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ParkHoppin’
Never-ending Rainbow
New Zealand park reaches lease
by Paul Ruben
agreement
Snowed In
New Zealand’s largest amusement
park, Rainbow’s End, has been
Suffering from a bad case of WPD, I'm looking out my office
granted an extended lease through
window at about two feet of snow on the ground. It may be
until 2034 following five-years of
wishful thinking, but it reminds me of last summer when I was
talks with Manukau City Council.
looking out from my hotel balcony.
In exchange the park, located near
On a toasty warm summer evening the ocean waves were
Auckland, must surrender 4,000
breaking 50 yards away. I was in Ocean City, Maryland, home
square metres of land and move
of three amusement parks and a waterpark that serve the
its Power Surge ride.
Baltimore and Washington metropolitan areas.
Rainbow’s End recently opened
While there I spent two days at nearby Splash Mountain Water
a 24-seat Zamperla Disk ‘O’
Park. Why? Splash Mountain is a world-class waterpark,
Coaster called Invader, believed to
arguably the finest waterpark in the mid-Atlantic region of
be the first ride of its kind in the
America. It has just about every waterpark feature you could
Southern hemisphere. The park’s
imagine. Drifting down the lazy river, splashing in the wave
owner, New Zealand Experience,
pool, roaring down the variety of water slides, this was my kind
has now pledged to invest NZ$3
of fun. See the photo? I'm smiling, and it's not just gas.
million (US$2.2m/€1.5m) in the park every three years until 2027.
I was doing my job, reporting on the park's new water slide.
"While Rainbow's End would have preferred not to have to surrender any
OK, so that only took about five minutes. No point in over-
existing land, the inclusion of additional land and plans to redevelop some of
working. And I had to go there so I could write this. I can't
the existing park area will provide sufficient capacity to continue to extend the
make this stuff up. There I was, with a beautiful sand beach
offerings and range of attractions at the park," a New Zealand Experience
below my balcony, swooping gulls above, salt air wafting by,
spokesperson said in an official statement.
and I never once set foot in the ocean! No sand in my shoes,
The land given
no salt in my hair, just good clean fresh waterpark fun.
back to the City
Splash Mountain is nestled between Jolly Roger Amusement
Council will be used
Park and Speedworld on the Coastal Highway. Splash Mountain
to expand the law
contains 20 attractions. Jolly Roger features 28 rides.
courts adjacent to
Speedworld
the park and to
contains 10
provide a roadway
different race
linking two existing
tracks. It's an
roads.
impressive
complex.
LEFT AND ABOVE:
Jolly Roger
The Invader (Disk
operates a second
‘O’ Coaster) by
amusement park in Zamperla
downtown Ocean
City, Jolly Roger at
the Pier. Here
visitors can find 12
Europarks gone
rides and 21
games. From the aroma of Thrashers French Fries to the sounds
but mission lives on
of joy coming from the two level carousel, the pier is a fine
place to spend an evening. Here I could enjoy the Ocean City Europarks, the lobbying group established to represent the amusement park
skyline from the area's tallest Ferris wheel. Believe It or Not, industry within the European parliament, is no more. Its activities and priorities
even Ripley's is found here. will now be continued through the offices of IAAPA Europe in Brussels.
No evening in Ocean City is complete without wandering Founded in 1981 by the British and German trade associations BALPPA and
across the boardwalk to Trimper's Rides. Trimper's is historic in VDFU, Europarks has been the voice of the industry in many cross-national
part because it has remained in the same family for over 100 issues, from potential new laws affecting outdoor workers to reduced levels of
years. Founded in 1893, Trimper's includes 12 inside rides and income tax and a Europe-wide safety reporting system.
31 outside rides, plus 33 games. It was there I discovered the “It’s only really in the past couple of years that IAAPA had had a major
large collection of operating vintage William F Mangles kiddie European presence and begun campaigning on the same sorts of issues,”
rides. That alone made the trip worthwhile. Frosting on the cake notes Europarks’ most resident president, Colin Dawson. “To avoid confusion
was a variety of dark rides and dark walk-through attractions. between the role of the two groups, we decided to dissolve Europarks. IAAPA
Back to two feet of snow outside. Maybe snow is OK. At least has great resources and I am sure it will be equally effective in representing
I don't have to cut the grass; I love snow. But I really love the industry’s interests in Europe.”
summer even more. It's a sure cure for WPD, waterpark
www.iaapa.org/europe
depravation.
8
FEBRUARY 2010
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