Rivertown: First look inside new Dreamworld rides precinct opening just before Christmas 2024
Welcome to Rivertown: The Gold Coast’s new $55m theme park attraction is open to guests - including two new major thrill rides and a dining precinct. TAKE THE VIDEO TOUR
Entertainment
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The Gold Coast’s pre-Christmas theme park extravaganza reached new heights on Monday when the tourism capital’s second new attraction in a week opened its doors.
The finishing touches were being put on Dreamworld’s $55m Rivertown precinct ahead of its launch on Monday, December 23, just two days before Christmas.
The precinct, which includes two new rides - including a world-first Jungle Rush rollercoaster with multiple track options - is being called the “jewel in the crown” of the park as it marks 43 years in business.
The Jungle Rush rollercoaster, with three unique track choices as well as a forwards and backwards options at the start joined the Murrissippi Motors - a reimagined version of the Gold Coast’s inaugural theme park’s 1980s vintage car ride - to wow guests on opening day including state Tourism Minister Andrew Powell.
The precinst also includes a brand-new “immersive” riverside restaurant with animatronic features.
Dreamworld CEO Greg Yong said it was the most money the company had ever spent on a new attraction, jokingly adding: “It’s probably the most expensive restaurant on the Gold Coast.”
Mr Powell said: “We know people have been coming to Dreamworld for decades but they’ll keep coming back when there’s new products like Rivertown and Jungle Rush and this fantastic restaurant because there’s always something new to see.
“One of the huge attractions for the Gold Coast both for international and domestic tourists is we’ve got these five amazing theme parks right on their doorstep and they can try a different one each day.
“Dreamworld’s been there the longest, they’ve put a lot of effort over the last decade to bring forward new products like this and people will want to come and see that.
“And in the lead up to the 2032 Brisbane Olympic and Paralympic Games we want to see more of that product development andredevelopment.”
Deputy Mayor Donna Gates, among the first to try the new rides, said it was “fantastic” to see Dreamworld investing in tourism.
“There’s just so much to see here in this Rivertown precinct,” she said. “The theming is exceptional.”
Construction on the precinct took over a year, with delays in early stages. With school holidays approaching, Dreamworld is gearing up for a busy summer.
Earlier this week, Mr Yong said the opening was “a huge milestone” for the attraction.
“As the crowning jewel in our multimillion-dollar investment, it reaffirms our commitment to creating unforgettable experiences for families,” he said.
The development was first announced in 2022, with construction beginning a year ago.
They two new rides include The Jungle Rush, which Mr Yong said was the park’s “largest-ever investment in a single ride and the first roller coaster of its kind in the world”.
The $35m adventure-themed thrill ride features an unusual design, with different tracks and a “world-first turntable”.
Not only does The Jungle Rush give customers the option of starting frontwards or backwards out of a train station, the turntable section can rotate go one of three different routes.
All up the ride goes for 465 metres at a top speed of 45km per hour.
The other attraction is a reimagining of the Murrissippi Motors, one of the park’s original attractions from the 1980s which has been revamped and expanded.
It allows people to ride in old-style cars through the precinct, looping around the centrepiece of Rivertown – the two-tonne fuselage of a Vietnam War-era RAAF Caribou A4-179 aeroplane.
The plane was installed in October, with its frame reinforced with three tonnes of steel and when fully installed it would stand at nine metres tall and 22m long.
Mr Yong added: “Jungle Rush and Murrissippi Motors bring adventure and nostalgia to life, and we’re thrilled to finally share it with our guests.”
And there’s more to come, with Dreamworld set to redevelop its popular Claw ride after 20 years.
The ride will be closed in early 2025 and will be replaced by an even bigger ride -King Claw.
It will be 50 per cent higher and faster, with the largest gyro swing ride in the southern hemisphere, standing at 27 metres tall.
Rivertown’s opening comes just days after the opening of the $100m Wizard of Oz Precinct at the nearby Warner Bros Movie World.
The two theme park attracts are set to underline a bumper Christmas and New Year period, with tourism bosses already tipping to be the best in recent years.
Experience Gold Coast head of visitor economy Rachel Hancock said awareness of new tourism product was having an impact on bookings.
“It’s great to see accommodation bookings up more than six per cent across the city during December and January, with the peak period between Christmas and New Years particularly strong,” she said this week.
“New products and experiences and events like the Magic Millions carnival continue to attract more people to the Gold Coast, leading to a positive knock-on economic effect.”
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