Quick Trip Report: Luna Park, Melbourne (Australia)

Hi,

Just got back from two weeks in Melbourne, and I of course swung by Luna Park while I was there. It was an amazingly sunny and warm day, and the sea-side park was bubbling with activity.

Date: Wednesday April 6th, 2005

Luna Park is a true 'old time' amusement park. It sits right on the beach in the amazing suburb of St. Kilda, in Melbourne. It's a wonderful location, and the park is just more and more terrific each time I visit. There are "only" two coasters here, and neither will win awards as being thriller/air-time machines, but both are a great deal of fun.

The Scenic Railway, which opened in 1912, is the second oldest operating coaster in the world. Even though Leap The Dips is older, the Scenic Railway has run more or less consistently for its entire lifetime. Like Leap The Dips, the Scenic Railway is a side-friction coaster .. meaning that the train runs on rails (much like a real train), and in a deep trough. The train is not locked into the track like a modern coaster, so it never reaches very high speed (it's designed to be scenic, remember!). This is one of the last remaining 'Scenic Railways' in the world .. and also one of the last coasters to feature a brake-man. The only brake on the coaster is on the train, and is operated by a staff member sitting between the two cars.

There are several long sections of new wood/track at the base of many hills, which is good to see. Also the train is in stunning condition .. with awesome paint, and comfy seats.

It's so cool to see so many people enjoying such an old coaster (it's far more popular than the Galaxi) .. it's really coastering in its purest form: views, hills and fun!

The other coaster at the park is a pretty standard Galaxi model by SDC. This, along with the whole rest of the park, has recently been restored and is running well. It's also running brake-less, so it was going quite fast.

However, the center-piece of Luna Park is the awesome old PTC carousel:

http://www.lunapark.com.au/magic_carousel.html

It's great to be in this park, and think back to a time when all parks were like this .. it really is purely about the fun. It is hard to imagine that the massive, faceless corporations like Cedar Fair, Six Flags and Paramount, all had their roots in small-time parks like this. While the monster parks of today were inevitable, it is a shame that more people don't have the chance to experience parks like Luna Park.

Anyway, I (of course) have nerdy pictures and wobbly digital camera video:

http://www.buzzneon.com/australia/march_2005/luna_park/

It's great to be back (and I really like this forum),

Cameron.

I wish I was more of an enthusiast when I was last in Austrailia! We spent like 2 days in Melbourne shopping, checking out that nice Casino (where I met George Clooney opening up the Planet Hollywood!) and doing other "natural" site seeing.

We'll be in Australia within the next few years! I can't wait!

Elissa "although it's a bummer you can't climb Ayers Rock anymore!" Alvey

Elissa,

When were you in Melbourne? Where else in Australia did you go?

I was fortunate enough to climb Ayers Rock when I went on a school camping trip through Central Australia in 10th grade .. it was awesome! Seeing it sitting there in the middle of the desert is quite spooky - almost disconcertingly so. But climbing it was quite spectacular.

I always encourage people who visit Australia to spend as little time as possible in Melbourne and Sydney (both are nice, but they're really just more big cities). Central (and Western) Australia is totally amazing, and so few people get there (most Australians don't even see it!).

Thanks for the comments!

Cameron (who can't think of a witty thing to put here) Silver..

It really sucks when I have lived in Australia all my life and haven't been to Luna Park Melbourne or Ayers Rock for that matter. I didn't even know St Kilda or Luna Park was near the beach.

But at least I got to the original Sydney Luna Park, unfortunately the Ghost Train burned down that night killing six people and that was the end of the original park.

7 years ago we travelled around Australia for 4 weeks...15 years ago we also travelled around for 4 weeks.

The first time I went we did the touristy east coast stuff, great barrier reef, alice springs, ayers rock, up to the north, etc.

7 years ago is when we went across the Nullarbor over to Perth, did Monkey Mia (wild dolphins that come and chill with you), some giant tree thing, did adelaide, WAVE ROCK!!!, melbourne and a lot of 'natural' stuff. This is when I did Wonderland and saw the Orphan Rocker near that 3 Sisters place.

Elissa "I miss Australia, it's very cool, a pelican once attacked my brother there!" Alvey