downunder

I reckon a hyper would fit, they usually have a very narrow footprint, preferably an Intamin hyper that eclipses all their previous efforts even if it can't be the biggest.

Intamin all the way, they make the most kick arse rides on the planet, just look at the topten in any coaster poll.

Hi, I'm from Sydney, Australia and I seem to only ride coasters on visits to the USA. I love Robb's videos especially the Point of View ones - it's a great way to relive coaster experiences and share those experiences with friends (and also see what the ones were like that were closed when I was at Great Adventure). I am into playing sport and music, and I think Australia is a great place to live except it doesn't have any decent coasters. I am a moderator and contributor to an Australian website run by an associate of Robb's (Ian the Rabid Kiwi), and I have loved coasters since I was tiny even though I didn't get to ride them that much. Brent

I just saw Metallica : Some Kind of Monster on DVD and I thought it was very interesting and I am not really a Metallica fan though I do play guitar. Shaun of the Dead was really cool, there was a fine line it was treading and it did it to perfection. I'm really back on zombie movies now after the remake of Dawn of the Dead came out (what did people think of that?). I just saw the original Dawn of the Dead which just came out on DVD, and the sequel Day of the Dead - which would have to be one of the most graphically violent (and very compelling) movies ever. Looking forward to the next Dead instalment in October - Land of the Dead, apparently the guys from Shaun of the Dead were given the honour of being zombie extras.

If pre-natal rides count in coaster counts I will certainly be asking my mother what she was up to in the 9 months leading up to my birth. Kids would kill my coasting so I aint having them, I'm just an overgrown child myself.

Out of the ones I have been on, I would say Magnum is tops - maybe because it was wet and they didn't have the trims on because I was counting on each bunny hill and I was getting to 4 or 5 every time. Also it was just brutal too, I'm surprised my thighs weren't badly bruised from the lapbar. Note this based on rides in 2004. Quality airtime - the second and third hill on Millenium Force, quantity airtime - SFNE Ride of Steel has lots though I think Nitro had more but it was so gentle and floaty which didn't impress me as much as the other three.

Definitely Disneyland and DCA for me, it's just a shame California doesn't have Mission Space, Rock and Roller Coaster, and Test Track.

I have been to three SF parks, and this is how I found them : New England : has the best coaster of any Six Flags Park - Ride of Steel, but not much else. A plus is that the waterpark is included in the park admission. Pleasant atmosphere. Magic Mountain : one outstanding and unique coaster - X. Some above average ones - Goliath, Deja Vu (clone), Riddler's Revenge, and Batman (clone). Some if you're there coasters - Scream, Superman (unique but unimpressive now), and Viper. The rest are crap though Revolution and Collossus are of historical interest, or if you want to say you rode the coasters from Vacation. Great Adventure : some outstanding coasters Nitro (not as good as the intamins though), Chiller, and Kingda Ka when it is working. Medusa, Superman and Batman (clone) are worth checking out. The rest are largely forgettable (Viper and GASM will actually erase your memory). Skull Mountain I thought was fun. Atmosphere wasn't as bad as reputed though I was there on quiet weekday, and I left before it turned into a Gangsta's Paradise. My vote would be with Great Adventure but there is usually something of interest at most parks, and it's sweet to have a cheap season pass and get into all those extra parks for free.

Most rap and urban R n B rubbish. All dance music and Ashlee and the rest of that pretender crew would better serve the world behind the counter at McDonald's.

djrappa wrote I'm actually a mod for ozcoaster and a lot of my overseas tour photos are up there. Is there a kiddie coaster at the neverland ranch ? That would be one tough credit. I think I'd rather tough it out in Baghdad.

I was like at Cedar Point on the Raptor front row and this attractive Austrian girl came and sat next to me, and started talking to me, and the first she asked me was "are you a coaster freak?". she kept following me around so after the ride so that pretty much killed coasting for the day. On an organised tour after I had been to CP, SFNE, Hershey, and GAdv, they just gave me heaps for being a coaster geek. Yes, there is a definite stigma attached to being into coasters - lucky I'm real at sports and picking up too. At least they don't say "$2,000,000,000! that's more zeroes than a coaster convention". Sorry trek fans.

24 times on Millenium Force, and Magnum, 20 times on Top Thrill Dragster. If I didn't have 12,000 miles between where I live and Cedar Point it would be in the 100's.

I feel like I accomplished everything after going to Cedar Point, now I'm looking to top the top thrill. I've been offered an aerobatic flight at a heavily discounted rate (or mate's rates as we call it in Australia) - so I'll see how I go pulling 8 g's. I want to go to Alaska but not for the coasters. Maybe China (outside hong kong) will start getting some serious parks as that seems to be the market every major corporation is eyeing off, could be the next frontier ? Six Flags Over Beijing anyone.

Australia is not exactly the Kingdom of the Coasters, though that situation should improve a bit in September - I'm sure Ian (aka Rabid Disney) would love to see you on the Gold Coast. Fortunately there are many other things to see in Australia, which I have never seen because I spend my holidays either playing sport or in the US meeting European girls or riding coasters. Is there a coaster frontier that you have yet to conquer (that you want to)other than maybe Australia, like maybe a gnarly invert in Dubai or something ?

I managed to hold myself back from riding the one and only coaster in Sydney, the mighty Wild Mouse at Luna Park. In my dreams, Cedar Point and Ride of Steel. Oh well at least I can console myself with POV videos from this website til the next time I head to the USA.

Hypers are my favourite coaster format, and seem to retain their high ratings on most coaster polls over many years. There are probably two ways of rating rides for me, ones that are the most exciting when ridden once and ones that I can ride over and over again without getting bored. Top Thrill Dragster does get my top rating for it's sheer intensity but after 7 times in one day it got real boring. Millenium Force got really boring after 6 consecutive rides - I was starting to wonder if I didn't like coasters anymore but Magnum renewed my faith and I was still hankering for more after 9 straight rides. Ride of Steel at New England kept me going all day too, and with a 5 minute wait - why not? As for woodies I have only been on two in Amusement Today's top ten list, and although I like hypers better, Ghostrider is a great ride I can ride it over and over again. Maybe woodies like Thunderhead and Boulder Dash (if only I could have gone to Lake Compounce too) would change my mind about which is better.

Here's mine for steel : 1. Top Thrill Dragster - I'd take 20 seconds of the most intense ride over 2-3 minutes of lesser intensity anyday (to be eclipsed by Kingda Clone?). 2. Millenium Force - The most intense hyper out there, not any many airtime hills as Ride of Steel or Nitro but more than makes up for it with quality. 3. Superman Ride of Steel (SFNE) - Great layout though not as intense as MF. 4. X - love this ride, totally unique and completely mind blowing. 5. Magnum XL-200 - still great after all these years, a bit rickety but that brutal airtime on the bunnyhops rules. Wood (haven't been on many wood coasters) : 1. Ghostrider 2. Lightning Racer (Hershey) 3. Blue Streak (Cedar Point) 4. Wildcat (Hershey) 5. The other woodie at Hershey.

Cedar Point the large amount of daylight, then Islands of Adventure, nothing else comes close after that for me.

Gold Coast when Superman opens at Warner Bros Movie World (also known as the ozcoaster.net staff meeting). Was thinking about going back to the US in 2006, but I might come in 2005. Do some nature stuff in eastern Canada, then Kingda Ka, maybe Orlando and definitely LA.

I finished my 2004 USA tour with Ghostrider at Knott's - 20th Sept, and I have not ridden a coaster since.

Disaster Transport at Cedar Point, that aint theming that's a third class paper mache project gone wrong.

Good to see another Aussie on the boards. Last year I flew to Cleveland after I got to LA, did Cedar Point. Then went to New York and from there I did SF New Engand, Hershey, and Great Adventure. Then I went on a tour that stopped at Orlando, but I only had time to do Sea World, Islands of Adventure, and Universal. Then I flew back to LA and did some parks there. Personally, Cedar Point is the best - loved it. Islands of Adventure was the best in Orlando. Busch Gardens I wish I could have gone to for the coasters, and with the new dive machine looks like a must visit. I have been to the Disney ones on a previous visit and they are worth going to if you have never been before but they are not really for thrillseekers. Great Adventure has some good coasters but it's no Cedar Point. Washington DC is good place to visit and it has a heap of parks all within two hours - Six Flags America, Paramount King's Dominion, Busch Gardens Williamsburg, Dorney Park, Knoebels, Hershey etc. Unfortunately I didn't have time to do this myself.

Psychlone at 6FMM is one woeful woodie, High Roller at Stratosphere is lame but what a difference being 1000 foot up makes. Bush Beast at Australia's wonderland (now closed) was one piece of wood in need of a match and some gasoline. Unfortunately Viper wasn't open when I was at Great Adventure to be in the running, I believe this Togo torture device is in breach of UN human rights regulations (I am taking people's word on this one) which must be why it is closing (is this confirmed?). I wouldn't be surprised if it was re- located to a secret govt base to beat confessions out of suspects.

Giant Drop at Dreamworld - Gold Coast, Australia. It goes up so high, the highest ? For those who don't it is on the support for the single track version of Superman the Escape (6FMM) at Dreamworld.

My local park is Luna Park in Sydney with it's mighty coaster arsenal of one wild mouse.