stuartnz Posted January 30, 2009 Share Posted January 30, 2009 I just thought I'd give a taste of my home park. I have to admit that I saw a heck of a lot of improvements around the park since my last visit, and a lot of the complaints I was going to make here can't be made anymore! It's good to see the park actually doing something for once. Oh well. Enjoy, and try to ignore my not-so-amazing camera skills. And to conclude my shoddy report: A shoddy photo of the acid trip log flume. OMG. This looks disgusting. Is that a hole cut out of the sign? The mini golf course is just sad. That water looks horrible A quick shot of the park's weird-ass mascots. We left the kiddy area to watch the "Bird Show". This was it. A guy in a bird suit. Oh. My. God. "Hello, I'm the dragon ride's theming!" Speaking of theming, I heard this conversation between a cute kid on the ride and the ride op (about the mannequins inside the ride) Kid: "They're not real people!!" Ride Op: "They are too. They're just well trained!" Kid: "They're not! Why aren't they breathing?" Ride Op: "They're VERY well trained." Kid: "They're just dolls." Ride Op: "Very well trained dolls!" *dispatches ride* UH OH! Yeah, the kiddie area is really just a bunch of fairground rides surrounded by a dragon coaster. It gets really hot in here. Some shade would be nice. No, this ride is not cleverly themed around a shabby, fading plastic dragon. That really IS a shoddy, fading plastic dragon!! I wonder who sponsors the kiddie area in this park? Rainbow-coloured cars!! Another corkscrew shot! The rollercoaster!! OMG! Let me sum it up.. It goes up the lift hill, down a drop, through a vertical loop, a banked turn and then a corkscrew over the midway. Does this sound familiar to any Sandusky regulars or is it just me? The power surge... 40 steps to go!! I wish I was a better cameraman because I really wanted to share some photos of the interior. It is freaking TERRIBLE. It's dirty, most of the models are coming apart. It looks like a piss-poor imitation of Splash Mountain if it was designed and maintained by people with no hands. I was actually embarrassed to be in there. However in the photo it just looks like I'm on acid. OH CRAP I'M GONNA GO THROUGH THIS WATERFALL. The effect would be way better if you didn't see the log in front of you go through first :/ Through some pretty trees... Speaking of the log flume, it goes right underneath the Goldrusher here. The park is really pretty here, around the entrance to the log flume. This boarded up shop looks horrible! The park needs to do something about this!! ( ) The coolest part is walking up the ride and seeing it fly right past you. This nicely themed ride! I would have taken some pictures inside, but it's against the park's rules and I'm just such a good citizen. (Actually I just got caught trying to take my camera on) This nicely themed area leads to... The place was deserted for about an hour, so we had the park to ourselves. It's kind of creepy really. But now there's some nice new paving, some fountains, the dinosaur has been moved, and the simulator next to it has been rethemed to "Dino Island 3D". It's actually really good! This place used to be old, and had a dirty pool with, for some reason, a dinosaur in it. :/ It is! So of course that was our first stop. This thing is INTENSE. I swear other drop towers must be braked or something, because this thing totally caught me off guard. Is that a rainbow-coloured Intamin drop tower I see? What you see when you walk into the park. The colourful entrance to the park (with the biggest crowd ever waiting to get in) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hansrubens Posted January 30, 2009 Share Posted January 30, 2009 This may be a park I'll never ever visit in my whole life. It will be a 38 hour flight for just 3 credits. It looks like a very neat place though, thanks for sharing. ----Hans Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noxegon Posted January 30, 2009 Share Posted January 30, 2009 I really need to upload my photos from this place. Maybe I'll get round to it this evening. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erik Johnson Posted January 30, 2009 Share Posted January 30, 2009 ^ Please do. Especially since we do not have any photos of this park for the Park Index yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickey_079 Posted January 30, 2009 Share Posted January 30, 2009 Is it just me or does it seem as though NZ is STUCK in the 90's and just can't seem to get out (no offense). I know I'm not the only one to had said this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gerd.muller Posted January 30, 2009 Share Posted January 30, 2009 this park looks exactly like gardaland/italy looked like in 1984!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
orangecats2 Posted January 30, 2009 Share Posted January 30, 2009 OMG! I was so LOL over your description of Power Surge! Or where you describing Corkscrew at CP? I would guess since they are the only park in NZ they feel like they don't have to try very hard. I mean where else are people going to go? Still, sucks for enthusiasts. Thanks for the TR. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guy T. Koepp Posted January 30, 2009 Share Posted January 30, 2009 That acid trip log flume ride looked awesome in a holy craptacular kinda way! This place looks positively thrilling! Perhaps when I finally get to NZ for some bungee Jumping and the "Lord of the Rings" grand tour, I'll block off half a day for this place just to say I've been. Hopefully by then they might have a nice Intamin woodie or a megalite. Thanks for the TR. It is great to see these little known parks from around the world. Oh, if anyone asks, camera skills aren't good or bad, they're good or artsy. It's a subtle change, but it implies you meant to make them that way to enhance our viewing pleasure. Great overview of the park. Thanks for taking the time to share it with us. Guy "I'm in!" Koepp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larrygator Posted January 30, 2009 Share Posted January 30, 2009 Thanks Stuart Rainbow's End has been added to TPR's Park Index Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Speeddeamon128 Posted January 30, 2009 Share Posted January 30, 2009 Nice TR. That park reminds me a bit of my hometown park Clementon Park. Surprisingly Clementon Park is getting cleaned up & hopefully will be themed better. Now all we need is another credit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
packfanlv Posted January 30, 2009 Share Posted January 30, 2009 Thanks Stuart. I actually liked the charm of Rainbow's End. Don't ask me why, but I enjoyed my visit there. When we visited, the park was rather empty, so my son and I got to ride corkscrew 11 times without exiting the train! I think Gold Rush was surprisingly fun and agree that the log flume was whacked out. I didn't see them in your report, but we also enjoyed the bumber boats (which were actually forceful) and the go karts. I also agree the drop tower was great. I don't want to hijack your TR, but I'll just post a couple of photos here if you don't mind. Thanks again! This is the only picture I have, but it is an example of the fine theming inside of the log flume. Thanks again. Shawn Reece and I enjoyed getting soaked on the bumber boats. Here is an example of the theming inside the dragon coaster! The Drop tower was a lot of fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gisco Posted January 30, 2009 Share Posted January 30, 2009 Thanks Stuart Rainbow's End has been added to TPR's Park Index What took you so long? The report was posted over 7 hours ago! It's nice to see reports of little parks in places that most people wouldn't normally get to. It is possible that this could be a stop on a TPR Australia trip. There are plenty of adventure things to do in New Zealand. There are not a lot of coasters down under so maybe combining coasters with White water rafting, bungee jumping etc. could make the trip worth while. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guy T. Koepp Posted January 30, 2009 Share Posted January 30, 2009 Thanks Stuart Rainbow's End has been added to TPR's Park Index What took you so long? The report was posted over 7 hours ago! It's nice to see reports of little parks in places that most people wouldn't normally get to. It is possible that this could be a stop on a TPR Australia trip. There are plenty of adventure things to do in New Zealand. There are not a lot of coasters down under so maybe combining coasters with White water rafting, bungee jumping etc. could make the trip worth while. Hint Hint Elissa! Cough! 2010 trip. Cough! Guy "Sorry, something was caught in my throat." Koepp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheBannedKid Posted January 30, 2009 Share Posted January 30, 2009 ^It wouldn't be a giant phallic object, would it? Good thing it came out though! TJ "Don't hurt me" MacLennan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gerd.muller Posted January 30, 2009 Share Posted January 30, 2009 This is the only picture I have, but it is an example of the fine theming inside of the log flume. Thanks again. ...omg! were the park´s art directors on dope while theming the log flume ride? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noxegon Posted January 30, 2009 Share Posted January 30, 2009 It is possible that this could be a stop on a TPR Australia trip. There are plenty of adventure things to do in New Zealand. There are not a lot of coasters down under so maybe combining coasters with White water rafting, bungee jumping etc. could make the trip worth while. Speaking as someone who has done that continent recently, be careful. There are not a huge number of coasters, true, but if you want to get to them all you do need ten days at least. Adventure World in Perth needs two days on its own because of where it is, a three hour flight from anywhere else. The two Luna Parks - Melbourne and Sydney - are tiny, especially in Melbourne - but again a day or so will be wanted in each city to at least see something. If you want to do Merimbula then you need to budget for a silly drive each way to get there (~8 hours) or work around the flight schedule. The big coaster clump is in the greater Brisbane area, and the good news there is that the parks are all very close together. I'd be inclined to allow a day for Warner, a day for Dreamworld, and put Sea World and Wet'n'wild onto the same time. If you want to do Aussie World put it on a day with a flight. That's seven days if you skip Merimbula, eight with it (at a pinch). Add Rainbow's End onto the mix and you've hit ten. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noxegon Posted January 30, 2009 Share Posted January 30, 2009 Okay, I've just posted my pictures from Rainbow's End here: http://www.themeparks.ie/australia/rainbow/index.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dandaman Posted January 30, 2009 Share Posted January 30, 2009 ...Twelve-hole mini golf? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
packfanlv Posted January 30, 2009 Share Posted January 30, 2009 ^^Great Photos! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuartnz Posted January 30, 2009 Author Share Posted January 30, 2009 Okay, I've just posted my pictures from Rainbow's End here: http://www.themeparks.ie/australia/rainbow/index.htm These photos give a much better idea of the park. Thanks for uploading them! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
downunder Posted January 31, 2009 Share Posted January 31, 2009 Nice work, I've always wondered about this place. It's a bit more of fair dinkum park than I imagined. I always thought it was a bit more Merimbula's Magic Mountain size, which is not much bigger portable one night only carnie/crack dealing operation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spacemtfan Posted January 31, 2009 Share Posted January 31, 2009 Ehhh...I have seen dirtier water in Mexico. Though, the water condition is pretty bad in that park. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Electerik Posted January 31, 2009 Share Posted January 31, 2009 I've never been (or, erm, even heard of it before now), but it looked charming. Perhaps you're being overly critical because it's your homepark and you wish it was better...? In any case, thanks for the photos! Especially the acid-y ones! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamesdillaman Posted January 31, 2009 Share Posted January 31, 2009 Correct me if I'm wrong (I hate starting posts like this), but doesn't Cedar Point's corkscrew actually have a little airtime hill after the first drop before the loop? Maybe I'm remembering it wrong. I looked for pictures but there don't seem to be any of that part of the ride... -James Dillaman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noxegon Posted January 31, 2009 Share Posted January 31, 2009 I always thought it was a bit more Merimbula's Magic Mountain size, which is not much bigger portable one night only carnie/crack dealing operation. Aye, Merimbula is pretty small okay, but the bobsled down the side of the mountain is worth the trip alone! It's ridiculously long, maybe four times the length of the one at Oakwood? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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