Have to say I'm impressed with your knowledge about the Park - almost as good as mine. Just kidding!! I have only recently been made aware of this site and have enjoyed (not really the word because I have found it downright depressing) going over the photos etc. and the comments of all concerned.
I started with the Park during construction in February 1985 and watched it being born and contributed to its birth and christening (I suppose mnemo would call it 'her') and all the way through puberty. I didn't last as long as mnemo - Sunway guys just too disgusting for words and I left to help one of the "old" GMs set up a new tourist attraction.
I have a lot of memories from my years there - my children grew up and during construction and it in it's shut down periods would use the Park as a playground. Both of them eventually had seasonal work while studying. I still have many people in my life now that became friends as we worked alongside one another.
So much of my life was put into Wonderland and so many hours; I cannot count the times I worked around the clock just to make sure everything was up and running and looking good for the guests, or as one of our colourful characters used to refer to them the 'punters'.
All the wonderful events and concerts such as LASER, LIGHTS AND LEGENDS where, as part of the show, they tried to have a tree appear to explode when a laser struck it but during rehearsal night someone put a little too much explosive under the prop tree and blew the hell out of it; YOUNG TALENT TIME when traffic jams were caused from Walgrove Road through and onto the Great Western Highway. So many memories and stories. Making sandwiches for the Rides Maintenance guys as they worked around the clock to get a ride up and running for the next day because Fisher said it had to happen.
How sad it makes me to drive by nowadays. I ventured in as far as the old back gate a year or so ago just to see what had happened. All the plaques for the trees planted by the Japanese tourists for the koalAs all but disappeared, although I did spot a couple. Wonder what happened to the outback area where we used to take the tourists for boomerang throwing and billy teas (I spent a Christmas morning out there once with a group of Japanese teenagers - the things we did).
Just as an aside there was a fabulous Ball Bounce in HB and although the kids used to love it so did the staff for our parties - had some wild times in the ball bounce. I was the first woman to ride the Snowy River Rampage and the reason we had padded steering columns in the Jousting Ring after I had bruises all over my legs from a mad game of Dodgems with the Maintenance guys (during construction) who showed no mercy.
Anyway, enough of this - nearly making me weep and definitely making me smile. Thanks again for what you have done - keep up the good work. I will have a look at some of the old photos I managed to grab as I quickly departed and see if I can load them on.
