Guest The Pom Queen Posted November 27, 2013 Share Posted November 27, 2013 The imminent opening of Wet’n'Wild Sydney will supposedly re-ignite our love affair with amusement parks in general. Yet, Hugh Radojev, deputy editor of TNT Magazine and Backpacker Trade News, can’t see it being a big success. Get ready, Sydney! The opening of the world’s biggest water-park is so close I can almost hear the sizzle of pasty skin singeing gently in the sun. A lot of money has gone into trying to get Sydney’s Wet’n'Wild amusement park in Prospect ready for its December 12 opening yet, if history is anything to go by anyway, the people at Village Road Show Theme Parks might as well have saved their money. The Harbour City’s record with amusement parks has been atrocious, to say the least. Since the opening of the Bondi Aquarium and so called ‘Wonderland City’ in 1887, financial ruin and death have stalked the shooting galleries, candy floss machines and ferris wheels of just about every amusement and theme park that has opened its doors in Australia’s largest city. Even Luna Park, perhaps Sydney’s most iconic amusement park, has had its fair share of fiscal insolvency and human tragedy. The smiley neon face of the Harbour hasn’t always had much to smile about – anyone remember the horrifying Ghost Train fire in 1979? Or the fact that between 1982 and 2004 the park shut down four or five times for one reason or another. $115 million has been spent on the 42 rides and attractions that will make up Sydney’s latest theme park. Just let that sink in for a moment. That’s $25 million more than the original, 2011 estimate. If (and it’s a big ‘if’) Wet’n'Wild can meet its own targets – 1 million people through the doors seasonally, $500 million profit in the first decade of operation – then that original outlay will look like chump change but, when you consider how many factors can affect those statistical predictions (a run of bad weather for one) then you can’t help but think it represents a bit of a gamble. Sure, it will employ hundreds of people and, to begin with anyway, bring a lot of visitors as well as tourists through the turnstiles but will it stand the test of time? Will it reverse Sydney’s terrible run of luck when it comes to big ticket attractions? In other words, will Wet’n'Wild be a success? Let me answer those questions with another question. Whatever happened to Wonderland? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul1Perth Posted November 27, 2013 Share Posted November 27, 2013 It's quite a way out of Sydney, probably too far for your average holiday maker to be bothered, unless they have kids who are keen. Are they going to run buses and trips out there? Personally I like the wet and wild theme parks. Once set up they don't cost as much to maintain as the ones with crazy rides on, like the ones near the Gold Coast. We made the effort to visit the ones on the Gold Coast when we were there but they have 3 or 4 close together and you can get decent prices when you book from interstate. I hope it succeeds, plenty of people live out that way who may make it viable. Be a change from having to make a long trip to get to a beach. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonbclark Posted November 27, 2013 Share Posted November 27, 2013 We are on the same side of sydney and about 20minutes from the park but a lot of local people don't want to pay the prices they are advertising $125 for a season ticket that only runs until April and no child prices even for those under the height of many rides (unless they are under three I think) so my 7yr old can pay 70-80 to get in for a day but only go on half the stuff there. Many people might go once to try it out but they need better offers and yes definitely local buses and/or buses from the city to encourage people to go. Fr us it is closer than the beach but a lot more costly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MARYROSE02 Posted November 29, 2013 Share Posted November 29, 2013 'Wet n Wild'? Sure it's not another brothel? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jack13 Posted November 30, 2013 Share Posted November 30, 2013 Isnt there a great waterpark in Darwin? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rupert Posted November 30, 2013 Share Posted November 30, 2013 I have never heard of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest The Pom Queen Posted November 30, 2013 Share Posted November 30, 2013 Isnt there a great waterpark in Darwin? Nothing like Wet N Wild it has a couple of slides that's all http://www.sportandrecreation.nt.gov.au/sport-and-recreation/venues/palmerston-water-park#.Upk8H3wayK0 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul1Perth Posted December 2, 2013 Share Posted December 2, 2013 Isnt there a great waterpark in Darwin? There is a waterpark. Has the biggest outdoor wave pool in the Southern Hemisphere, apparently. It's not what I'd call great though, plenty of kids in there and it looks good fun for a couple of hours, bit boring after that I reckon. No massive slides or rides or anything. Sooner have a 50m 10 lane pool myself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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