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Just to clarify what this award actually is... It is NOT an architectural award. It is NOT a design award. It is a 'construction award'. It was NOT won by Dreamworld. It was won by Alder Constructions. It is NOT national. It is given by Master Builders Queensland. It is NOT state-wide. It was only for the Gold Coast. The very specific category that it won was 'Tourism and Leisure facilities (on the GC) up to $10M.' In 2019 this category had no winner because it had no entries for the GC region. In 2018 it was won for the Woodroffe Hotel (Southport) In 2017 it was won for the Doomsday Ride at MovieWorld (who even knew?) The category did not exist prior to 2017. It is highly probable that this was the only entry for this category in the awards for the GC region, or that it beat out a surf club redevelopment (like the Sunshine coast region winner) or a Hotel Lobby redevelopment (like the Brisbane winner - Ovolo). This is not a prestigious award. This is a small, local award for construction companies to help promote themselves locally. I am sure the construction was challenging and they were likely given the award just for solving all of the technical difficulties with the retro-fit. But, as was discussed at the time and as @Slick said, the final result of the lumpy bulbous mess of a building is not at all like the promised renders, and the design of the building destroyed what was left of the park's entry statement aesthetic.

Photo Update - 19/08/2020

The Gumbuya carpark is so good - I heard a lot of people don't even go inside!

It needs approx 6 weeks of testing etc once the overseas techs are allowed into the country

If we're all finished with 'my opinion is righter than your opinion so your opinion is wrong' - my point was, BB was built by local tradespeople based on PTC plans and SW could easily do the same. Rappa's argument that SW wouldn't want to repeat that method was shot down by Rich's point that there isn't much to building a woodie, and it's further confirmed by the fact that we have timber on slab, and tradespeople on site currently building the damn thing. (Last I checked, our borders are still closed to the overseas specialists you all think are necessary for construction to begin). As for the ride experience - the wildcat design was born out in the 1920s. Most of the clones were built in the 80s. You know, back when computers operated in Megahertz, instead of Gigahertz. We've come a long way. Sure, modern woodies are far better designed, engineered and built. You might argue Nostalgia, i'll disagree. Just like a 40 year old gamer remembers fondly the days of the Atari 2600 and Commodore 64, which by today's standards would be called "shit" but 'for its day' were incredible machines. BB was, when built, a great ride. It was poorly maintained, but 'for its day' was a great coaster.

Was there a different Bush Beast than the one at Wonderland, because the only Bush Beast I went on was shit. Hate to say it but the reason people think of it fondly is because it was a right of passage sort of ride. If I could reride any coaster that has closed it would probably be Thunderbolt, but it's 100% nostalgia. It was an absolute mess of a ride. Be honest and admit the thing you like from your childhood was shit but you have a soft spot for it because it is was an institution in the city you grew up in, and you have a nostalgic connection to it. Don't waste your time saying how objectively good it was.

ITT: People who have no idea about LPS, telling LPS how the park should be run like a GC park.

Have to say I see both sides of the coin here in regards to this argument. In the one corner , I am greatful that LPS has survived the many rigours and challenges that has befallen it over the years. The fact that it survives so well to this day is due to the diversification of its revenue streams. As much as I dont like it, it had to do so in order to survive. However there is a balance to these things. The place is still an amusement park and it certainly needs to up its game in these stakes. The rides it currently has are at the end of life and the whle park is in need of a renewal of its attraction base. When they annouced a couple of years ago that they had a 5 year plan of $20 millio dollar renewal, it was music to my ears. Here was an opportunity for the park to get rid of the old and usher in new , quality attractions. So far from these plans, we have only seen Volare surface but we can all agree that it is a well presented and excellent appointed ride. The coaster question is another matter. Many know on these boards that i firmly believe that LPS needs a 2nd coaster- nothing in the realms of the 2nd Big Dipper- those days are long gone and so is the space for it- but there are definitly a number of options that the park could and should look at. The Maurer SC2000 has long been rumoured to have been looked at and as we know, Pitt and Sherry had stated on their website in having done works on one for the park. What has happened to these plans is anyone's guess. As Slick has pointed out, a coaster similar to Iron Shark at Galveston Pier or even Rage at Adventure Island in the UK would also be ideal. Neither of these options would be out of place for LPS and would certainly satisfy the public's hunger for new attractions and another coaster. LPS themselves recognise the need for a signature coaster as the rumours of the Maurer spinner show. Room of course is the issue but here is where they need to get creative. Grona Lund in Sweden has shown that they can have a serious boardwalk park with numerous attractions whilst fitting many into small footprints. LPS needs a unified plan that uses its available space to the utmost- something that the park currently does not do. This is why the park feels disjointed and with minimal visble effort. A well thought out , new attraction scheme that makes use of every available space well with some attempt at theming is what the park desperately needs. Playing on nostalgia and its wonderful history is what LPS does best. Updating its attractions to reflect this history is certainly the way to go. New rides should hearken back to what was before , so therefore any new attraction must be chosen carefully. What is ideal is something that is new, unique or even rare in Australia and then theme it to one of the old loved rides from the past. Keep the names of Spider, Tumblebug, Wild Cat, Whirler, Big Dipper, Flying Saucer. New ones like Volare and Hair Raiser have been presented well and fit into the overall "feeling" of the park. Whatever the park does- it is certainly in the best shape legally to do so. They now have the strong backing of legislation that allows them to make these additions as long as they conform to the parameters set out in said legislation. This would include any new coaster of the size that we have speculated about. If they wanted to , then they certainly could move ahead with these plans. There may be some opposition and grumbling, but as long as it is by the book, thats all that it will remain- grumbling. Absolutely agree with Ray here. The old theming like this can and SHOULD be reinstated. This would not be beyond the realms of what can be achieved to put into place- either financially or realistically. I am just glad that LPS is still standing so that I can take my kids to the place. A trip to LPS for them happens every year without fail and they love the place as much as I do. They certainly know the difference between what LPS stands for and parks on the Gold Coast. There is nothing better than looking down the Midway of LPS on a Saturday night looking at the rides and attractions all lit up. The GC parks just cant compete with this atmosphere or aesthetic- nor should they. They are entirely different in range and scope. LPS , for mine is at a crossroads. The need for renewal is urgent and they have the opportunity to make long lasting improvements to the park that will last for decades. Management need to recognise the importance of the amusement side of the park and act accordingly to enhance the experience. Unfortunately COVID has hit the park plans pretty hard, like throughout the theme park industry. We will just have to wait a little longer to see these plans come to fruition. Fingers crossed that they are desrving of the history that they intend to represent.

Ardent have said they hope/plan to be able to open the coaster “sometime” in 2021. i wouldn’t be expecting any significant work occurring this year at all

Interesting to see some work on Vortex does this mean it could be opening soon?

Eh, I had a kid annoying me wanting dinner. So I suffered a stroke. Yes, local chippies can follow the plans and do some of the work. All machinery is only ever signed off by an engineer from the company who has designed it. So I am not as silly as you might think. But I also know they cant simply built the entire coaster unsupervised. But I am sure they could follow plans until a particular point. I didn't realise I was in a brainwashing seminar.

Am new here, but I believe the Side Winder is getting a retheme that fits nicely with Ocean Parade. From what I've heard "Gold Coaster" was a name they were going to use originally but decided to go with a different colour scheme so dont expect them to use that name. Will wait and see.

100% bang on the money here. We have come along way since the time BB was built. CAD has bought us much better results than a standard string line and some sums done on a back of a napkin used as lunch. You can use local tradies to build things. Its the signing off that is required by an engineer from the actual company those designed it. Cause if anyone has those brought then how on earth would Australia get any of the big rides built that it does?. We've always used our own trades in the areas that they can assist.

That's a ripper of a post @wikiverse. Always enjoy a post outside of my area of expertise

There is a lot that can be said for both the approach, and the reception, when it comes to opinion and viewpoint.

HAHA, I'm far from a Christian boy! For sure its got missed potential. Rumours have circled this park much like its chequered history. I think eight or so years ago when they decided to head down the live entertainment route it changed the direction of the park. It was positive to add shows etc. But it has covered up some of the shortcomings of the park for sure. What most definitely hurts the park now is this pandemic. Whatever major plans they might have had will definitely be pushed to the side. That's a sad thing. Because sometimes it is just a mural that needs touching up or something. I am still keen to see what rabbit can be pulled out of a hat, however. I know these two rides will be eventually missed when they leave (Tumble Bug & Ranger). I just hope we don't lose one that really is unique. I pray they have at least been forward-thinking in that regard.

MW or DW standard isnt exactly a high bar to be fair at the minute, especially considering Westfield is an appropriate standard for both companies in terms of presentation. They are already halfway there in terms of presentation, the historical buildings and aforementioned Flying Saucer/Big Dipper fixtures have been done up and look fantastic. But anywhere else thats where the presentation starts to crumble. Maloney's corner is basically a parking lot with zero scenery whatsoever, something acceptable for the Royal Show, not a boardwalk park. Keeping around the 80's rides is not retro. There is a difference between retro and outdated. Tumble Bug, Ranger and Spider are all examples of the latter and in an ideal world should be replaced ASAP but as we know the process to build a new ride is extremely lengthy so it will be a long time till we see all 3 replaced with actual proper 'retro' rides that call back to the 60's. Similarly, suggesting that literal carnival rides are 'true to the park's aesthetic and history' is a pretty bad take, though for reasons I've already said that doesn't bother me too much. Perhaps I think too much of LPS but I do see potential for it to be our equivalent of Grona Lund that is well presented. Given what has been done so far its definitely showing some promise but there's still a long way to go to finish up the park's transformation in the buildings. Maloney's Corner needs to be properly integrated into the park rather than what it is now, Tumble Bug/dodgems fixture needs a redo, Big Top needs some paint, and the ticket booth needs a repaint. Plus some new permanent rides that match the presentation of Volare. Not too tall an order to be honest considering what they have been able to achieve so far.

Come on. Any notion that the park is plonking in traveling carni rides to ‘be true to the parks history’ is about as kool aid filled as is humanly possible. It’s because they are a cheap easy way to get the ride count up. A cheap carnival has no place on the foreshore of Sydney Harbour. ‘Back in the day’ it was also a dirty nasty place filled with undesirables, and we’re in no hurry to recreate that authentic atmosphere. However a beautifully presented nostalgic rose coloured glasses nod to seaside piers of yesteryear is a charming addition to the area. That’s what they should continue to be doing. They shouldn’t be compared to, or try to compete with the Gold Coast parks because they will always fail, and Luna Park should be something totally different to that. Look to places like Tivoli Gardens for inspiration

Gotta say I agree with @StingRay. Luna Park may not be the champion boardwalk like park in the world, but it’s a miracle the place is alive today still. Would a new coaster go in nicely there? Sure ofcourse it would, but I think the enthusiast is holding it to a higher bar than what it actually is trying to be. I for one am greatful that the park is still open today, and whilst the attraction mix is a little heavy on the flats side, to me the biggest crime was when the carousel was replaced with a fake replica. I understand why it happened, but that’s the kind of stuff that is criminal (a lot like replacing a steam train with a toy train at a theme park).

Maybe you are unaware of the park history then?. Its always had carnival rides. So I don't see the massive issue. They like any other park around the world have to keep people happy. Including the government (both federal & local) and the Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority. The latter has a massive say ironically. Also, even tho we once had a custom made coaster within this park its ridership was ironically low a few weeks after it opened. So I don't see why they'd want to invest in a massive ride. Park has as capacity any it must adhere too. I get you that you think it is essentially "cheap and nasty" and it ain't MW or Dw standard. But they are trying to be true to the parks entire history. The face is based from the 1960s along with Coney island and the outside of the crystal palace. Everything else is kinda retro and represents the 80's. But it literally does us alright. I mean I suppose if LPS seems this bad I would hate to know what LPM is then.

(I am sorry in advance if I sound bossy or angry, it is just getting annoying this conversation going around an roundabout) They are already looking more at "Silly Symphony Swings", the 2 most recent rides Tango Train 2.0 and Volare were amazingly made, and there could be some more coming soon. Already a lot of rides in Luna Park have a nod to old Rides, like Tumble Bug. I do not know or that there are any plans. But with the current trend, we could see some more soon. The rest of the country has an dismal theme park industry compared to the Gold Coast. So if you have every been there (I have not) have lower expectations for the rest of the country, and New Zealand and almost all of the Pacific Islands! Again, and this should be the last time that I need to say this. IT IS NOT EASY TO ADD IN RIDES AT LUNA PARK!!!!! It took them 3 whole years to add Volare into the park! There were supposed to be another 5 rides with Volare, but couldn't because their neighbors complained to the courts. The park has closed down before after only 16 months because of complaints! Luna Park has to be extremely cautious about adding permanent rides like an Eurofighter. So they have rides from Joylands to come during peak periods. And we, nor they can't do that much about it! Right, FINISHED!

Maybe the downtime is because they have just tried a super extended version of turning it off and on again.

Yes Yogi... the audience was full (well covid-full) but I didnt hear a sound out of anyone the entire time. There are a lot of other options for 4d movies from (im assuming) the same supplier which would have been a better fit. Im embarrassed by the 'boganness' of the big show offerings at mw and sw... i know they are obviously marketed at that element of the guests, but jesus.... *head in hands*

My golden years was early-mid 90's Australia's Wonderland just opened the demon, space probe 7 was next, the park was still alive with characters the gardens maintained and all the rides were in their correct location, the bush beast was a monster and the Zodiac was the coolest scariest Ferris wheel around, the wizards fury screams could still be heard and riding the HMS endeavour standing up and not holding on was the thing to do. I am 38 tho so remembering back that far its probably a bit fuzzy

It's the better day experience by far IMO. Small creature comforts like lifts for all the heavier rafts really do make the day far more pleasant. When the crowds do return en-masse and a lazy river becomes viable it'd really be a stellar waterpark. I think it's also got some room for some better F&B there, too - Blue Lagoon was pretty well known for its Fish 'n' Chips (and had a nice area to chill out and eat) and I think a similar thing should apply here too. I think that's been a sore spot for Dreamworld lately too - Dreamworld as a whole was known for its specialty foods and it's where they should return to for both parks, especially when they're trying to get small wins on the board in the absence of having so much closed.

Holy cow that looks bright AF. Great stuff.

This nearmap update from early August shows the flooring still hasn’t been replaced, but as I’ve posted already, the bucket has returned. It’s not listed under maintenance on the website, so we should see the new flooring installed before they reopen

Me on monday morning coming into Parkz after a weekend off the boards...