Jobe

Ha!!! Just as I predicted in my earlier post!!! I do believe I was the first to mention the possibility of the new ride being the Waveswinger!! This is quite excellent news!! Do we have a confirmation date on when the ride will debut?? Is it being placed in the spot where the Ranger resided?? If the Waveswinger is indeed to stay on as a permanent ride, this does call into question as to where it or the Ranger will be placed on the return of the Ranger from overhaul. My bet is that the Ranger will become a Midway ride once again and be placed between the ice-creamery and the Crystal Palace, a view which has been shared by an earlier post. The retainment of the Waveswinger,whilst a good move, does seem to indicate a shift in policy for LPS. This could signal the end or reduction of rotational holiday rides for the park, as room for these new rides is at a premium. If LPS do not become a little more creative , then I think this move will max out the full complement of rides for the park. I certainly hope that the ride is not just called "Waveswinger". I think utilisation of a name from the park's rich history would be more approriate, such as " The Whip". This would serve to further move the ride from a generically named travelling ride and give it a bit of character and history to draw upon. Give it a decent bridge and facade and it could even harken back to when rides at LPS had some semblence of themeing!!! Well one can hope!!!! Cheers Jobe

Thanks for the info Ranger Dude!! This is great news!!! Not only is Australia's one and only HUSS Ranger staying in Australia, it is staying at LPS and getting a major overhaul to boot!! Plus the attraction that is replacing the Ranger will also be staying as a permanent ride attraction, giving a much needed boost in ride numbers for the park!! Now we only need to speculate what ride will LPS getting?? Anyone have any ideas?? An ex LPS ride....Hmmm!! I am thinking that the only rides that did'nt stay at the park for the 2004 re-opening were the Big Dipper and The Octopus (Polyp). Since we know exactly where Big Dipper currently resides (Dreamworld) and The Octopus (Aussie World) , then it stands to reason that the ride must be from the 1980's incarnation. There are several possibilities here from this era. Operating in the park at this time were an Enterprise (Another HUSS ride), a Pirate Ship (possibly another example of HUSS), a Waveswinger and a Superloops. Since we know that the Geronimo Coaster went to Adventureworld in Perth as Turbo Mountain and has been scrapped,my money would be on the Waveswinger. I am pretty sure that the LPS Waveswinger was converted to a travelling unit and could now be making a return!! I am also unaware of the fate of the other rides that resided at the park in the 80's , so it could possibly also be one of them, however the Waveswinger to me feels "right" Lets hope what ever it is gets a decent bridge and some semblance of theming!!! Anyone else have any ideas?? Cheers Jobe

Hmmm....I think that Twister and Speedcoaster needed TO BE MOVED but did not need to be removed entirely from the park. Twister is a unique slide that has no twin in Australia. It would have been a better move if WNW had simply moved these 2 popular slides to another area of the park. There is no real evidence to support their full removal at all. Whilst I agree that the Aqua Loops positioning where the Twister once resided is a good decision, I cannot supoort the full removal of these 2 slides. It simply does not make for rational sense. Cheers Jobe

Thanks for the info Joz! So there really wasn't all that much more at Grundy's than there is at the current Timezone now?? Couple of questions though. The waterslides are all at the Beach End of Cavil Avenue whereas the current Timezone footprint really only occupies the area to the right of the top of the escalator. All the rides that disappeared when Grundy's changed hands were, I presume, located on the left hand side?(from memory I think this is where the Bowling alley and the shooting range currently reside?) Can anyone confirm this?? Also I was going to ask how long were the water slides in operation and from what time line? And finally what year did Grundy's cease operating?? I would have loved to have visited this place back in the day....I would have especially loved to ride the Ghost train!! Anyone know the reason for its eventual closure? Cheers Jobe

Hi all!! Very interesting thread!! I certainly was not aware that Grundys had waterslides either, so this is a real revelation to me also!! I feel that Grundy's in its previous incarnation would be very popular in todays climate and would fill a void well into the evening and night when all the big theme parks are closed,especially with the popularity of Cavill Avenue as the focus point of most activity.In my opinion, if Grundys had recieved some investment over the years, Grundys could well have ended up being similar to some of the great indoor parks over seas!! Ah what might have been!! Anyhow I did do some research and I found a Facebook site wanting to bring back the Grundy's Waterslides. They had some great pics and these are a few of them. Enjoy!! I never visited the Gold Coast until 1995,well after Grundys had passed into history. It was a shame I couldnt see it in its hey day!! If anyone could detail a list of all the attractions that was at Grundys, I would be extremely grateful!! Cheers Jobe

Nice find Wazza1!!!

Hi all!! I don't really have much more infomation to add about Magic Mountain but I do have two pics that clearly show the park in its prime!! Although it could not match the big Gold Coast Theme parks,Magic Mountain certainly had its own charm and was a good day out for families young and old. It is a shame its gone and it now has a place of honour in Australia's Theme Park history. Cheers Jobe

Surely a Splash Battle must be one of the contenders?? Can you tell us if they are water based attractions Klassen or will be just "sea themed"? Cheers, Jobe

Well if your memory of the Dipper is not that great then perhaps it would be better for you not to comment on things you do not know all that much about. The slab housed a fair portion of the Big Dipper ride and it would be fair to say that its strength would be sufficient to hold the Tumblebug and another ride quite easily. As I said before, common sense tells you that. Yes the top of the carpark is right next to apartment buildings but then so is Maloney's corner, which really invalidates your argument. Who is to say that this area atop the carpark couldnt be a future precint for an expanded kiddies area, with all the childrens rides located here?? They do not make much noise, so any problems from the residents should be negated and it would free up more space in Maloney's Corner. All they require is an access point to the rest of the park and this could easily be achieved via a rampway near the carousel. Will it happen?? Probably not. But it COULD and that is my argument. Not a very intelligent or cogent rebuttal, with nothing to support your case in point. Dont bother. My point of view still stands. How about straight down the middle of the midway with an access point to Maloney's Corner remaing behing Coney Island?? That is what used to be the case in previous incarnations of the park and there is no reason to see that it would not work now. Really, I expected far better arguments and statements to back your case for the entire month it took for you to reply with this paltry effort. Cheers Jobe

Have to ask, what was the reason given by Seaworld for the removal of the Pirate Ship? It now reduces their already low ride count by one with no replacement on the horizon. Joz is completely right, Seaworld has gone downhill and fast with the removal of the Train ride, the ski show and now the Pirate ship. Are there any plans to replace this with another ride or attraction? Cheers Jobe

I agree wholeheartedly GoGoBoy. The Terror Canyon rides were , in my mind also , the best slides in the park and were well positioned, and as you have already stated, very well themed. I must admit to a loss as to why these slides have been removed? They were very popular, still in good condition and the second one offered a unique ride experience to any other slide in the park. I know that the park acquired the "Black Hole" tower, which is essentially the same ride experience(although not as good IMHO) but they could have both quite easily have co-existed. Any one have any answers? Cheers Jobe

Very interesting thread. Just wanting to confirm however, are there CONCRETE plans at some point to move towards opening the "Orphan Rocker" in the future? Are the delays towards its opening soley based on monetary issues or are they technical problems that need to be resolved also? I understand that the outlay for what is essentially a family owned and operated business would be huge, but the marketing appeal and and the uniqueness of the ride plus its 20 year infamy would see it become an instant success and would see people travelling from all over Australia and the world just to ride it. I am sure that it would more than pay its way and coupled with the other attractions at Scenic World, would become a must do destination. Cheers Jobe

Actually if you read my post correctly I said that if the current lineup of rides were RECONFIGURED you could make more room. So no I was not being unrealistic and I never mentioned once about removing pathways or seating. Your words not mine. And I think yes that Rock n Tug has been placed in the area next to the Crystal place. Given the fact that the very same slab housed and held the former Big Dipper Rollercoaster I think there is a very good chance indeed of it holding another ride PLUS the Tumblebug. Common sense tells you that. Granted that placing rides here will probably never happen, it however cannot be discounted as space for future projects. Why would there be any difference in placing rides there than in Maloneys Corner? LPS has the right to place rides ANYWHERE within their footprint, it just comes down to the planning of park. I remember reading a interview with Peter Hearne, Managing Director of LPS and he stated to criticisms of the parks ride and noise, that LPS is well within their right to place and build rides anywhere, including up to the cliff and cliff face. The big question is WOULD the park do so? I dont think so, but it as an option for future rides that cannot be discounted. You are correct. They do. But since LPS HAD plans to install a cinema EXACTLY where those said offices now reside behind the Tango, this certainly makes my idea feasible. All the offices,staff rooms etc were at one time earmarked to be placed in an building at the back of Maloney's corner. It could quite easily happen,if thats what the park wanted.There is room there , with a bit of vision. Oh and money of course!!! So does this space provide an entrance for emergency vehicles to run through a path behind the cliff face and the Big Top? If it does, it further validates the above point. Surely alternative measures could be found if LPS truly wanted to place a ride here or behind the Big Top. --- Yep. It is. It also goes further to illustrate my point that if the rides were reconfigured from their current placement, then more room could be found and utilised to enhance the CURRENT ride lineup. Cheers, Jobe

The point that was being made is that there is STILL room for more rides in LPS with this lineup. Maloneys Corner could certainly be reconfigured to fit in more rides than it currently does and LPS HAS placed rides in between the Crystal Palace and the Scoops Ice Creamery. Not really sure what space you are looking at but i suggest next time you are there, go up and have a good survey. This space could quite EASILY accomodate another ride, I would go quite so far to suggest that you could fit in a S&S El Loco coaster or even a ride such as Crazy Coaster. The problem is that to get a ride up there they would have to be craned up. Difficult but NOT impossible. You could also go further and fit 2 or more rides on top of the roof of the Underground carpark above the carousel, if you were so inclined. Also the Dodgems could be moved back to their original '95 home under the Wild Mouse and this would then free up space for another ride-perhaps a dark ride? Moving into real realms of fantasy the space in bewteen the cliff and the Big Top could accomodate a smaller version of Cedar Point's Wicked Twister. Enclose the majority of the ride within an artificial mountain to nullify the majority of the noise, place the queue and entrance with the Tango entry and you would have a cost effective thrilling option that would be an Australian first!! Also the subject of a shot tower is interesting. I am not sure how big a footprint a S&S Shot tower has but could one be placed next to the Rotor and the face? The Batwing at Movieworld does not appear to have to occupy a large space, however I am not sure if this location would be permissable. Perhaps. I know its pie in the sky stuff but please don't tell me it cant be done!! The operators of LPS just need a little vision and foresight. Cheers Jobe

I agree , from a historical point of view its disappointing to see a coaster of Turbo Mountain's important lineage disappear from one of our parks. Does anybody know of the eventual fate of "Turbo Mountain"? I hope it was just not scrapped and that at the very least it becomes a travelling coaster or even a smaller park picks it up. I also hope that Adventure World has some plans in the future to install another coaster into their park- there are a number of cost effective options that are available that would be ideal for Adventure World's park model. Comments? Cheers Jobe

On the LPS website it states that the Pirates Revenge Flume ride and the Rocking Tug will appear for the January school holidays. I cant help but feel a little let down by this line up. Whilst the addition of the flume ride was assured after last years success I was thinking that maybe 3 or four rides would have been added to the line up. IMHO the best year was when Mega Drop, Roller Ghoster,Power Surge and Rocking Tug PLUS the addition of Prison Break live was all included for the Jan school holidays!! I was hoping for either Ali Baba, The Hurricane or Techno Jump or the return of the Mega Drop , Power Surge or Hard Rock. Either way the current announced line up is pretty poor. Perhaps there maybe more announcements as we get closer to Xmas!! Lets hope so!!! As a matter of fact I would have loved Crazy Coaster to have gone in there at the back of Maloneys Corner-I am sure that this would be a major success!! However with Pirates Revenge there I think space would be at a premium!! However, they certainly do NOT utilise all available space. There is room in the Midway between the Crystal Palace and the Ice Creamery (Power Surge and other rides have been placed here) and there is plenty of room to fit another ride next to the Tumble bug slab, if they only had the vision. The addition of Holiday rides to the line up is a fantastic idea but they need to make it worthwhile and install several rides to attract people to revisit year after year. Comments? Cheers Jobe

That sounds very interesting jasicia. I would love to read that!! The Blue Mountains has a fascinating and rich history!! While you are there though,please ask your Managing Director if there are any plans to open "Orphan Rocker" to the public in the near future....I would dearly love to ride this before i die!!! Cheers Jobe

Hmm. So can we include Blackpool in the poll?? You cannot exclude this wonderful park from any poll claiming to have England's greatest theme park, and it deserves so much better than just having to be included in the "other" option. Actually the list isnt really complete either. Other good sized parks that are in the UK include Flamingoland, Fantasy Island, Lightwater Valley,Loudoun Castle and Oakwood. Maybe the poll should reflect these parks or at least impose some sort of parameter upon which park we vote on.ie the park should have more than 4 coasters etc. It would make the poll that much more valid. Anyone agree? Cheers Jobe Gazza, I am pretty sure that Eureka has always been a steel mouse type ride. I am not sure where the researcher for the historical marker got his information from, but it was obviously wrong. Another thought occurred to me. Not knowing how long these markers have been in place, could they have referred to the Wild Mouse at Aussie World perhaps?? It isnt all that far from Dreamworld and could be an easy mistake to make. Though why they never made reference to LPS Wild Mouse, which is far more well known is beyond me!! Cheers Jobe

Having been to Blackpool Pleasure Beach in 2004 I can safely say that this park is fantastic. It has the history and old world feel which we in Australia could only liken to Luna Park in its hey day. This comes from historical attractions such as The Ghost Train, Noah's Ark, The Whip and The Turtle Chase (now both sadly removed) the Wild Mouse and its incredible heritage wooden coasters, The Grand National ,Rollercoaster and Big Dipper, all 1930's vintage coasters. The Grand National is especially excellent ,being one of the few examples of a racing coaster in the world.They are immaculately kept and run beautifully. The Avalanche is the first time I have ridden a Bobsled coaster and its a type that I would love to have in an Australian themepark. Irn Bru Revolution is a one trick pony but it is over 30 years old and was the first looping coaster in Europe. The Pepsi Max Big One( an Arrow Hypercoaster) is good for the first drop , which is great but the airtime fades and the excitement fizzles to an anticlimax. Dont get me wrong its fun, but it could have been a whole lot more. You do get bang for your money though as it is a very long ride and encompasses the whole of the eastern side of the park. Blackpools Wild Mouse is of a slightly different layout than LPS and one I would say is superior. What is interesting is that this ride has a historical maker which highlights the ride as a heritage item but interestingly it also relates where rides of this type are also found around the world, one which states Dreamworld , The Gold Coast?!! Maybe they are referring to the Eureka but I am 100% fairly certain that Dreamworld has NEVER had a wooden wild mouse. The other unique ride is the Steeplechase, a rare type of coaster it was my pleasure to experience. This type of coaster has 2 person horses riding around a large figure 8 layout with several lifts racing against 4 other lanes....fun for all ages!! The other attractions (and there are so many) are mostly unique ( including a huge themed indoor carousel where the horses sway backwards and forwards as opposed to up and down) and a genuine Traver Airship swing which is just a joy to look at!! I would have liked to ride Vallhalla, a huge indoor Viking themed flume ride which is said to be one of the best of its types in the world. Alas it was a little too cold for my liking at the time of my visit and judging by how wet people were as they got off, it was a wise decision!! In summary, if you like the feel of a Luna Park on a grandiose scale, then Blackpool is for you.It has over 100 years of history (and its own resident ghost in its own Ghost train!!) and is bulging with great coasters and unique thrills and experiences that are hard to find anywhere in this day and age. It has a great feel about it and doesnt suffer from that sterile look that can inflict some newer parks. As far as stacking up against Alton Towers, Alton is definitely more modern but that does not neccesarily mean its better. My bet would be to do both if possible, but I would include Blackpool as a must do and then you could pick either Thorpe or Alton as the other as they are both similar in style and makeup. Hope this helps!! Cheers Jobe

Spotty you missed my point! i KNOW Pirate is a Huss!! I mentioned it because it IS an example of a "carnival" type ride in an Australian theme park. Have you ridden a Zamperla Disco Coaster? I only mentioned these as a possible inclusion for LPS because it would be an Australian 1st, they are family friendly yet still thrilling and they have a narrow footprint which would work well with the current LPS layout. So if you have ridden one please elaborate further on WHY you wouldnt want to see one at LPS- by all accounts I have heard they are a well received ride and very popular with parks in Europe and the US. Cheers Jobe

I have been advocating a small coaster such as a Maurer Sohne or a S&S El Loco for LPS or LPM for that matter, for years now. In my opinion they are both quite feasible options, as are many that are detailed in this forum. I love the idea of a River Caves return as well and believe that some day we will see something of significance installed to the park. I know that these are all pie in the sky stuff at the moment, but there is NOTHING wrong with detailing some ideas for the continual improvement of the park. As can be seen , there are many options that can be taken by the park to install new attractions and who is to say that something new is not on the horizon or being planned?? Just because nothing new has been added for years might mean they are planning for something big in the near future. Who knows?? In the mean time keep up the ideas and the discussion-it is quite invigorating to see the debate and knowledge shared around. What does make me smile is that a lot of posters on these forums look down on LPS and the current ride line up with sniffs of derision dismissing them as "nothing but carnival rides". Well its true that they are ex travelling rides and are capable of being portable but they are now permanent attractions with a permanent home. There are MANY examples of the rides that are installed at LPS being installed at theme parks here in Australia and across the world. If they are good enough to be installed at these big parks then they are fine examples to be at LPS. Sure, they could do with some form of themeing or the installation of a bridge or facade to give them a unique appeal, but they are essentially good rides. The majority of them are HUSS and HUSS rides are very popular in many themeparks around the world, so lets keep some of the double standards to a minimum ok?? (Did someone say Reefdiver or Pirate or Vortex??) Bring on a Zamperla Mega Disko coaster i say!!! Cheers Jobe

I thought of the idea of adding a small coaster like the S&S El Loco ( Steel Hawg at Indianna Beach) in an earlier post. It would be an IDEAL addition to LPS and would fit perfect on the old Big Dipper slab in between Tumblebug and the Big Top. One does wonder now that LPS has won its court case whether we will see some serious investment in rides. I for one could definitely see the El Loco coaster go in plus I would love to see a Zamperla Disk O coaster in Maloneys corner. They are long and a small footprint and an Australian first-perfect for LPS!! While we are at it, I reckon they could also build a Intamin copy of Wicked Twister and place it in the narrow corridor that runs between the cliff face and the Big Top. Enclose the majority of it in a mountain like structure with only either end sticking out and you would have a top notch attraction!! Imagine how much LPS would be improved by simply adding these 3 rides!!! Cheers, Jobe

Well I think it says more about you personally than anything else. I dont subscribe to the view that everyone from your generation is lazy or ignorant. Matter of fact I dont think you are lazy...I dont know you to form that opinion!! I just disagree with your views on Luna Park Sydney. Cheers Jobe

This really just validates my earlier post. Cheers Jobe