Roller Coasters ... etc

From my childhood, I fondly remember Sydney's Luna Park and the many times I rode the Big Dipper, Rotor, Ghost Train and Dodgem Cars, as well as the Slides, Barrels of Fun and Joy Wheel in Coney Island. Luna Park was closed after a fatal fire in the Ghost Train and didn't open in a properly refurbished form until 15 years later. Financial pressures and the whinging of selfish local residents about noise brought it to its knees again after about a year. Indeed, the new Big Dipper was finally taken apart and removed, all because some selfish bastards had moved in next to an amusement part and didn't like the noise when it was in operation! (Just like the scumbags who buy homes near the airport and then complain about aircraft noise.) In 2004, it opened again, minus one of its most loved features.

While we have few amusement parks, there are plenty of elsewhere in the world. The USA is the opposite to Australia: so many rides, spread over such an enormous number of states. Lots of great designs.

Inverted coasters make up most of my favourites, such as Montu (which was the longest, tallest inverted coaster in the world when I first rode it) and Magic Mountain's Batman. I'm not as big a fan of the rattly old wooden ones, yet somehow I've ended up riding the oldest, 2nd oldest, 6th oldest and 9th oldest continuously operating roller coasters in the world, the Scenic Railway, Rutschebanen, Thunderhawk and Giant Dipper, respectively.