20ten Parks

1. WET ‘N’ WILD: WATER WORLD, QLD
The Gold Coast is the home of theme parks in Australia, with six of them vying for public attention and money. Wet ‘n’ Wild as its name suggests offers a big range of water-based activities for all ages. Some of the rides do have height restrictions for safety reasons.

One of the newest attractions is “Kamikaze” a big U-shaped water slide where pairs ride together in large inflatable cross between a dinghy and a lounge chair. It starts with a 11 meter drop at an angle of 70degrees and that is just the beginning of the fun. Or try “Blackhole”; two enclosed waterslides where riders travel in complete darkness.

There are a number of slides for visitors who do not want such an adrenalin rush and young children too. During the summer months “Dive-in Movies” are added to the list of attractions where visitors can watch family movies while sitting on inflatable tubes in the wave pool.

Web
www.wetnwild.myfun.com.au
Cost
Entry $49.95/$32.95
Afternoon Only $24.95/$16.50, conditions apply
Package deals with multiple entry and entry to multiple Gold Coast theme parks are also available.
Getting there
From Brisbane drive south along the Pacific Motorway towards the Gold Coast. Take exit 60.
Bus services operate from the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Brisbane and Toowoomba
Jetstar and Tiger Airways fly to the Gold Coast.

2. SOVEREIGN HILL, VIC
This is a theme park with a difference in that it is not filled with glary lights, blaring music or teenage girls squealing on overhead rides. This park will take visitors to days gone by as they enter Ballarat at the height of the gold rush in the mid 1800s.

Visit a variety of local stores, the blacksmith and trades folk in period costume then make your way down to the Red Hill Gully Diggings to try your hand at panning for real gold. There are numerous demonstrations and “impromptu” activities in the streets. Across the road from the main park is the Gold Museum for all of the history nuts.

An evening light and sound show “Blood on the Southern Cross” will take visitors on an open train through the goldfields to relive the events of the infamous Eureka Stockade. Take a jacket because Ballarat can get cold at night all year round. Accommodation packages are also available.

Web
www.sovereignhill.com.au
Costs
Entry $39.50/31.60/$18
Blood on the Southern Cross $47.50/$39/$25.50, catering and day entry packages available
Getting there
Leave the car at home. V/Line provides a Goldrush special that will take visitors from Melbourne’s Southern Cross Station to the entrance of Sovereign Hill. Adult tickets $14.90

3. GREENHILLS ADVENTURE PARK, SA
This is a theme park that can truly entertain the entire family for the full day. It has a diverse range of outdoor activities golf, mini golf, slides and water slides, canoeing, tennis, volley ball, flying fox and the list goes on.

The perennial favourites go-karts, maze and the giant air bag are must dos for everyone. Mini electric cars and a jumping castle are available for visitors that are too young to ride on the adult versions.

Bbq and picnic facilities help make this a great day out.

Web
www.greenhills.com.au
Cost
Entry $25/20/$12.50
Petrol cars, 4wheel motor-bikes and climbing wall $5
Mini electric cars $2.50
Canoes $10 deposit
Getting there
From Victor Harbour drive up Seaview Road and follow the signs. To get to Victor Harbour from Adelaide take Main South Road turn left at the Victor Harbour turn off.

4. ADVENTURE WORLD, WA
Rides, rides and more rides. There are definitely multiple choices for every visitor’s taste of activity. Be sure to bring your swim wear as some of the rides are very water based. You can tell what type of ride each one is by their name.

For the children the names are cutesy “Kiddies Creek”, “Little Leaper” and “Secret Cove Pool” for example. Fir the family the names are very matter of fact: “Paddle Boats”, “The Lagoon” and “Bumper Boats”. The more thrilling rides tell you that they are faster and might raise the heart rate; “Rocky Mountain Rapids”, “Speed Slide” and Grand Prix Racer” then of course there are the extreme rides that sound more like the title of a Bruce Willis or Arnold Schwarzenegger film than an amusement ride; “Tunnel of Terror”, “Power Surge” and “The Rampage”.

Helicopter joy flights also take off from Adventure World.

Web
www.adventureworld.net.au
Cost
Entry $49/$39
After 2pm $29
Helicopter $75
Getting there
Only a few minutes drive south of Perth drive along Kwinana Freeway South to the Farrington Road exit, follow the signs to Progress Drive.
Catch the Mandurah Line bus from Perth to Cockburn Cenrtal and then bus 520 to Adventure World.

5. LUNA PARK, NSW
Full of all the rides you would normally have to wait for your city’ annual show to roll into town for, and all of the costs. Don’t be fooled by the free entry visiting Luna Park can quickly become an expensive day out. Fun but expensive.

Lots of rides, sideshows and food that is 40% sugar, 40% salt and 50% fat. Like all of the best theme parks there is a gift shop to encourage visitrs to spend what ever spare change there is left in their pockets.

Web
www.lunaparksydney,com.au
Cost
Entry Free
Rides $10/ride
Go Wild Pass (unlimited rides) $40/$30
Go Silly Pass (limited rides) $30/$20
Coney Island $10
Getting there
Milson Point Railway Station on the northerly line (1 stop from Sydney CBD)
Milsons Point is serviced by many northern bus routes and the Sydney Explorer bus
Ferry from Circular Quay to Milsons Point
Car, it is only a few minutes from the city, note that the car park charges by the hour.

6. KIDS PARADISE, TAS
As the name suggests this one really is for the kids and is really geared towards pre and junior school aged children. A great place for parties; food, activities, games and costumes make the perfect mix. Here is a venue where adults are also encouraged to get back in touch with their inner child and join in the fun.

This is the ultimate indoor playground with things to climb on swing from and jump off of. Even though there are a number of staff on duty, children under the age of 10 must be supervised at all times. Ait hockey, indoor soccer and hockey, playroom, shopping and beauty salon rooms pirate ship and big slide. This venue is designed to “play pretend” to your heart’s content

Web
www.kidsparadise.net.au
Cost
Entry $9/$5
Parties from $15
Also available as venue for hire for private functions
Getting there
A simple drive from Launceston CBD along West Tamar Road then veer right onto Elouera St
Catch the #90 bus from $4.50 for day ticket

7. ADVENTURE PARK, VIC
So you want to go to a water park but you are in southern Australia and can not afford the flights to the Gold Coast, then this is the park for you. Adventure Park has numerous water slides of different sizes and difficulty.

A water park is not complete without water jets and splash zones, and you will find them here too. There is also carousels, electric cars and moon bikes for the smaller kids and a adult jumping castle, canoes, go karts and archery for the bigger kids. Height restrictions apply for some attractions

Web
www.adventurepark.com.au
Costs
Entry $33/$27/$25
Getting there
1hr south from Melbourne over the Westgate Bridge heading towards Geelong along the Prices Highway, go through Geelong following the bay around to Bellarine Highway

8. ABINGDOM MINIATURE VILAGE, WA
No rides or carnival atmosphere, just small stuff. This is a 1:10 scale townships of an English village complete with many historic buildings. The 30 miniatures are set in 2 acres of beautifully landscaped gardens.

The garden also has a 1000m square hedge maze and a mini golf course – apparently a compulsory addition to any theme park wanting to expand its activity range.
Web
www.abingdonvilage.com.au
Cost
Entry $14/$10/$7
Getting there
A shuttle bus operates from Mandurah Railway Station, catch the Mandurah Line Train from Perth Railway Station for about $8.50.

9. WARNER BROTHERS MOVIE WORD, QLD
This list started with one Gold Coast Theme Park and will end with a couple more. Movie World as the name suggests is full of attractions related to feature films released by Warner Brothers. The connection between the attraction and the named film can however sometimes be tenuous at best.

Take the names and decorations away from the rides and you are left with lots of roller coasters, a vertical drop and a water ride (roller coaster through a pool). The park also hosts concerts, characters and live shows; currently a stunt driving display, a Bugs Bunny music show and a Shrek 4D movie experience.

Web
www.movieworld.myfun.com.au
Cost
Entry $69.95/$45.96
Discounts apply for multiple day and multiple park passes
Getting there
From Brisbane travel south along the Pacific Motorway taking exit 60
Bus services operate from the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Brisbane and Toowoomba
Jetstar and Tiger Airways fly to the Gold Coast.

10. DREAMWORLD, QLD
Nothing here is sleep inducing. The former Big Brother house in fact is something that is sure to keep you bored if not fully awake and if you did manage to sleep would most likely induce nightmares of the blight on Australian television history.

Now at the end of the list, the attractions are al sounding a bit cliché; roller coasters, swings, vertical drops, whizzy machines. It also has a wave pool an Imax theatre, wild life a kids zone and Wiggles World. A number of concerts and television shows also perform from Dreamworld. To be honest the diversity of attractions here means that if you can’t find something of interest then perhaps theme parks are not your thing. The tigerwalk experience is well worth the cost

Web
www.dreamworld.com.au
Cost
Entry $75/$9
Tigerwak $695 minimum group of 4
Getting there
Driving from Brisbane travel south along the Pacific Motorway take the Coomera exit and follow the signs.
Train get on the Gold Coast line to Coomera station then a Surfside bus to the park
Regular buses operate from Brisbane routes TX1, TX2, TX5 and 725