Get Away with Dre: Thrills & Spills – Theme Parks Around Australia
If you’re looking for ideas to keep the kids entertained these spring school holidays, why not check out some of awesome theme parks around Australia. You may not realise this, but Australia has a lot of theme parks (Queensland is home to 30 theme parks).
Here are just some themes worth a visit.
Dreamworld, Gold Coast
Starting with the largest in the Gold Coast, you can image that this place has rides a plenty for the adrealine junkies.
The Giant Drop is Australia’s tallest vertical free-fall tower ride, the Steel Taipan is a triple launch roller coaster that goes 105kms and a g-force of 3.8, and a ride called the Serpent Slayer sends you round-and-round, side-to-side and upside down to a 3.8 g-force.
The weather is already warm in this part of Australia so we can cool down in the water park section of Dreamworld. WhiteWater World is sure to make a splash with the family with Thrill Slides, Family Slides and Kid Slides, or relax and wait for everyone to get back in your own private Cabana.
There’s also lower fear factor rides, live performances,, interactive shows, animal attractions and 11 rides for the smaller kids, proving there’s something for everyone.
Image credit: VisitNSW.com
Jamberoo Action Park, NSW
“Where you control the action..” won’t blame you if you sang this in your head… or out loud. It’s a theme park where you really can “control the action” for speed junkies and slow seekers alike.
We’ll start with Velocity Falls, a new slide that took over the Splash Out water slide. Years in the making, it’s built into the side of a mountain so imagine volumes of water that send you racing at speed down a slide. It’s so fast and high, you experience zero gravity.
Just when you thought a ride was scary in broad daylight, the Taipan is a water slide in pitch-black tunnels, and if you ever wondering what being in a tornado was like, hop on the Perfect Storm. It’s Australia’s tallest and longest water ride. You travel through 3 tornados with power so immense, you loose all sense of direction that you pretty much just have to hold on and pray for dear life.
If you want something chill, the Rapid River is fun. You can just drift in your doughnut and enjoy the ride, or bounce back and fourth and spin – you control the action remember?
I reccommend trying the chairlift, totally not a theme park, but a ride to check out the awesome views. The park is secluded in a mountainous region so the views are vibrantly green and beautiful.
Image credit: Adventureworld.net.au
Adventure World, WA
It’s not called the wild, wild Western Australia for nothing. This theme park is wild. The Abyss ride is Perth’s only roller coaster and it on the bucket list for Perth (alongside Quokkas and ziplining Matagarup Bridge). It’s also Adventure World’s singel largest investment (cost $12 million to build). It reaches speeds of 85km at a g-force of 1.5 – 4.5.
The Goliath is unlike anything else in Perth. It’s a pendulum ride that not only swings up and down but spins 360. The Kraken is a World record-breaking slide with 150m of dark twists and turns, a 360 degree twist, then a final six-storey building drop. This ride is more fun than scary that you’ll keep coming back for more.
If you’re in Perth city, you be able to hear the screams coming from the Inferno ride. This shoots you 52m into the sky giving you a sensational view of Bibra Lake across the ocean, Perth city and the hills, but then what goes up must come plummeting down at 15m per second and a g force of 1.2.
Alternatively you can rent out and stay in one of their Hawaiian-inspired cabanas by the pool. Have food and drinks brought to your table and just wait for everyone to come back exhausted.
Kryal Castle entrance
Kryal Castle, VIC
In Ballarat, rural Victoria, who wouldve thought you could be transported to a mystical, medieval theme park.
The park is a replica of a 700-year old castle making it more of an experience based theme park than one with rides. You can expect to see dragons roaming the castle grounds, watch jousting shows, take part in a wizard workshop, join in a egg hunt (a Dragon Egg hunt, duh), try Dragon Warrior Training, and be part of a round table knight meeting.
Kryal Castle also has accommodation on site.
Luna Park entrance
Luna Park, NSW & VIC
Iconically Australian, this theme park is in both Sydney and Melbourne, both located in places with fantastic views of these competitive cities. Sydney’s Luna Park faces straight the harbour bridge, while Melbourne’s has it in St Kilda overlooking Port Phillip Bay. Luna Park in St Kilda is Australia’s oldest amusement park
The Sledgehammer is so hectic it has 2 modes – full swing or half swing – but essentially are swinging and spinning at the same time. The good news is the views are amazing in Sydney, with the harbour, the harbour bridge, the sky and sea all in one swing, the bad news is once the hammer drops it wacks you back and forth and spinning round-and-round. After a while you become too tired to scream.
In Melbourne, The Great Scenic Roller Coaster is heritage listed. This wooden track nearly amounts to 1km and stands at 16 metres tall, giving you views of Port Phillip Bay.
Movie World entrance
Warner Bros. Movie World, QLD
One of Australia’s top visited theme parks, Warner Bros. Movie World is the closest we have to an American theme park. Inspired by the cinematic adventures of the film studio, Movie World allows you step into the thrilling action scenes of your favourite action movie and experience it for yourself.
Check out live performances of your favourite superheros, cartoon characters and movie characters, watch a Hollywood stunt driving show or try a Tom & Jerry 4D experience.
The Green Lantern Coaster is one of the steepest inverted drops in the Southern Hemisphere. It has 488 metres of track that reaches speeds of 66kms.
SX360 ride Image credit: Aussieworld.com.au
Aussie World, Sunshine Coast
Aussie World is not as famously known amongst the big parks in the Gold Coast, but it’s has the nation’s tallest and fastest 360 degree pendulum ride. The SX360 is the Sunshine Coast’s first tier 1 thrill ride and reaches speeds of up to 80kms and launches you 32 metres into the air while completing 360 degree inversions with up to 5 g-forces – a never-before-seen feature ride in Australia.
A theme park isn’t complete without games, and it has games and show bags galore. There’s a haunted Mayhem Maze and a Banana Bender pub – very Aussie.
