Thunder River Rapids Ride

This article is about the river rapids at Dreamworld. For the river rapids at three Six Flags amusement parks, see Thunder River (ride).
Thunder River Rapids Ride

The main rapids section of the Thunder River Rapids Ride.
Dreamworld
AreaTown of Gold Rush
Coordinates27°51′44.44″S 153°18′54.85″E / 27.8623444°S 153.3152361°E / -27.8623444; 153.3152361Coordinates: 27°51′44.44″S 153°18′54.85″E / 27.8623444°S 153.3152361°E / -27.8623444; 153.3152361
Opening date11 December 1986 (1986-12-11)
General statistics
Type River rafting ride
Manufacturer Intamin
Model Custom
Length 410 m (1,350 ft)
Speed 45 km/h (28 mph)
Duration 4
Height restriction 120 cm (3 ft 11 in)
Website Official webpage
Q4U available

The Thunder River Rapids Ride is a river rapid water ride located in the Town of Gold Rush section of Dreamworld on the Gold Coast, Australia.[1] It is currently Australia's only river rapids ride, however a previous Rapids ride operated at Australia's Wonderland.

History

Gold Rush Country (now known as the Town of Gold Rush) opened on 11 December 1986. The area featured the Eureka Mountain Mine Ride and the Thunder River Rapids Ride. The Thunder River Rapids Ride continues to be the most popular ride at Dreamworld.[2]

Summary

The rapids are achieved by logs being attached to the base of a river channel.

Queue

Riders enter a long indoor queue with several switchbacks. The queue then bridges across part of the ride's water storage area before reaching the circular station. This station originally featured a rotating platform which allowed riders to mount and dismount the boats without the need for the boats to stop. This has since been decommissioned due to safety concerns.

Ride

Riders board one of several six-person circular rafts.[3] The raft is dispatched and the riders travel back past the ride's queue and into a cave. Upon exiting the cave, riders experience the main rapids section of the ride. This section runs alongside a large water catchment which powers both the Thunder River Rapids Ride and the Rocky Hollow Log Ride. The raft then goes under the Eureka Mountain Mine Ride's station and heads back towards its own station. Before departing the ride, guests are brought back up to the level of the station by a conveyor belt.[4]

References

  1. ↑ "Park Map" (PDF). Dreamworld. Retrieved 20 November 2010.
  2. ↑ "Dreamworld History" (PDF). Dreamworld. Retrieved 20 November 2010.
  3. ↑ "Thunder River Rapids (Dreamworld)". Database Entry. Parkz. Retrieved 20 November 2010.
  4. ↑ lollydove (9 September 2010). "Thunder River Rapids POV - Dreamworld, Australia". Video. YouTube. Retrieved 20 November 2010.

External links

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