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Media Preview Day - 19/12/22 Was very lucky to attend a media preview and TV commercial filming day of both coasters yesterday. A big thankyou to the Gumbuya World team for giving Parkz an early access look at both coasters! It is greatly appreciated. Got to ride TNT, but Project Zero was still undergoing testing and commissioning. My initial thoughts on TNT: Pacing and 'flow' of elements are fantastic. The beginning is surprisingly intense (for a family coaster), and ends with a tamer section that is twisty and just plain fun. This is definitely a back row ride for the extra thrills. The coaster is smoooth....even more than I was expecting. No vibrations, no jolting, no headbanging. Vekoma's next gen bucket seats and minimal lap bar harnesses are very comfortable. Theming and area presentation is looking great, but was still being worked on - especially the internal queue space. So I'll wait for opening day to give more thoughts on that. We got to see Project Zero test, and go inside the queue building. The station and queue space has got a premium office/facility feel - and really sets up the whole space test area theme. There is a viewing window from the queue that allows you to appreciate the speed and intensity of this coaster even before the air gate platform. Really interested to see how the old buzzsaw tracks since the rebuild, repaint and refurb. Overall it was 'sounding' a lot more smoother, quieter and less 'clunky' - especially the lift chain and vertical brakes. You can tell the whole team at Gumbuya World are very excited, and proud, about the 2 new attractions. And so they should be. Can't wait for the opening on the 23rd!

Wizard of Oz - Flying Monkey Suspended Family Coaster: The Ride

The first dates have been added to the Dreamworld website for the maintenance schedule for 2023. No major closures next year, except for attractions in Dreamworks due to the refurbishment. Interestingly, most of them are only listed as closing for a couple days in January. I’m thinking that maybe the area will close from this date and they aren’t yet sure on length of time. However Mad Jungle Jam isn’t expected to close until July. So maybe the refurbishment will be in phases throughout 2023 to ensure the entire area doesn’t need to close and massively reduce the attraction count for guests

Steel Taipan has closed for a few days/week a couple times in the last year and maintenance was performed. But it is yet to close for a significant period for maintenance. Is it possible that they’ve got a maintenance plan with Mack in a way that means the ride doesn’t have to close for lengthy periods, since this is there only major headline thrill attraction?

The world's most iconic Flying Monkey Suspended Family Coaster.

This is the same park that called a ride "Scooby Doo Spooky Coaster: Next Generation" 😜

Flying Monkeys is a great name.😂

So, mid-November we (by which I mean me, my wife, and three boys - 9, 4 and 2) went to the Sunshine Coast and decided while we were there to do Aussie World. Flying into the Gold Coast (as the flights and car hire were a pissload cheaper), we then drove to Caloundra (which took a good while, thanks Brisbane traffic) and did the nearby Aussie World on the first day. Aussie World is... small. This isn't your Movie World or Dreamworld, nosiree. This is "hey, we've got this area of land, let's cram in as many rides as we can. And of wildly varying quality". Okay, maybe that last bit is a bit mean. Look, rides are expensive to buy or build, let's say that first and foremost. There's no use anyone saying "oh they don't have anything like Steel Taipan so they suck" - I'm sure the park would love to have the kind of money for that, or the kind of space. But that's not going to happen anytime soon. So what you do have is a collection of rides that has something for everyone - and I mean everyone - to spend a good few hours on (I believe it was open 10-3 when we went), and barely a queue in sight. Rather than describe each ride, I'll just do what I remember being the highlights. The little train, when we got in, was a good little ride for the kids, and our middle child enjoyed the car race (he even managed to steer well enough) and the chair swings. At the top of the park, the SX360 or whatever it is was a hit with my wife and I, and got some great airtime. It's always good to go on those rides and just relax, let gravity do its thing. And the Dingo Racer (I think that was it's name) is alright. Our eldest loved it by default, being one of the only coasters in the park. I've done a few of these coasters before, and they're average. There's also a Caterpillar coaster which does two laps, which our middle child enjoyed. The Wasp however was the ride that got the better of me, as I just felt ill from the moment it started. Probably a great little ride, but I don't think I can stand up to much spinning any more. But nothing could prepare us for the tiny little roundabouts near the entrance, and how our two-year-old loved them. He'd cackle with glee every time they set off, waving to everyone as he went round. A (maybe overly) enthusiastic ride operator too. Again, at the time there were barely any queues and the place was nice and clean. However, there isn't anything that stands out - and I guess, considering cash and space, there can't be. Bottom line - it's an alright park to do once if you're in the area. Nothing special. Other things we did on this trip - Australia Zoo was good fun, and Noosa was pretty (and very tiring to push a pram around with two boys in it). The beach area in Brisbane's South Bank was good, if a little crowded. Caloundra is nice, the Sea Life Centre good, Bribie Island pretty peaceful. Good holiday - we wanted something more relaxing, ended up being one of our busiest holidays.

Features some POV footage of TNT. IMO Luna Park Sydney and Gumbuya World have the best coasters outside-GC.