The Parkz Update: Dreamworld, August 2014

Wipeout is back in action after an extended period of maintenance and the ride structure arrives for Tail Spin. This Parkz Update showcases all the latest changes in Ocean Parade at Dreamworld.

Image: Parkz. Work continues on Tail Spin at Dreamworld.

Update By Richard Wilson
2 August 2014

Wipeout returns

After the most significant overhaul in its 20 year history, Wipeout is back in action.

Kudos to Dreamworld for not only fixing up the internal workings but also giving the ride's appearance a much needed boost.

The counterweights have been fully repainted.

Vinyl covers on restraints are all the rage at Dreamworld, though it's not something commonly seen at theme parks around the globe.

As close as a 20 year old ride will ever come to looking brand new.

The new red livery is bold against the blue ride and wave. As red generally fades faster than any other colour, hopefully they'll keep it looking bright in years to come.

Signage at the ride entry to match the giant surfboards.

A separate single-rider queue! Hopefully this becomes a standard feature of rides in Australia as they are at most major international parks.

Nothing has changed with the basic operation of the ride; first the shoulder restraints come down, then the lower bar comes in and causes every rider to groan in unison.

Off it goes...

The ride is sounding much smoother.

The ride sequence features all the usual Wipeout tricks.

Water cannons are back, spraying throughout the cycle, sometimes giving (un)lucky riders a splash of water.

It's still an intimidating, noisy beast, though with less of the groans and screeches that plagued the ride in recent years.

And it's still one of the best flat rides out there.

Why manufacturer Vekoma didn't have more success with these rides on the market is anyone's guess. They're certainly built to last.

The water is of course back, and looking crystal clear.

The water is only a few inches deep.

The beach has also disappeared in favour of this more modern black pebblecrete effect.

The new viewing area puts non-riders only a few metres away from the action.

At the northern end of the ride Dreamworld have taken a page out of Movie World's book to lay some astroturf.

The old pavement of Ocean Parade meets the new Wipeout area.

The crack effects that were part of the pavement around The Claw have been filled in in preparation for a new surface.

Some interesting measures were taken to turn the Disneyland-esque Main Street buildings into a more beach-themed environment.

Work underway to freshen up one of the buildings.

Tail Spin construction

Theming elements are going up quickly over at Tail Spin.

It wouldn't be a Dreamworld ride if they weren't reusing theming elements. The old fibreglass shark will return here so that the flight themed ride inexplicably has a recently-caught shark hanging outside.

From concept art, the theme will be wharf meets tropical jungle. Probably not all that different visually from Bermuda Triangle at Sea World in its heyday.

Carpenters must love building old-timey themed floorboards. Cut wherever, measure never would replace their usual idiom.

Roofing. It's a shame they don't scrounge up old rusty tin sheets like they used to, though you can understand given the obvious safety and maintenance issues.

The area around the central column will all be fenced off.

The mould for the central column's foundations has become a handy workbench while work focuses on concreting and theming.

The fence going up here will separate what looks to be the queue area (right) from the load area (left).

There's room for some garden beds against the fence.

The concept art calls for a water effect and seaplane on this concete expanse.

With only around seven weeks until the ride's likely opening, work is progressing at a steady rate.

Interesting square gaps in the concrete will sport some theming elements.

The 12 riders board on this side of the central column. Tail Spin will feature its highest point on the opposite side, roughly over the main path, between Wipeout and the 'Snack Attack' food outlet.

Vertical construction of the ride isn't far off.

The actual ride components have arrived on site. This is the main arm, which will feature the 12 spinning gondolas attached at the left. The far right of the arm features counterweights to balance the rider load.

The ride's main motor that will control the gentle spinning of the arm, as well as its tilt to start and end the ride cycle. You can see it already features a weathered wood effect as part of the ride's theme.

Behind Tail Spin parts sits slide components for Triple Vortex, WhiteWater World's forthcoming Tornado 12 slide.

Behind this fence are the gondola support arms.

Peeking through the fence we see the gondola support.

The circular tube in the background is the main support column. The end nearest us is the top of the column, which will house the motor, connected to the arm.

The ride has been announced, concept art unveiled and this is how Dreamworld promotes it in-park – an A3 printout. How about trying something with a bit more oomph, like this or this?