34 cars maximum - personally I still don't think it is enough space if one person wants to go slow while the person behind them wants to go fast with no brakes.

[Jobe]

Here is some more info on the Big Banana Alpine coaster- straight from the DA documents found online. Thanks to New Display Name  for the link.

 

This proposal seeks Council’s consent to the construction and operation of an ‘Alpine Coaster’ within the confines of the Big Banana Fun Park. The proposed ‘Alpine Coaster’ represents a significant investment by the Big Banana Fun Park, enhancing its reputation as one of Australia’s most iconic tourist attractions. The proposed ‘Alpine Coaster’ is a track guided, gravity driven, above ground toboggan ride that can be operated all year round. It is perfectly suited to undulating terrain and is well suited to the subject land. The infrastructure which supports the proposed ‘Alpine Coaster’ comprises the track system, a terminal building for embarking and disembarking ride users, a storage building, access ramps, winch systems and coaster ‘toboggans’. This proposal is in keeping with the tourism activities occurring within the Big Banana Fun Park. These include water slides, water play areas, mini golf, indoor laser tag gaming and a toboggan ride and dry slide. Most especially, this proposal complements the existing toboggan ride which operates on the western hillslope of the site. The proposal includes the demolition of the existing toboggan ride building. In its place, a new building is proposed which provides an integrated entrance for both the existing toboggan ride and the proposed alpine coaster.

The proposed Alpine Coaster track system is a gravity driven, tubular track that is supported above the natural ground surface by a steel subframe structure. The subframe structure sits on the ground and does not require foundations. Instead, the structure is held into position by its interconnecting components and is secured by earth-nails driven into the natural ground at intersecting ground points.

The ride experience is enjoyed on a purpose-built toboggan which is independently speed controlled by the ride user operating a brake lever. A speed limiter is however incorporated into the toboggan design, limiting the speed of the toboggan to a maximum of forty (40) kilometres per hour. The toboggan has capacity for two riders only and minimum user heights apply. The front rider must be a minimum of 0.97m and is restrained by a two-point pelvis safety belt. A centre grip is provided to the rider for comfort and stability during the ride experience. The rear rider has control of the toboggan’s speed which is regulated by dual braking handles. The rear rider is also restrained by a shoulder and pelvis safety belt.

The proposed Terminal building will be the access point for the proposed Alpine Coaster and the existing toboggan ride. Only within this building will riders be able to access the Alpine Coaster or the existing toboggan ride. Ride operators will guide riders into the toboggan or Alpine Coaster at the start position ensuring that safety harnesses are appropriately secured. Health, safety and ride operating instructions will form part of this process. At the completion of the ride, riders will return to this same location and alight their toboggan or coaster under the supervision of the ride operators. The proposed storage building is integrated with the proposed terminal building as shown below and in the accompanying architectural plans which are included in Annexure B. The storage building is an enclosed structure which will be used to store equipment for the existing toboggan ride and the proposed ‘Alpine Coaster’. Access to each ride will be via a series of pedestrian ramps and landings extending from the existing footpath that is currently utilised for the toboggan ride.

From the proposed terminal building, the Alpine Coaster toboggan cars, inclusive of ride users will travel along the ‘uplift track’ which relies on a ‘funicular’ system to pull the toboggan to the top of the slope where the ride commences its gravity driven downhill run. Figure 13 below shows the location of the uplift tract and the point at which the toboggan commences its downhill run. From the point at which the ride commences its downhill run and ending at the proposed terminal building, the proposed route incorporates several curves and straight-line sections weaving between existing vegetation on the subject land. The proposed route will require a very small area of existing any native vegetation.

Both, the uplift and downhill tracks are mounted on steel support frames which will be anchored to the ground using earth nails. Notably, the height of the track determines the width of the steel support frames. Except for a small section (25m) of track within the RU2 Rural Landscape zone, the height of the remaining track system will not exceed the building height plane for RU2 Rural Landscape zone or the R1 General Residential zone.

Once ride users are securely fastened into the toboggan and checked by the ride operator there is no opportunity for ride users to leave the ride until they return to the terminal building. Access to the area comprising the ‘Alpine Coaster’ ride is prohibited for ride users or visitors to the park. Appropriate exclusion fencing and or signage will be established prior to the opening of the proposed facility.

The operation of the proposed ‘Alpine Coaster’ will be subject to risk audits in accordance with the manufacturers recommendations. Prior to the commencement of each days operation, the entire track route will be inspected by the ride operator(s).

Given that the proposed development is to be integrated with the existing fun park attractions, it is appropriate that the operational hours remain consistent with the opening times of the park being seven days per week between 9.00am and 6:00pm.

There will be no additional staffing required to support the proposed development. Instead, the proposal integrates with the existing toboggan ride such that ride participants will queue, enter and exit within the same terminal building for both the existing toboggan ride and the proposed ‘Alpine Coaster’ ride.

The new proposed Alpine Coaster will include 34 Wiegand-Toboggans running along an 872m Steel Track. The realistic capacity is about 50 people per run and every hour.

All in all this will be an excellent addition to The Big Banana Funpark, and at an investment of just over $3 million dollars, represents excellent value for this park and being an Australian first, will certainly put this park on the map and in the spotlight for local enthusiasts to visit. Fingers crossed that other Australian parks will see the value for money that one gets for these type of attractions and hopefully think about installing one. Realistically I could see Jamberoo Action Park, Funfields or even Adventure World in Perth think seriously about adding one of these to their attraction lineup.

 

 

 

 

5 minutes ago, TBoy said:

The article says 34 cars maximum - personally I still don't think it is enough space if one person wants to go slow while the person behind them wants to go fast with no brakes.

Yeah the article states that the ride will come with 34 new Wiegand Toboggans. The DA info confirms this. It does not mention anywhere nor state that there will be 34 cars zooming down the track at any given time. Plus whilst all 34 cars could be accomodated on the track at once- that does not mean that they will all be cycled to run at the same time. I am sure that at least 10- 15 cars would be held in a holding pattern and released for riders in a safe manner. Just my thoughts on this.

[TBoy]

9 minutes ago, Jobe said:

Realistically I could see Jamberoo Action Park, Funfields or even Adventure World in Perth think seriously about adding one of these to their attraction lineup.

I like it could come to these parks:
 

• Magic Mountain - seems like a good fit for the park
• Jamberoo - Great to fit in with the toboggan ride
• Funfields - Same as Jamberoo
• Adventure Park - Would be a great ride that would fit in with the park
• Adventure World - Kinda stuck on this, it might be too small for them

LPS/LPM wouldn't be able to fit one and Gumbuya seem to invest in more traditional rides so I don't think they would want it.

12 minutes ago, Jobe said:

Yeah the article states that the ride will come with 34 new Wiegand Toboggans. The DA info confirms this. It does not mention anywhere nor state that there will be 34 cars zooming down the track at any given time. Plus whilst all 34 cars could be accomodated on the track at once- that does not mean that they will all be cycled to run at the same time. I am sure that at least 10- 15 cars would be held in a holding pattern and released for riders in a safe manner. Just my thoughts on this.

Yes that seems good, I don't think 34 cars would be a good idea as I said people will get hurt easily, maybe similar to the toboggan like you said? Anyway its 4:30am AEDT time to go to sleep.

[Stevie]

I'm going to have to go on a tour sometime next year to check out all of these smaller parks that are suddenly going crazy with expansions and revamps

[REGIE]

Yes Melbourne and Sydney are a good trip but getting out to Perth is hard. It’s so out of the way

[Jobe]

For all of those that  didn’t get to see the Big Banana Monorail in action ( a misnomer really as it ran on two dual concrete rails) here is a VERY 80’s clip of the park showing the train in all its glory, with including shots of the Bunyip and the Billabong. 
Thanks to Facebook user Chris who recently posted this on the Lost Amusement Parks of Australia Facebook group.

 

Edited December 31, 2022 by Jobe

[Jobe]

Given the main topic of conversation is Australia’s first ever Alpine Coaster, with a length of 872 metres, it’s ironic that Coastercrazy would post a video of the Top 10 longest Alpine coasters in the World. Number one looks like a doozy!!

 

[REGIE]

Is Australia’s one. One of the longer ones or more on the shorter side

[Rabbit2014]

Coffs Harbour council to determine future of proposed $2.9 million Big Banana rollercoaster(alpine coaster).

https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/coffs-harbour/coffs-harbour-council-to-determine-future-of-proposed-29-million-big-banana-rollercoaster/news-story/932e1d568b6d515dae7e9761dd781218?amp&nk=038c1210981da89251ae5503cfc3fc07-1692869982

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

*sigh* a pox on your darned paywalls.

[New display name]

Linking to paywalls sucks.