| Aussie World | |
|---|---|
| Location | Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia |
| Website | www.aussieworld.com.au |
| General Manager | David Thompson[1] |
| Operating season | Year-round |
| Rides | 23 total
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| Slogan | Fast & Fun |
Aussie World is a family amusement park located behind the Ettamogah Pub in the Australian state of Queensland on the Bruce Highway, Sunshine Coast.[2] It is set in native Australian gardens and trees and themed like an Australian fairground of old.
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The original creator of the Ettamogah Pub was Ken Maynard, who started drawing the Pub in 1959. It was made famous through his regular cartoons in The Australasian Post.[3] The Aussie World "Ettamogah Pub" was built 30 years later in 1989. The word "Ettamogah" is Aboriginal for 'place of good drink!' Now one of Queensland's leading tourist attractions, it stands an impressive 18 metres (59 ft) in height. It was opened on 24 November 1989, with most of the furniture inside the pub built from trees cleared from the actual site. A vehicle exists on the top of the pub. In the cartoon the theory is the truck was washed up there in the floods of 1946[4] and none of the regulars could be bothered to get it down. The car is a 1927 Chevy which originally was a four-door sedan and was converted into a utility in 1947.
In 2005, Aussie World renovated their existing rides including the Wild Mouse Roller Coaster, Octopus and Rock 'n' Roll Rebel Dark Ride. Further renovations were conducted in 2007 with the front entrance being completely upgraded. Two 15.5-metre (51 ft), brightly coloured barber poles were erected and a twin-peaked blue and yellow shade across the entrance was constructed.[5]
On 7 March 2011, Aussie World announced that they would open two new rides. The first was a Zamperla Disk'O called the Redback with the second being a yet-unnamed attraction due to open by the end of the year.[6] The Redback opened on 1 April 2011 in time for the Easter school holidays.[7] On 9 May 2011, Aussie World announced a further two rides would be constructed in 2011, totalling three for the year.[8] The Giant Slide opened in September 2011.[9] On 7 December 2011, the Plunge water ride was opened to the public.[10] The three 2011 attractions cost a total of $2 million to construct.[10] The introduction of these three rides has seen record attendance at the amusement park.[11]
In 2012, Aussie World plans to open two new attractions. The first is an Australian themed playground which is expected to open in February. The second is a $1 million ride which is currently in discussions.[10]
In May 2008, Village Roadshow Theme Parks (the owners of several Australian theme parks) entered into a conditional agreement with Aussie World. This agreement gave Village Roadshow the "option to acquire the land and business of Aussie World".[12] The company planned to build a new Wet'n'Wild water park on the Aussie World site named Wet'n'Wild Aussie World.[13] This was followed three months later with a development application being submitted to the Caloundra City Council.[13][14]
On 23 September 2009, Village Roadshow Limited (VRL) announced "after extensive research, review and planning, VRL considers that when compared with other opportunities available, the potential returns do not justify the level of investment for the world class water park which would be required to deliver a significant destination site."[12]
Aussie World has a collection of over 30 rides and games which provide entertainment for all ages.[15] These include:
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