Space-age amusement park

Press, 16 June 1988, Page 20

Space-age amusement park

Many visitors to Expo ’BB in Brisbane will also spend some time at World Expo Park, a large entertainment complex which has been established adjacent to the Expo site. At the completion of Expo on October 30, the riverside site will be cleared and redeveloped. World Expo Park, however, will remain as a permanent Brisbane attraction.

The high cost of establishing quality amusement parks in tandem with events such as a World Expo has frequently led to shortcomings owing to the temporary nature of the facilities provided. World Expo Park, therefore, has an advantage in being a permanent facility allowing costs to be offset over a longer period. The exciting rides in pleasant surroundings offer something far superior to the “side show” atmosphere of a temporary arrangement. Mr John Gower, the marketing manager for World Expo Park, says that the site is a perfect one close to the heart of Brisbane. “During World Expo we should have enough visitors to break even. There is access between the sites and people will be able to use their Expo tickets to get into

the amusement park.” World Expo. Park has been built on five hectares of land that was formerly occupied by the interstate railway terminal before the new Roma Street Transit Centre was opened. In fact, the park’s main entry comprises the ramps to the former railway station. The park features a number of sophisticated space-age rides. Grade “A” rides cost $3.00 and Grade “B” rides are $2.00. There are also a number of children’s rides at $l.BO.

Among the more spectacular rides (not for the faint-hearted), is the cen-trifuge-suspended coaster. This is apparently the very latest concept for a roller coaster. The coaches hang/ from an overhead track providing passengers with a freeflight sensation. The turns enable the coaches to make high angle swingouts, and the excitement is increased considerably, by the breathtaking drops. The ride takes place over water and passengers are squirted by jets of water strategically located along the structure. The Titan roller coaster provides a different sensation. This one has two lifts to 38 metres. When t the train is released from

the tower, it reaches a speed of 75 km/h before revolving through a half loop in combination with a half right screw, followed by a half left screw combined with a half loop. The train then ascends a second lift where it pauses before making all the manoeuvres once again, but in reverse. Those. still brave enough can try the third roller coaster which is quite different. This is the Supernova internal roller coaster ride which oper-

ates to two stories underground in a supposed 21st Century structure. The building is fully air conditioned and insulated. The roller coaster ride takes place through cold dark space with projected stellar objects on the internal surfaces. From two stories underground, the roller coaster rises .to almost 31 metres above the floor level of the building. Along with the roller coasters and other equally exciting rides (including a space-age ghost train), there are other attractions that help to make the park a full-day activity. A building looking very much like a church is actually the Kones icecream dispenser. Another ' unusual building, resem-

bling a truncated cylinder with hexagonal dark tinted glass, is the Donut Dome. There is also a Pie Dome and a Chocolate Dome.

The park has two main restaurants. One of them, The Galaxy, is described by John Gower as the “fanciest hamburger bar ever built.” The restaurant has 680 seats, serves 6000 meals every hour,’ and serves beer at one degree Celsius in chilled glasses. The carpet in The Galaxy will be replaced twice during the six months when World Expo is open. “We expect to have some 780 litres of Coke spilt on the carpet during that time,” Mr Gower says. Younger visitors to the park will be attracted to the Imaginarium where the children’s rides are located. These include the worm ride, critter track, space shuttle, battery cars, and others. During Expo ’BB the amusement park will employ a staff of almost 500. From the end of October, the permanent staff will be reduced to around 230.

World Expo Park is a $48.6 million project which has been designed and constructed, where possible, by Australian engineers and contractors.