Everything fits on Cyclone Downunder

The latest pics are up at www.twistedrails.com of almost all the track pieces in place. I was at the park today but forgot my camera and all the bits are in. All that's left is the station and platform to the station. The chain and the motors for it will be in by the weekend i'm told. Stay tuned for more updates this weekend.
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"Thunder from Down Under"
The Croc Man Rules!!!

Looks like a great ride...couldn't they put it somewhere other than the parking lot...j/k. Hope you get to enjoy your new toy soon!

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Son of Drop Zone - PKI CoasterCamp I Champions!!!

The funny thing is Gatorwoodie is that the park owns about another 50 hectors of land at the back of the park. It is as long as the front of the park and just keeps going back. Still can't understand why they put it at the front of the park unless it's surposed to draw people into the park from the freeway????? Very strange indeed.
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"Thunder from Down Under"
The Croc Man Rules!!!

You said it, they might have just hammered the final nail in Thunderbolt's coffin by building Cyclone in front of it. TB won't get noticed anymore. Plus a while ago I emailed the park's media rep as to where the Dipper will be rebuilt. His reply was "No where near TB"! I'm praying for the day that TB is replaced by a B&M Floorless. :)

All year & last year there've been rumors of land clearing in the back (on the right side behind Tiger Island I think) supposedly for a woodie. Then I thought maybe Cyclone would be built in the clearing instead.

DW is a strange park, all the rides & waterpark are in the front half. The back half is pretty much as nature left it, with wildlife displays etc. I'm not sure - I've never been in the back half! Another reason for Cyclone being built in the front is it would cost a fair bit more to put it in the back. Perhaps rides haven't been built there is the noise levels would disturb the wildlife.

I hope they are seriously planning on removing the TB, I mean, lets make it get retired on its 20th. I always understood it was rough, and I didn't want them to remove it, as I found out Meisho have techniques of some sort to make their old rides smoother again. I then found a Thunderbolt on-ride movie, which really showed me something I wasn't totally aware of.

The ride is not at all articulated! It contains large flat sections of track between everything. After that very shallow drop, you flatten out, and go into those inversions, then you go through a series of turns, each non banked and seperated by a 5m+ straight of track.

I want them to remove it so desperately now, I couldn't care less how smooth they can make it, get rid of this out of date piece of junk. I'd rather see a Schwarzkopf Shuttle loop any day rather than Thunderbolt!

Richard

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Australian

I don't see TB being replaced at all in the future. I mean we are talking about the ride that the park built itself around. I have heard that once Cyclone gets running that the park is considering fixing up TB for it's 20th birthday, but that was from an employee who hear it around the smoko table.

As for the noise levels that may afect the wildlife area of the park, it does not matter where you go in the park the only thing that you can hear is the TOT. The wipeout ride is also heard through-out the park.

The land cleared around the back of the park, I was told, was for the Big Brother house. But you guys are talking about a different area of the park to the BB house. I will be at the park on next Tuesday so I will be sure to check it out completely and will ask as many questions as I can cause.....We all have to know.

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"Thunder from Down Under"
The Croc Man Rules!!!

Any clue on the price tag for Thunderbolt? My Worlds Greatest Roller Coaster DVD (yes it one of the world's "greatest") mentions it was built for $12 million. (I don't know the currency rate over there)

Heck, what was the relocation and buying tag on Cyclone/Big Dipper

John,
The park paid 5 million to buy and relocate the Cyclone to Dreamworld and it is the same construction company that built it in Sydney, that is completeing the work at Dreamworld. Unsure of the price of TB when it was first built, but the 12million mark sounds about write.
As for the conversion rate, every $1 U.S. is worth about $2 Australian at the moment. I'm trying to organise a tour of the Australian theme parks for next Summer in Australia. It would include Dreamworld, Movie World, Sea World, Wet and Wild water park, Australian Zoo ( owned and run by Steve Irwin ) and Wonderland in Sydney. If you hear of any interested parties then let me know. There will be more on it on my web page when it is running next week ( I HOPE).
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"Thunder from Down Under"
The Croc Man Rules!!!

*** This post was edited by wayne "Thunder" currie on 11/8/2001. ***

By crikey that sounds like a great trip...j/k. We watch Steve and Terri all the time here in the States!!! It is funny about the net however, to see stuff in kilos, metres, etc. I know it's US here that are strange, but our culture is so "inculturated" (LOL)...Hoping they DO repair TB, hate to see any coasters disappear...
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the buzzer formerly known as gatorwoodie
Son of Drop Zone - PKI CoasterCamp I Champions!!!

Taipan,

The area of land that was cleared around the Tiger Island show was for the parks new animal attraction, but then the park moved that to near Koala Country instead. I will be talking to the park today so will ask them.

I would love to hear of a woodie at Dreamworld but I have been told officialy that this is not happening. The parl has been consentrating on their wildlife areas of late and only now are starting to look for a new project to follow up Cyclone. I to am hopeing for a B&M floorless or even a standup. We can only hope.

B&M are out of the question in Australia, at least with the exchange rate as ridiculously bad as it has been for the past few years, and it looks like it isn't about to change dramatically.

B&M coasters are the most expensive out there, just to give you an Idea, Medusa at SFMW cost an amazing $15m US, slightly less than what Dreamworld paid for TOT. Thats $30m US. The park would be much wiser going with an Intamin suspended (their version of the Inverted) or an Intamin looper, (or hyper, but I for some reason want to save the first hyper for Wonderland).

Cyclone will last them at least until Movie World get something big to combat it. Which is a few years down the track.

Richard

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Australian

Don't you mean A$30m for Medusa? I'm pretty sure T.o.T cost A$16million which is US$8million.

Yeah sorry, A$30 mil is what I mean, just got a little caught up in what I was saying.

I thought Tower of Terror, and Giant Drop together were $16m US. It sounds right to me, becuase S:TE was $20m US, and it has a lighter structure that uses less steel, than the TOT. But you might be right, however it just seems to me that A$16mil is a very small price for such a ride.

Richard

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Australian

Richard,

Movie World are building somthing to combat the Cyclone at Dreamworld. It is uncertain which company is building the new coaster at WBMW but it looks like a Mack indoor coaster with a elevator lift instead of a lift hill. There is also a spinning part to the ride, but it is unsure if the track does this or the cars themselves and it is due to open mid next year.

The latest rumor from the park is that the maveric show is closing down and a matrix type show will take its place. This has already been part confirmed with the closing of the maveric magic show but that is all that I have from the park at this time.

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"Thunder from Down Under"
The Croc Man Rules!!!

Thanks, Wayne! I need to gey down there for a few days and you need to get up here to Ohio!

Got that right John, but I have a small problem. He stands about 2 foot tall and is 19 months old and drains my pay cheque every week. Will work on it though so will meet you "up" there one day.

Mabey Taipan and Richard can pay my way instead...LOL

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"Thunder from Down Under"
The Croc Man Rules!!!