The Dreamworld Big 8 Challenge

We spent 4 weeks in Australia this past summer and it seemed that the time just flew by. There were many activities that we did that we haven't had had a chance to share with you yet and this was one of them. We spent five days at the Gold Coast which is one of Australia's most popular tourist destinations. The Gold Coast is home to four of Australia's best theme parks and we spent a couple of days at Dreamworld and Whitewater World.

Dreamworld has the best collection of roller coasters in Australia and they have the "Big 8" which is their most popular thrill rides. I thought it would be great to attempt to ride all 8. Read on to see how I did.

                                                                                     Buzz Saw:

I rode this one with my sister as Amanda is not good with heights. This ride takes you up at a 90 degree angle then through a corkscrew and back to the bottom. You fly through the station and part of the way up of the 90 degree hill. You then do the track in reverse before being returned to the station to complete the ride. I really enjoyed this ride as it had plenty of speed and was unlike any coaster I had ridden before and give it 2 thumbs up!
Link to Youtube video of Buzzsaw

The Claw:

 Shellie was my riding partner for this ride. I almost didn't get to ride this as I barely fit in the seat due to my height. I had to crouch down a bit into my seat for the harness to come down enough. The ride is on a large arm that swings back and forth. The riders are rotated around as the arm swings. Even though my shoulders hurt from the small harness I enjoyed the ride and give it 2 Thumbs up! 
 Link to youtube video of The Claw

Pandamodium

After a few rides that only Shellie and I were willing to brave we chose one on the list that we could all enjoy. Pandamodium had 2 options, one that went at half speed and the other at full tilt. The half speed option was pretty tame but the full speed was pretty intense and made me feel pretty ill afterwards. After this ride my Big 8 Challenge was in severe jeopardy. My score for this ride was 1 Thumb up!
Link to youtube video of Pandamodium

Cyclone

Source

 Next on the list was another roller coaster called "Cyclone". It is a pretty standard coaster and has a few loops and twists. I was hoping it was going to be a smoother ride than the ride it replaced 12 years ago but sadly it was even rougher than the "Thunderbolt" was when it was 20 some years old. I felt I needed to consult a chiropractor when I got off the ride. It was by far the roughest coaster I had ever ridden. My score for this ride is 2 thumbs down!
Link to youtube video of Cyclone 
 
 Wipeout

 I still wasn't feeling 100% so I waited on the sidelines while Shellie and Amanda rode Wipeout. I had ridden almost 20 years ago so I was ok missing this one. The ride flips and twists you simulating getting wiped out by a wave. I could tell that Amanda was not enjoying the ride and her quote was "the ride could end fast enough" Both Shellie and Amanda gave it a score of 2 Thumbs down!  Link to Youtube Video of Wipeout!

                                                                                 Tower of Terror II

I had ridden the Tower of Terror about 15 years ago and loved it. Recently they changed the ride so you faced backwards instead of forward. The ride is pretty simple in that is shoots you down the track at 100mph/160kph and up the side of a 400ft/130m tower and then back to the station. Having ridden it both ways, I prefer the new way of the ride facing backwards and give the ride a score of 2 Thumbs up! Link to youtube video of Tower of Terror II

                                                                                The Giant Drop

The Giant Drop is one of the tallest free fall rides in the world. At approx 400ft/130m it towers over the rest of the park. The worst part of the ride is the slow climb to the top and waiting for it to drop. I much prefer this ride to other drop towers as you get a much longer free fall experience. I gave this ride a score of 2 Thumbs up!  Link to youtube video of The Giant Drop

                                                                               Mick Doohan's Motocoaster

The final ride in the Big 8 Challenge was Mick Doohan's Motocoaster. Instead of sitting in a harness you sit like you are on a racing motorcycle. You are quite secure in your seat as there is a harness that keeps you locked into your "motorcycle" The ride was something different and worth riding once but the seats were not made for someone who is tall so I felt cramped. I give this ride 1 Thumb Up!

Link to Youtube video of Mick Doohans Motocoaster 

I had a great time with the Big 8 Challenge. Having motion sickness issues near the beginning didn't make things any better but after a few bottle of water and taking it easy I was able to ride all but one of the rides. Some of my favourite rides are here and I would like to return some day to ride them again. Now it's your turn to share. What is your favourite theme park ride?