TPR's Official Australia Trip Update Thread!

And here it is... the FINAL UPDATE from TPR's Australia Trip!

MAGIC MOUNTAIN - MERIMBULA!

This is a small park with a lot of charm! Great little park for families and kids! If you're going JUST for the credit...I'll tell you...it's really out of the way! Like so far out of the way that this could be the longest round trip drive we've ever done for one coaster! (Sixteen hours!) But the credit and alpine slide combo is worth it!

On to the update....

But first... POV VIDEOS!!!

Here is "Diamond Python" at Merimbula's Magic Mountain:

Here is the "Toboggan Run" (Alpine Slide) at Magic Mountain:

There weren't many hotels in Merimbula to choose from, so we gave the Comfort Inn a try, and we are glad we did! This turned out to be a great little hotel!

There was a nice grassy area behind the hotel for all the kids to play in. (and when we say kids we mean all the TPR members...)

This may very well be the first ever Hotel TPR Takeover!

We took over every room in the hotel!

The hotel owner, Leigh, put on a fantastic Aussie BBQ for us that night.

And yes, beer was included!

Check out that spread!

Tonight's mystery meat is... LAMB! Hooray!

It was quite the awesome evening!

The hotel also had a great sense of humor...we at TPR like that!

And of course TPR was ready in the morning for the "alternate reality Australian Magic Mountain!"

As you can see, just entering this park automatically makes you get creepy eyes and uber dorky!

"Hey kids...do you want some candy?"

Magic Mountain in Australia is a fitting opposite of the Magic Mountain in America. This one is great for families!

Not gonna lie, this is the main reason why we are here.

Diamond Python is your standard Pinfari Zyklon.

TPR is ready to ride!

"We came all this way for a Zyklon, and dammit! It's going to be AWESOME!"

There is Diamond Python in all it's glory!

"Diamond Python is the best coaster we've driven 16 hours for!!!"

"Wheeeeee!"

Yup....Magic Mountain!

"Look...we're credit whores, ok?"

"Prepare for sharp braking!"

"We love it! We drove 16 hours for it!"

Some TPR members REALLY get into their 16-hour round trip Zyklon coasters!

"I'm CRAAAAAAAZY Diamond Python! Gimme some candy..."

AIRTIME HILL!!!!! well...not really...

The Zyklon wasn't the only ride we drove 16 hours for...the Toboggan Run was great!

The fact that you get EATEN BY A SHARK on the Toboggan Run makes this the BEST ALPINE SLIDE EVAR!!!

OH NOES!!!!

KidTums says "Hey shark...do you want to eat my foot?"

That is very good advice!

"Look Ma! NO BRAKES!!!"

Just like one of the rides at the "other" Magic Mountain...it has a lift hill at the end of the ride that brings you back up the mountain.

"Erectus"

The park also had a cool dinosaur walk through.

Dinos and elephants hanging out together...

There are a few other family attractions at the park...

Like the Gay Pride happy fun slide!

The baby T-Rex doesn't want your ice cream...it wants your HAND!

TPR Group Photo!

Oddly enough, this Magic Mountain also has a "Twicket!"

Another TPR members getting OM NOM NOMed by the shark....

Here we go....

OM NOM NOM!

It's TWISTTTTYYYY!!!!

"Um...NO!!!!!"

TPR had an awesome time at Merimbula's Magic Mountain! Thank you guys!

On our way back to Sydney, we made a quick stop at the nation's Capitol... "Look kids...there it is...Big Ben...Parliament..."

Apparently, Australia was very excited to see our TPR gays!

Our farewell dinner was at the awesome little Pizzeria!

We took over the back room - ate, drank, and partied!

The next morning we were took off from Sydney airport heading back to Los Angeles. I'll give you one guess as to which of those two airports this one is!

Sydney Airport may now be my favorite airport in the world!

And this update ends pretty much like it started...with Elissa at McDonald's!

Thank you Australia for letting TPR visit! We had a great time at your parks! Don't let your locals get you down by telling you they are crappy...you actually have some really nice parks that it would seem most locals don't appreciate! Hope to see you again soon!

Mmmm.

One of these (other) years...

Great TR, Robb. You all must have had a fantastic time.

And that BBQ the motel owner did for you guys? ...

Whole trip looked awesome.

As always, every update was awesome. As always, thanks for posting!

I like all the videos too... they really add to the updates, and it's impressive how quickly you're able to get them up. (Cue the 'Robb getting it up' jokes).

I was curious how you were going to get to Merimbula, true credit whore style, I thought you may have flown. I was 150 km north of there in Feb, and contemplated going down but I didn't due to lack of time, maybe another day. At least I know where to stay if I do go in the future.

Canberra is the porn capital of Australia (and co-incidently where all the federal politicians are). I'm surprised there wasn't a strategic rest stop in the Fyshwyk area.

Great update. Credit whoring at it's worst. That hotel owner must have been really happy to get all that business. Glad to see he treated you guys so well.

I just looked at those photos and thought "now THAT is a BBQ!"

Awesome

*Fyshwick Downunder. There was a time when we were also the only place In Australia where non-controlled Fireworks were legal. We also had a firework museum at one stage. Alas though, neither of these is anymore.

Awesome update! I hope to get to enjoy a foreign trip eventually!

Glad you had a great time in Oz. Come back soon.

Full marks for getting the Merimbula credit & awesome report.

Our parks are by no means crap,they're always fun.

Just sometimes we get envious at the mass of coaster & park goodness offered abroad.

Great wrap up! That motel owner was awesome to do that for you guys! Glad everyone had a great time!

I am sad. Your Australia trip is over. It was fun living vicariously through you until I get there.

I love the reports when you guys travel, thanks for taking us all along with you.

I agree with the locals. Not really one decent ride in all of Australia!!!

^I've been on over 1200 coasters. You're wrong.

Yeah, you're right, I'm wrong. There's probably one decent coaster in Australia!! Look, Australia is one of the most beautiful countries in the world, no question. My brother lives out there, and I visit him once a year. But as far as coasters are concerned, there's hardly any that are good!! And that's a fact!

My brother lives out there, and I visit him once a year. But as far as coasters are concerned, there's hardly any that are good!! And that's a fact!

Like Elissa said. You're wrong. If you're going to keep posting dumb crap to our forum. Please stop.

^^That's not a fact, that's an opinion. Just because they don't have the biggest and best rides in no way means they are not 'decent.' And i'm sorry, but if at even one person disagree's with you, and I bet everyone on the trip would, then your opinion is wrong when compared to anyone else's. That's why it's called an opinion.

Yeah, you're right, I'm wrong. There's probably one decent coaster in Australia!! Look, Australia is one of the most beautiful countries in the world, no question. My brother lives out there, and I visit him once a year. But as far as coasters are concerned, there's hardly any that are good!! And that's a fact!

I have to disagree, we didnt do the TPR trip, but we did our own Australia trip 2 years ago, and they have some great coasters, they may not have the quantity of some of the US parks, but we genuinely thought that the 4 parks we went to (Luna Park Sydney, Movie World, DreamWorld, and Sea World) were all really nice, well laid out parks with some nice rides

Yeah, I'm with the foreigners on this one. I didn't get to be an enthusiast because of what was overseas, I got to love our parks first, and I still do, even if I am a bit more nit-picky than is necessary

One thing I must say as a local; That hotel manager makes me proud to be Aussie, I'm not from overseas, and I always wondered what the hospitality was like for our international visitors. I'm pleased to see that good friendly hospitality is still alive and kicking in my homeland. I'm also Stoked to hear you guys on the trip had a good time down under, and I hope you all come back soon, or at least inspire others to make the trek down. The Gold Coast is only one flight away from LAX after all, We'll still be here

Thanks again for all the great POV vids, the photos, and the trip reports!

Joz - Proud to be a local

I was pleasantly surpirsed by the coasters in Australia: Jet Rescue was what KBF's Pony Express should've been, the Wild Mouse at Aussie World is completely insane, and Movie World has two very good coasters in Superman Escape and Scooby Doo (very nicely themed in addition to being solid rides).

Buck up, Aussies--your parks are better than you may think.

To be honest, just based on what I've seen, Australia > UAE in terms of coasters/parks. Maybe the gap closes if you throw the water parks into the mix, but still.

^ and maybe if all of the projects "in development" in the Emirates actually open!

This is the kind of quirky park visit that looks like the most appealing part of a TPR trip: Totally unique place, the hotel take-over, the homemade dinner/BBQ, the alpine slide, etc. Giant corporate theme parks with huge rides are not that hard to get to, but parks like this one are. Very cool.

To be honest, just based on what I've seen, Australia > UAE in terms of coasters/parks. Maybe the gap closes if you throw the water parks into the mix, but still.

This is 100% accurate. The UAE doesn't have one single "real park", where as Australia has at least 3 or 4. Even Ferrari World, which is the closest they have, is still a couple of years and a few more attractions away from figuring itself out. The UAE may win (or at least be an equal) to Australia in terms of "cool non-park stuff to do", but as far as actual parks and credits go, it's not what I would recommend going to the UAE for.

--Robb

I really liked the TR robb, Especially all the BBQ shots If its one thing the Aussies do right is the outdoor BBQ..and good looking shelias