Friday, December 24, 2010

The Sydney to Brisbane drive (Day 7)

Armed with this piece of important paper...


... and this band...


... we were ready to soak in the thrills and spills.


But the sky was overcast. Extremely. But did the rain stop us from enjoying ourselves at Dreamworld?


Of course not! All we needed was an extra piece of plastic!

Heads up: No photos or videos for this trip, unlike the last trip to Movie World due to the rain, which rendered my camera safely stored in a locker. Hence, I have decided to share videos other fun-loving visitors shared on YouTube of the rides we went on.

The first ride conquered was The Giant Drop. I opted out for this one and besides it was stated very clearly that people who suffer from vertigo were not allowed on the ride. Phew... I do not think I could withstand a 120m drop at 135km/hour. Audrey, on the other hand, loved it so much she wanted to do it again!



Then, we both went over to a ride we saw was open - Mick Doohan's Motocoaster. Using replicas of 500cc race bikes, it really felt as though I was racing. Although traveling up to 72km/hour does not sound really fast (in a car, that is), it felt really fast on this ride. We had about 605km of racing fun on this one.



The Claw went up to nine storeys into the air, swinging at up to 75 km/hr! It also spun 360 degrees. So, by the time I got off, I was walking like I was drunk. Literally.



No words to describe Wipeout, other than it left me totally nauseated just by watching Audrey get flipped over and over like a pancake.



Maybe it was because of all that tossing and turning that resulted in Audrey feeling hungry. We then fueled up with the most worthy burger we have ever eaten in Australia. Seriously, enormous. I regret not taking a photo of it.

The rides that we went on after that were easy rides. I joined a Kiwi family on the Thunder River Rapids on a turbulent ride down a foamy water track past the Gold Rush Country, speeding up to 45 km/h. It was their third round on the ride, as the kids were trying to get their dad wet. I do not know why I enjoy rides like this.



Audrey then joined me on the Rocky Hollow Log Ride where we climbed the aqueduct in a hollowed-out log and plunged down the ramp at 50km/h. Anyone wants to guess why she wanted me to take the front seat?



The waiting for the rain to stop paid off for Audrey, as the Tower of Terror opened up. Again, I chickened out. I think I have lost my energy for stuff like this. I know, sad right? But hey, it reaches the speed of 171km/h in seven seconds and pushes you up 38 storeys into oblivion. Yikes, I would definitely pass, thank you very much.



I did not realise that Dreamworld had an attraction called Tiger Island, which in part ran conservation efforts to help the soon-to-be extinct majestic cats. We made it in time for the afternoon presentation. They have daily presentations at 12:00pm and at 3:30pm.



The last ride we went on was The Cyclone. We found the walk up to the ride a cyclone itself, let alone the ride! This rollercoaster first opened at Sydney’s Luna Park. Following complaints by neighbours of the ear-piercing screams, it took 35 separate trucks to relocate the knee-knocking coaster to Dreamworld. I like how the Dreamworld website introduces it:

The Cyclone starts out leisurely, gently hoisting riders 40 meters above the ground to the most scenic point in the themepark. To the right is the hypnotic swing of The Claw. To the left is the sparkling blue waterpark. Ahead is the centre of fury and the point of no return.




Drops I definitely do not do (I used to but not anymore) but rollercoasters, anytime! We chilled to replenish the liquid in our bodies, and I took the chance to try the recommended a small pint of strawberry cheesecake flavoured Ben & Jerry's.


Dreamworld
Dreamworld Parkway, Coomera, QLD 4209, Australia
07 5588 1111 (Tel), 07 5588 1110 (Fax)
Dreamworld open 10:00am to 5:00pm
WhiteWater World open 10:00am to 4:00pm


And of all things to happen to me, I sort of 'left' my debit card at the theme park. And on Christmas Eve. Great. In fact, I did not realise this until I was to pay for a parking spot at Brisbane City YHA Backpackers Hostel.

We thought that of all the accommodation we had throughout the trip, this was by far the best. It was not only the cheapest, it was the cleanest and best-maintained. Heck, we paid for a bed each but ended up with the whole room to ourselves!



We took the double-decker at the window with me taking the lower bunk, which allowed me to have a view of town.



Brisbane City YHA Backpackers Hostel
392 Upper Roma Street, Brisbane, QLD 4000
07 3236 1004 (Tel), 07 3236 1947 (Fax)
E-mail: brisbanecity@yha.com.au
Reception Hours 6:30am to 11:00pm


With the rain, not many establishments open due to the festive season and my ultra bad luck (I did not notice that the gate opened towards the car, I stopped too close and well, guess what happened next), we settled for the Belgian Beer Cafe Brussels for dinner.


The complimentary breads came with a lot of butter. A whole lot. We wondered why they provided so much butter for just two pieces of bread. Such a waste, really, because we know they will throw it out after. As Audrey did not feel like eating, it was just I who ordered a serve of seared Queensland scallops on a mushroom and wild rocket risotto with shaved parmesan. I must have been really hungry. Either that or it was just divine.


Belgian Beer Cafe Brussels
Corner Mary & Edward Streets, Brisbane, QLD 4000
07 3221 0199 (Tel), 07 3221 7811 (Fax)
Open 7 days 11:30am till late


Distance covered today: 80km

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